There is a strange group of tombstones in the Mount Hope Cemetery in Hiawatha, Kansas. A man named John Davis, a farmer and self-made man, had them erected. Davis began as a lowly hired hand and by sheer determination and frugality he managed to amass a considerable fortune. In the process, however, Davis didn't make many friends.
When his wife died, Davis erected an elaborate statue in her memory. He hired a sculptor to design a monument which showed both her and him at opposite ends of a love seat. He was so pleased with the result that he commissioned another statue - this time of himself, kneeling at her grave, placing a wreath on it. That impressed him so much that he ordered a third monument - this time of his wife kneeling at his future gravesite placing a wreath. He had the sculptor add a pair of wings on her back giving her the appearance of an angel. One idea led to another until he'd spent over a quarter million dollars on the monuments to himself and his wife, all during the depression!
After using up all his money on stone statues - John Davis died at age 92. The monuments are now a big tourist attraction, but very few people attended Mr. Davis' funeral. Only one person seemed genuinely moved by any sense of personal loss. He was Horace England - the sculptor. David did give tens-of-thousands to various charities causes in the area over his lifetime but Monuments to yourself seems a strange way to leave this world.
Note: Go here to see the see the actual monument.