HISTORY

Honored by your trust... over 90 years.

What does “family owned” mean to you? To us, it means respect. Dedication. And a strong devotion to the friends and neighbors we’ve known for almost a century.

This is why families in Durham County have called upon us so consistently to stand beside them when sorrow strikes. We understand your family’s traditions, and we understand your need for support and sympathy during stressful times. With you, we share the heritage and history of our community.

1919
  • S. Vance Hudson and his wife Ora establish their funeral firm in Apex.
  • It is the era of the horse and buggy, and funeral services where much different than they are today. Caskets were handmade. Funeral services were held in the family’s home, where the casket was placed on chairs. Plow lines were used to lower caskets into the grave.
1928
  • To better serve the community, Vance and Ora opened a second chapel in Durham, in a space behind what is now Crabtree’s Pharmacy. A year later, they moved to a newer location on Angier Avenue.
  • In this year, the Hudsons brought the very first motorized hearse to the community.
1937
  • In these times, ambulance services were often provided by funeral homes. The Hudsons brought the very first fully-equipped ambulance to the area.
1986
  • After 57 years at the Angier Avenue location, the family opened a new chapel and relocated to South Miami Boulevard.

Edwin H. Hudson, Sr. and Ollie Thomas Hudson, Sr. were the second generation of the Hudson Family to operate family firm. Ed ran the business from 1938 while Ollie attended Mortuary School and then served in U. S. Army after World War II. Ollie returned in 1945 and managed the funeral home with Ed, until Ed turned over full management to Ollie in the early 1950s. Ollie, along with his wife, Hilda, also a funeral director, operated the funeral home until his death in 1984. Hilda retired in 1999.

Ollie’s oldest son, Ollie Thomas Hudson, Jr. “Tommy”, is the third generation of the Hudson family to manage the funeral home. A 1971 graduate of Indiana College of Mortuary Science and a licensed funeral director and embalmer, Tommy took over operating the funeral home in 1984. He and his wife, Mary, also a funeral director and licensed Insurance agent, own and operate the business today.

Still deeply rooted in the traditions and customs of our area, Tommy and Mary, along with their professional staff, will be at your side any time of the day or night if a death should occur. With one phone call, all your needs will be cared for.