By Jamie Lasorsa
Kai Nalenz, founder, and president of Gravestone Services of New England has been working in
gravestone preservation for over 19 years and has successfully completed over 40,000 stone repairs.
Relocating to America in 1998 from his homeland of Hannover Germany, Kai wanted to pursue a
career in a field of historic preservation, as he was heavily influenced throughout his childhood by his
grandmother and her love of history.
Kai has preserved numerous stones with both historic and notable significance. Civil War
gravestones, Revolutionary War Stones, stones of those who traveled on the Mayflower, Grizzly
Adams, and the family of Patrick Swayze just to name a few. Gravestone Services of New England
works to preserve various stone materials including sandstone and slate, shist, marble, and granite.
Sterling is now enlisting Kai’s help to preserve some stones which are very much in need within the
Chocksett Cemetery. An older cemetery, dating back to the 1700’s, the cemetery holds lots of Sterling
history. Kai likes to call it an outdoor museum, noticing many street names throughout town matching
names of those on the stones. He also noted Revolutionary war stones and encourages that if this
sparks your interest, to research some of the names to gain some knowledge of those that have come
before us. One of his favorite quotes being from Benjamin Franklin, “Show me your cemeteries and I
will tell you what kind of people you have.”
Starting work in September of 2022, Kai has plans to continue with ongoing work here for as long as
his services are needed. Kai prides himself on being the only conservation business on the East Coast
that is licensed and has ownership of a UNIC Spyder Mini Crane 295. This mini crane allows the lifting
and precise placing of stones of up to 3 tons. His preservation can call for lifting, cleaning,
strengthening, as well as repairing cracks and broken pieces.
While most stones can weigh upwards of 170lbs per cubic foot, (roughly 300-400lbs per stone) when
stones fall over, become damaged by weather or vandalism, or become weathered through time, Kai’s
best advice is if you are not educated in how to preserve the stones property, to please just let them
be. Not only are stones extremely heavy and can become further damaged by miscalculating the
handling of them, but they can also be razor sharp and need to be preserved with special techniques.
You may see Kai out there when the weather permits, and I can say from experience that he
is a wealth of knowledge and a joy to talk with. He is a man who is immensely proud of his
craft and feels fortunate to be able to “do what I love.” Stop, say hello, and maybe learn a little
more about the history behind the Chocksett Cemetery.