The subject matter for today's blog may surprise you. Then again, truth is often stranger than fiction. The General and I recently watched a movie on Amazon Prime that stirred memories that go back to my childhood. They figuratively had to do with "mom and pop" operations.
I have given you enough information that some of you are thinking of "hole-in-the-wall" kinds of restaurants that are family owned and operated and have the reputation for exceptional food. The building may not look like much, but the sense of hospitality and the presence of owners that may look as though they are well beyond retirement age or their younger family members, provides a sense of continuity.
Today's blog doesn't have anything to do with food, but the business they provide impacts all of us sooner or later. I was born in Nocona, and though I grew up in West Texas, family ties kept us frequenting that part of the state. Obviously, trips to visit grandparents and other family members make the small town associated with memories that are too precious to forget.
Some of those memories are laced in sadness and loss, rather than happier times associated with holidays and family get togethers. Yet, the times associated to sadness are part of our history and cherished as well as the more joyful times.
I was thirteen years old when my uncle Travis, who was still in his twenties, died from Hodgkin's Lymphoma. He was stationed in Japan while serving in the United States Army when his illness was diagnosed. The prognosis gave him six months to live. He stretched that into six years.
That was my earliest memory of being inside a funeral home. A few years earlier, as a family, we had been to my great grandfather's funeral. The funeral took place at a church, but the casket and body laid in state in the family's home.
Interestingly, the same funeral home in Nocona provided support for our family when my mother died in 2010. Though those were not the only two times I was inside that funeral home to attend family visitations.
I have spent most of my adulthood in the hill country of Texas. For many years the Crofts family owned and operated funeral homes in Johnson City and Blanco. Crofts Funeral Home became a reality in 1943 with the purchase of the Ross Funeral Home by Joe and Anna Crofts. They built a new building in 1947. The building continues to serve the families of Johnson City and the surrounding area.
In 1967 the decision was made to extend service to Blanco where a new funeral home was built. With the help of his parents, H.E. (Butch) and his wife Linda Crofts moved to Blanco and opened the new facility. A few years later Joe and Anna sold the funeral home in Johnson City to Butch and Linda.
In Summer 2007, Gordon Crow joined the firm and was located at the Johnson City location. In December 2012, Butch and Linda retired upon the sale of the business to Gordon Crow at which time Gordon changed the name to Crofts-Crow Funeral Homes.
I value the friendship of both of those men. Gordon handled the funeral service for my dad in 2007.
Family-owned funeral homes are independently operated and not beholden to shareholders or corporate mandates. Their primary focus is providing the best service to their communities. I prefer the services provided by these "mom and pop" operations. Currently, 23% of the funeral homes in the United States are owned by corporations and they are reaching out to gain ownership of more.
I've shared all of this to recommend a movie to you. The movie is "The Burial" and you can find it on Amazon Prime. "Inspired by true events, when a handshake deal goes sour, funeral home owner Jeremiah O'Keefe (Academy Award winner Tommy Lee Jones) enlists charismatic attorney Willie E Gary (Academy Award winner Jamie Fox) to save his family business. Temper's flare and laughter ensues as the unlikely pair bond while exposing corporate corruption and racial injustice in this inspirational, triumphant story." I recommend the movie.
All the Best!
Don
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