Briggs-Gamel funeral home opens with new ownership

Reopened facility Casey Corbin, at left, owner of Lampasas Monuments, and Richard Gardner, manager of Briggs- Gamel, join funeral home administrator Joy Olson and local resident Hansford Smith at the newly reopened Key Avenue funeral home facility. It’s all about choices, and Briggs-Gamel Lampasas has reopened its doors to offer that to the local community, said Richard D. Gardner, managing director for the funeral home and cremation service.

The landscape is familiar to most residents, as the facility had operated since 1921 on Key Avenue until it closed its doors a few years ago.

Briggs-Gamel Lampasas was purchased recently by Joe F. Solansky, who has more than 35 years in the memorial industry. He is involved with ownership of several cemeteries and monument outlets in the state.

Gardner, a licensed funeral director and embalmer, graduated from Commonwealth Institute of Funeral Service in Houston.

Gardner said he fell in love with the Lampasas area on numerous trips through the community since childhood, as his parents grew up in Hamilton. He also said Hancock Park Municipal Golf Course has been a major draw for him for the past 10 years.

Gardner, with more than 20 years of funeral service experience, now calls Lampasas home.

He has been active in funeral service industry leadership and was a board member of the South Central Texas Funeral Directors Association as well as on numerous legislative committees.

Gardner also is a member of the Texas Funeral Director Disaster Response Team that most recently traveled to the Gulf coast in response to Hurricane Ike.

Also on board is Casey Corbin, a fourth-generation Lampasan with two decades of funeral experience. Corbin graduated from the Dallas Institute of Funeral Service. He worked at Lampasas Monuments for several years before purchasing the business in 2003.

Corbin also is a member of the Spring Ho Commit- tee.

“We are here to supplement each other,” he said of the connection between his monument company and the newly reopened funeral home. “Our goal is to take care of folks at home and provide them with the services they need.”

Since its opening early in January, Briggs-Gamel Lampasas has been basically ready to go, said Gardner. With a new audio and video system, the full-service facility can seat 150 to 160 persons. It has a full casket selection in its 10,000-square-foot facility.

Three employees staff the funeral home, including Lampasan Joy Olson, the administrator, and a parttime receptionist.

Gardner said for its population, a community the size of Lampasas should have more than one funeral home. “Briggs-Gamel is extremely proud to be a part of the community again,” he said. “And as a funeral director, I am proud to be part of a facility that has so much history.”

Gardner said the funeral home also plans to play a part in supporting the community. Briggs-Gamel Lampasas is a new chamber member and has donated to a local flag program.

“We plan to be good stewards of our community. That’s an integral part of any business.”

Added Corbin: “I have a personal stake in this business. I think people deserve a choice, and we want the people of Lampasas to know we are here to take care of them just like Porter Briggs and Glen Gamel did [original owners of the funeral home that bears their names].”

The individually owned funeral home offers preneed and pre-arrangement services. They can be reached at 556-4400.