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Our Story

Serving families since 1921

 

Seymour Funeral Home was founded in the early 1920’s when I.D. Seymour, a merchant in the Belfast Community of Wayne County, began stocking caskets as one of the many items he sold in his general store. During this time, families came to the general store to select a casket and friends or relatives in the community “laid the body out.”

 

Seymour purchased the hearse and equipment belonging to Mr. Baker, an undertaker in Goldsboro, upon his death in the 1920’s, thus enabling Seymour to provide the pinnacle of service for the families that called upon him.

 

With an increase in families requesting additional services, Seymour moved his undertaking business from his general store in Belfast to Goldsboro, North Carolina. The first two facilities that he occupied in Goldsboro were on opposite corners of Center and Chestnut Streets.

 

During the late 1920’s, a new facility, constructed specifically as a funeral home, was built at 707 W. Chestnut Street. It was one of the first structures in North Carolina established solely as a funeral home. The business remained at this location from 1927-1961.

 

In 1948, I.D. Seymour gave up control of the funeral business, which was then incorporated with L. Carl Motley as President, W.A. Seymour as Vice-President, and I.T. Seymour as Secretary/Treasurer. Anna Seymour was also a one-fourth part owner of the corporation.

 

In 1961, Seymour Funeral Home moved to the former Allie Edgerton home place located at 106 South George Street. The stately old southern mansion served as the home of Seymour Funeral Home until 1980. A modern 20,000-square foot facility was constructed in 1980 at 1300 Wayne Memorial Drive. The funeral home moved to this location in November, 1980. The facility enabled the funeral home to expand its services and provide more efficient and effective services to all of the families it served.

 

In 1970, Carl Motley retired as President of Seymour Funeral Home and Ben C. Strickland and Gary L. Taylor became stockholders. Upon the passing of I.T. Seymour, Ben Strickland and Gary Taylor became sole owners.

 

Born and raised in Wayne County, Gary Taylor began working at Seymour Funeral Home while attending Goldsboro High School. Though he worked without pay, Gary began perfecting his skills in order to achieve his goal of becoming the premier funeral director for Wayne County. After graduating from high school, Gary attended Mount Olive College and Gupton-Jones Mortuary School of Science, where he earned his degree in Mortuary Science. Gary’s talents, hard work, devotion to family, and commitment to the community ensured his legacy as a superlative funeral director, beloved husband and father, and fundamental community member.

 

A native of Goldsboro, Ben Strickland spent his life devoted to his family and his community. Most of Ben’s service came in the form of a job he loved and helping people in their time of need. Ben was a man of personal and professional integrity whose passionate work in funeral service made a difference in many lives. As president of Seymour Funeral Home, Ben was able to serve those that were hurting in Goldsboro and its surrounding communities as a partner with Rouse Funeral Home in La Grange and Tyndall Funeral Home in Mount Olive. A man of strength and compassion, Ben was there for families in their darkest hours.

 

The death of Gary Taylor on June 2, 1994 left the current owners and officers of the corporation as Ben Strickland-President, Lynn Taylor-Vice President, and Brian Taylor-Secretary/Treasurer. At the death of Ben C. Strickland on November 7, 2015, two of Gary’s sons assumed ownership of the corporation.

 

Under the leadership of Lynn and Brian Taylor, Seymour Funeral Home continues to be an innovative funeral service provider, continually updating staff, equipment, and facilities to better serve the families in our community. We also continue to be a leader in pre-arranged funerals, insurance and funeral service expansion, and we constantly seek new and better ways to provide efficient and cost-effective funeral service to the families we serve.

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