Local funeral director with Southern Funeral Home, Bryan Price, recently entertained both Winnfield Kiwanis Club on February 27 and Winnfield Rotary Club on March 13 with the history of Southern Funeral Home, as well as his writings and poetry reflecting on life, death and memories.

Bryan is a Winnfield native and grew up in the house behind the funeral home. He graduated from Winnfield Senior High School and began his career as funeral director with Southern in 1993, one of the fourth generation in his family to work in the business. He has also followed in the footsteps of his father Jerry Price and uncle Larry Price by serving as president of the Louisiana Funeral Directors Association in the midst of the COVID pandemic. He has also served on the National Funeral Directors Policy Board. 

Mr. Price’s collection of the historical information on Southern Funeral Home grew out of his interest in genealogy, which prompted him to gather detailed information on his family going back several generations. Southern Funeral Home in Winnfield was opened in 1939 at the corner of Main Street and Grove Street. Bryan’s great grandparents, R. W. and Jamie Spurlock Bryan, moved to Jonesboro and his great grandmother obtained her funeral director’s license in 1944. In 1945 purchased Southern which had locations in Jonesboro and Winnfield. The Bryans then moved to Winnfield to run the funeral home and lived in an apartment above the funeral home.

In 1953, the funeral home was relocated from Main Street to 202 E. Lafayette Street where it remains today. In 1957, the old building was torn down and the current building was constructed. Bryan’s grandparents took over operation of the funeral home from his great grands, and his uncle Larry and father Jerry both went into the business. Bryan and Larry’s son Pat are now the fourth generation to become funeral directors with Southern Funeral Home here in Winnfield. In addition to the funeral homes in Winnfield and Jonesboro, Southern Funeral Home purchased Edmonds Funeral Home in Jonesboro and merged the two Jonesboro locations. Southern also purchased Kinnear-Stephens in Jena in 1980.

Mr. Price noted that in earlier years, the funeral home’s hearse was also used as an ambulance, so it was equipped with a flashing red light and a siren. The funeral director was called out to accidents and in other health emergencies to transport patients to hospitals at any time of the day or night until hospitals began to maintain their own ambulances. 

In speaking of his faith and philosophy, Mr. Price said he believes that, amid the many tragedies that befall human beings, God has a plan and sets a path for those who believe in and worship Him. He bases this on St. Paul’s letter to the Romans, chapter 8, verse 18 [ESV] which says: “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us,” and verse 28 [ESV] “[a]nd we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.”