the man in the Rockwell painting

There is well known Norman Rockwell painting of a memorial design artist hunched over a granite tablet with his tools spread about him, cutting a design into the stencil.  It has appeared National Geographic and on the cover of Stone in America.  As it turns out, the man in the painting was actually related to a good friend of two of the fellows who work for Lons.   Charles Taws,  curator of the Clarington Museums & Archives tells us more:

"The man in the picture is George Sievewright.  He was my step-Grandfather (being my Grandmother's second husband).  He came over from Scotland and began as a memorial design cutter at Rock of Ages.  By the time the Norman Rockwell painting was commissioned (early 1960's) he had worked himself up through the company to the position of President.  My mother told me the following story:  Mr. Rockwell was visiting the quarry and factory looking for inspiration.  Eventually he was taken to the President's office to be introduced to George Seivewright.  As soon as he saw him he said "You're the one I want to paint".  He had to take his suit and tie off,  put on workers' clothes and pretend to do the old job he had done many years before.

"George Seivewright lived in Montpillier Vermont and some of his children still live there.  He died when I was very young, but I have fond memories of visiting my grandmother at his house when I was four years old. "