After more than 100 years of business, Watson Memorial Company has abruptly closed.
The doors to the business on South Quebec Street in Denver are locked and the phone is disconnected. A worker at Fairmount Cemetery across the street reported receiving multiple calls asking what’s going on with the business.
Customers of Watson’s have left notes on the door asking where their headstones are. A city of Denver tax revenue agent has also been by, leaving a business card dated July 8.
The owners of the business could not be reached, but Tammy McCarthy said her brother, Andy Noe, has been running the business.
“My brother has fallen off the face of the planet,” McCarthy said.
McCarthy said there are pending legal issues with her brother but could not elaborate.
Sharon Avramidis said she went in two weeks ago to purchase a headstone for her sister-in-law, who recently passed away.
Avramidis did not purchase a stone that day because she did not have the final wording. She also paid for a headstone for her mother in March but is still waiting for it.
“We had a funny feeling. But I went back a few days later with the final wording, and the place was locked up,” Avramidis said.
She said she called every day. At first the voice mail was full. On Tuesday, the phone was disconnected.
“It’s horrible to deal on people’s grief,” Avramidis said.
McCarthy said although she has not been an owner of the seven-generation family business in more than 20 years, she wants to work with the families once the legal issues are resolved.
“I want to do the right thing and work with the families if they will work with me,” she said.
