Dayton monument firm makes Jackson memorial

This is a detail of the stone Michael Jackson memorial that will be donated to the town of Gary Indiana, Jackson's hometown. The memorial is being produced by Stone Plans, a Dayton based company.

Jim Noelker/Staff photo This is a detail of the stone Michael Jackson memorial that will be donated to the town of Gary Indiana, Jackson's hometown. The memorial is being produced by Stone Plans, a Dayton based company.

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A worker walks by a stone memorial to Michael Jackson Thursday July 9, 2009. The memorial stone produced by Dayton based company Stone Plans, will be given to the town of Gary Indiana, Jackson's home town, from the company and the people of Dayton.

Jim Noelker/Staff A worker walks by a stone memorial to Michael Jackson Thursday July 9, 2009. The memorial stone produced by Dayton based company Stone Plans, will be given to the town of Gary Indiana, Jackson's home town, from the company and the people of Dayton.

Company to donate stone monument to singer’s hometown of Gary, Ind.

By Hannah C. Bealer, Staff Writer Updated 5:28 PM Monday, July 13, 2009

A local monument company has a big role in a memorial service for Michael Jackson in Gary, Ind., this weekend.

Stone Plans, a maker of stone memorials and monuments, with offices at 2331 Gettysburg Ave. and in Richmond, Ind., is donating an 8-by-5-foot monument to the King of Pop’s hometown.

The $28,000, custom-etched monument will be unveiled during a memorial service there Friday, July 10.

Work on the 5,000-pound monument started this week, said Darren Boykin of Stone Plans. It got some finishing touches Thursday, July 9, and will be shipped to the city in northwest Indiana this morning.

The front of the monument shows Jackson in the center of a large moon performing his trademark moonwalk dance move. The top of the monument depicts Jackson’s masked face from the cover of his “Dangerous” album, with the words “King of Pop” inscribed underneath. Under the moon is etched the Jackson 5 song title “Never Can Say Goodbye.”

On the back, a biography of the entertainer is surrounded by photographs from his life. The lyrics for “Gone Too Soon” follow.

“The city (Gary) gave birth to the King of Pop,” Boykin said. “Not a local artist or a national artist, but an international superstar. I want them to be proud. I want them to look at the monument and say, ‘Wow. He was one of us.’”

The monument, which will be unveiled by Jackson’s father, Joe Jackson, and Gary Mayor Rudolph Clay, will be installed at Gary’s city hall.

The service is scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. at the Steelyard Baseball Stadium. Admission is free.

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