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Our History
has always been committed to caring for families during the most difficult of times. The Claybar story began in 1946 when Ambrose
Claybar converted a residence in Orange into a funeral home. When World War II ended, Lannie Claybar returned from service to join with his brother in the business and committed himself to service.
Lannie Claybar and his wife, Marjorie Brown, built the business into Orange's leading funeral service provider. Lannie Claybar was a gifted individual with incredible people skills and genuine compassion. Lannie was also an accomplished pianist. Lannie died in 1969 and the torch was passed to Marjorie and David Claybar; Brown Claybar joined the family business in 1973. With the second generation, a new facility was built in Orange. This new facility is located at 504 5th Street, which is adjacent to the original building site. David Claybar served as President of the company from 1969 to 1980.
1980 – SETTING COURSE FOR THE FUTURE
In 1980 Brown Claybar assumed the leadership of the corporation. The 1980s started a period of growth. While continuing to be the leading funeral home in the Orange area, expansion became a business strategy. Shared cost and regional personnel efficiency
benefited our funeral staff and clients. During this period the following companies were purchased by Claybar Funeral Home:
- Clayton - Thompson Bridge City Funeral Home - Bridge City, Texas
- Hillcrest Memorial Gardens - Orange, Texas
- Orange Forest Lawn - West Orange, Texas
- Fuller Funeral Home - Orange, Texas
- Kelley-Watkins Funeral Home - Beaumont, Texas
- Haven of Rest Cemetery and Crematory- Beaumont, Texas
- BLOOMS by Claybar Floral - Beaumont, Texas.
In May of 2007, Warren Claybar was elected President of the corporation and Brown was elected Chairman of the Board of Directors. Warren represents the third generation of the Claybar family leading the company. He and his capable management team and dedicated staff perform the day-to-day activities of the company, keeping the founders' ideals in focus.
INNOVATION...THE PATH TO GREATER SERVICE
During the past 20 years, as technology progressed, Claybar Funeral Home embraced change and continually looked for ways new technology could enhance funeral service and better care for our families. In 2010, construction of a new crematory was completed on the beautiful grounds of Hillcrest Memorial Gardens. Additionally, we developed and launched CREMATIONSasimpleway.com. This innovative website allowed families, in the privacy of their homes and offices, to explore various cremation options and make decisions
online - launching a new age of accessibility and convenience. As technology and family needs continued to evolve, Cremations A Simple Way was redesigned as SimpleTributes.com which currently provides families with easily understood information and options to make cremation and simple burial decisions affordably, online. We also developed one of the first on-line arrangement platforms enabling our families to provide the personal and historical information necessary prior to an arrangement conference. BeginArrangements.com has proven to be a great convenience to families and an important resource in organizing and securing the necessary information. By 2020, Wi-Fi technology and the availability of QR code security emerged as community interest in cremation continued to increase. In response, we began designing a new crematory and office complex. Completed in January 2022, the new crematory provides the most secure, state of the art cremation services available in Southeast and beyond! This beautiful new facility features the very finest cremation
equipment, a family lounge for small gatherings and family placement services, and a large refrigerated sheltering room. In 2020 we also entered into a second era of expansion. With the desire to carry our commitment to exemplary service and compassionate care to all of Southeast Texas, we began to join our 75 year legacy with firms who shared our values and commitment to their communities.
Within the last 3 years, we have welcomed the following firms into
THE CLAYBAR NETWORK.
- Faith and FAMILY Funeral Home – Batson, Texas
- Melancon Funeral Home – Nederland, Texas
- Levingston Funeral Homes – Groves and Port Neches, Texas
- Oak Bluff Memorial Park – Port Neches
- Memory Gardens of Jefferson County – Nederland, Texas
In 2023, we announced the merger of Melancon and Levingston Funeral Homes, two names you have known and trusted for years. This union brings together the most talented team of professionals from Melancon and Levingston Funeral Homes who share our commitment to serve with integrity and compassion – always placing the needs of their families first. Most recently, revised websites throughout the Claybar Network have been created providing a myriad of new services, information and social networking options. Today, the Claybar Network includes 7 funeral homes, 5 perpetual care cemeteries, a memorial division, a crematory and a full service flower shop
What's next? ...
- You can be certain it will innovate service to a new level.
- It will make a difference!
- It will be a source of pride for our company, the families we serve and our
- communities.
We’ll keep you posted.
Warren Claybar.