Our Beginnings

This was the site of Westmoreland Funeral
Home On West Court Street (circa1940's).
This building was located across the
street from the old Marion High School.
The Westmoreland family lived upstairs.

Sigrid James "Sig" Westmoreland entered the funeral business in a storefront on Logan Street near the current location of R. L. Greene Surveyors after purchasing an existing business from a Mr. Nichols around 1932. Sometime during the 1930's, Mr. Westmoreland took on a partner and the name was changed to Westmoreland-Quinn Funeral Home. It is believed that Mr. Quinn was from the Spruce Pine area. The business was relocated to a residential home around the corner on West Court Street (see photo) and Quinn left the firm at some point. The early years were typical of life in a small town. The home was heated with coal-burning Heatrolas located in the living areas and water was heated in a "jack" on a wood-burning stove.

As to the operation of the business, it was not unusual for a family to sit up all night with the body in the funeral home drinking coffee and helping one another through what was the accepted ritual surrounding the loss of a loved one. Placing the body in the home for this period was a fairly regular occurrence as many families preferred to receive friends in a familiar environment and most funerals were conducted in a church.

Sig ran an ambulance service as well, which meant running emergency trips at all hours of the night and day. The first ambulance was a converted limousine purchased from Dr. Guy S. Kirby, Sr. WWII brought "black-out" drills which were conducted in anticipation of enemy attack.