through special events, health fairs, and the like,” shared
Bob White, grandson of the company founder.
As the business expanded it became a family affair
for W.A. White by enlisting the help of his brother, J.
Herschel White; his son, Ford White; and his grandson,
Bob White, to continue the family tradition. In 1972,
following in his grandfather’s and father’s footsteps, Bob
became President of White’s Funeral Homes. Keeping in
tradition with W.A., Bob and his wife, Carolynn, further
expanded the business by acquiring Memory Gardens of
the Valley Memorial Park, and founded two more funeral
homes in Azle and Mineral Wells. The Mineral Wells
location was a natural growth decision for White’s. “Since
our inception, in 1908, we have served the community
with a heart of service. That desire to serve includes our
entire community. So, when the funeral home in Mineral
Wells became available, we felt it would be a good
match for our existing facilities and allow us to better
serve the residents of western Parker County and Palo
Pinto County,” Bob said.
Continuing to grow and innovate, in 1988, Bob joined
several other independent funeral directors from West
Texas in Funeral Director’s Life Insurance Company, now
a company of one billion dollars in insured pre-need
plans, making it one of the largest providers of prear-
ranged funeral plans in the United States. White’s Funeral
Homes continue to lead the industry with their leader-
ship and innovation. They offer a wide range of services
including traditional funerals, cremation memorials and
pre-arranged funeral plans. Bob trusts his employees to
listen to the needs of each family and to tailor the servic-
es accordingly.
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Embracing the fact that the funeral service industry
will continue to evolve, White’s employees keep up with
the latest industry trends, giving families the opportunity
to personalize the experience to honor the life of their
loved ones. By attending trade shows and continuing
education annually, the staff at White’s Funeral Homes
are committed to honoring the past while moving toward
the future. White’s has also had members of the fami-
lies they have served join the staff at a later date. These
employees have a unique and valuable perspective on
how the funeral home or service is seen by someone
outside the business, and how the funeral home can
change or update practices to better serve families.
Carrying on the family tradition, Bob and Carolynn
White’s daughter, Anita White, joined the staff as Director
of Operations in 2012, and in 2018 their grandson, Zack
Bellenger, also started working at the home.
“My daughter, Anita, and grandson, Zack, are the
fourth and fifth generations of the White family to be
involved in the business. My grandfather and my father
would be proud, as am I, to know that we have worked
hard over the last century to build a business that will
live on not just through our lifetime but for generations to
come,” Bob related proudly.
Mineral Wells was one of the last locations opened
by the White family. The company chose to expand to
Mineral Wells because according to White, “Mineral
Wells has a history that runs deep. I would consider it
to be a town that is ‘True Texas.’ With the changes to
downtown and the renovation of the crowning jewel of
the city, the Baker Hotel, I see a bright future ahead for
Mineral Wells.”