Young kids who grow up with each other in school and on ballfields have dreams that later in life they will get the opportunity to continue their friendship in their professional life.
That thought had crossed the mind of two funeral directors over the past years, but now it is coming to fruition with plans for an even greater future than either could have previously imagined.
On one side of the county, Taylor Litesey took over the helm at Litesey Funeral Home in Cedartown after his father Trey passed in 2021, and kept the family business moving ahead as a new generation took over service to the community.
Across the county in Rockmart, Nathan Womack was working at Freeman Harris Funeral Home continuing its long tradition of service to the community. Then in May, plans changed.
The lifelong friends finally found an opportunity to come together last month when Womack joined the staff at the Lester C. Litesey Funeral Home, bringing the two together as a long-wished-for team to serve Polk County residents and beyond.
“We both have deep roots here in Cedartown,” Womack said. “We believe we understand the people here and what families want when they seek out our services. That means that families come first, and with this opportunity working together we believe we’ll have an opportunity to really show people what that means.”
They see the funeral industry as a young person’s business, each bringing their specific set of talents to the team at Litesey Funeral Home and ideas that haven’t been pursued before. Incorporating more technology and trends to accommodate families who are looking for more than what funeral homes previously provided is just one of those ideas becoming a reality already.
“The industry has really adapted beyond what the older generation’s needs have been,” Litesey said. “But our goal here has been to adapt to the new needs of our clients, the technology that is available and still be able to help them feel the small town comfort they’ve come to expect.”
The technology – photo slideshows, videos, livestreams of service – are balanced still with expectations of services, such as visitations and formal funeral services, and even ensuring that graveside prayers are offered as well. Both as funeral directors have gotten all kinds of requests from families in the past, and look to continue to make those final wishes happen for those who are saying goodbye to their loved ones.
“It’s our job to provide what we can to help you do what your loved one wanted for their services,” Litesey said. “Our goal is to help families, so if they need to hold a service at a church or a venue, we can help make that happen. If they need to go to Rome or Rockmart, or anywhere else in the area for a service, we can help make that happen too.”
Both have the foresight to plan for the future now as the funeral industry continues to change.
Now with the opportunity to work together, Litesey and Womack have goals to continue to expand the business with new services, taking advantage of changing presentation options during services as technology improves, and increasing the capabilities of loved ones to connect.
“We understand that our industry is changing, but that’s not anything we see as concerning. We see it as an opportunity to help grieving families, which is our job at the core of what we do here at Litesey. We are a family helping families.
Those interested in talking to the Lester C. Litesey Funeral Home in Cedartown about their services can call 770-748-1241 or visit liteseyfh.com.
