Over the years, Sam Houston Memorial Funeral Home (SHMFH) has hosted many unique funerals at its Willis and Huntsville locations, and caskets have sometimes been transported in unusual ways. A trucker’s casket was taken to the cemetery in an 18-wheeler; one man took his last ride in an airboat on the Trinity River. Another family supplied a horse and wagon to transport a casket.
The horse and wagon resonated with Greg Smith, funeral director and owner of SHMFH. Greg has always been a horse enthusiast, and he recently learned funeral homes in other parts of the country are now providing horse-drawn hearses. Noting the rural history of this area, Greg took action.
Just a few weeks ago, SHMFH acquired a horse-drawn hearse which is a reproduction of those used during the 1800s. “I thought it would be a great addition to our funeral home because of our rural heritage, to honor the lives of people who liked the western lifestyle,” Greg says. “This is another option in our repertoire of personalization no other funeral home in the area has.”
SHMFH does not offer “cookie cutter” funerals. Over the years, the funeral home has been decorated with all sorts of memorabilia provided by families, including golf clubs, fishing gear, quilts, cookbooks, saddles, and even motorcycles and boats. “In everything we do, we try to personalize services that honor the life and legacy of the family we are serving,” Greg says.
SHMFH has also conducted the funerals of many veterans. The funeral home staff works with the American Legion to coordinate military honors—such as 21-gun salutes and the playing of Taps—for veterans, and works directly with military units for the funerals of active-duty military personnel. SHMFH has arranged for the transportation of caskets to national cemeteries in Houston, San Antonio and Dallas, as well as Washington, D.C.
When Greg was growing up in Sanger, Texas, his parents were close friends with the Coker family, who owed the local Coker Funeral Home. Greg worked there while he was in high school, and learned funeral homes provide a much-needed service by helping families during difficult times.
After an eclectic career in aviation and real estate, Greg discovered there was a need for a new funeral home in Huntsville. “I jumped at the chance,” he says. “I always had the desire to serve families.” In 2002, he founded Sam Houston Memorial Funeral Home in Huntsville. He acquired the funeral home and adjacent cemetery in Willis, located just west of I-45 on FM 1097, a few years later, enabling his family to serve residents of Montgomery County as well.
“For me, it’s a calling,” Greg says. “This is ministry. I have been involved in the ministry throughout my adult life. I have been called to serve in the church, and this is no different. This is a calling from God to serve families, and we treat it—everybody in my family treats it—just like that.”
Greg has an impressive record of community service. He is the recipient of the Huntsville-Walker County Chamber of Commerce’s Ed Sandhop Award for demonstrating dedication to the community. In addition, he received Sam Houston State University Alumni Association’s Service Award, which is the highest honor the organization gives to a non-graduate of the university. Greg is also a member of the Lions and Rotary clubs.
Greg’s son Will, a graduate of Sam Houston State University and the Commonwealth Institute of Mortuary Science, has been a part of the funeral home from the start. Will worked part time while he was in school and joined SHMFH full time in 2006. He is a licensed funeral director and embalmer and is the general manager of the Willis location. “It’s my family serving your family,” Greg says. “We try to treat every family the way we would want to be treated. We strive to provide the highest-quality, personalized services in the funeral industry; everything we do, we try to do first class.”
For example, SHMFH offers only the finest, American-made caskets in many styles; some can be personalized. Many families choose to hold services in the funeral home’s beautiful chapel, which has a high-tech sound system that can be adapted for live or recorded music. SHMFH also offers professionally-prepared, multi-media presentations to be viewed at visitations and funerals. Family members can upload photos through convenient links, and can even select the background music for the presentations.
Furthermore, the grounds of the 18-acre, perpetual-care cemetery adjacent to SHMFH are constantly maintained. It is over-seeded with rye grass in the winter and irrigated in the summer, so it’s always green. Because cremation is becoming much more common, SHMFH has several funeral options available for families who choose cremation, and recently built a columbarium in the cemetery for the respectful treatment of remains.
Within the past year, SHMFH has made another addition that has been well received by grieving families. Both Huntsville and Willis locations now have community rooms, where attendees can gather after visitations or funerals for meals or refreshments. Each community room has a full kitchen and table seating for about 100. “It’s something else setting us apart,” Greg says. He estimates 80 percent of families have used and appreciated this service; many have hosted gatherings catered by local restaurants.
“The level of service we provide as a locally-owned, family-owned funeral home cannot compare to a corporate-owned, employee-run funeral home,” Greg says. Furthermore, because SHMFH does not take orders from a corporation, he says, the cost of a funeral at SHMFH is significantly less than those at corporate-owned funeral homes in the area. “For a full, traditional service, we are the least expensive funeral home in the area,” Greg says. “We have far and away the nicer facilities, and certainly the best service.”
Another way SHMFH serves the community is by offering a “pre-need” program so families can arrange funerals in advance. “Pre-planning a funeral is one of the most thoughtful things you can do for your family,” Greg says. One benefit is families can pay for funerals—as well as cemetery plots—at today’s prices, rather than the inflated prices of future years, and several payment options are available. Greg encourages pre-planned funerals because they take the guesswork out of the equation. “The thoughtful thing to do would be to come into the funeral home and pre-plan your funeral so you can avoid conflict that might arise in the future,” he says. “It’s a more peaceful time when we are arranging funerals that have been pre-planned.”
Whether helping families with pre-planned funerals or unexpected ones, Sam Houston Memorial Funeral Home promises to provide caring, compassionate service. “My family received the utmost care, compassion and professionalism from Sam Houston Funeral Home in Willis,” one person recently wrote. “From the initial arrangements to the final farewell, every detail was handled with sensitivity and respect.” Another family agreed: “We extend our deepest gratitude to each of you. Your professionalism, patience and compassion made our difficult days so much easier. Thank you for going above and beyond while caring for our family. We will never forget your kindness.”
For more information, visit shmfh.com.
10129 FM 1097 W
Willis, TX 77318
(936) 890-0454
1700 Normal Park Dr.
Huntsville, TX 77340
(936) 291-7300
