Norton Funeral Home of Cheraw has been in business since January 1890, when Wellington Preston Stubbs was issued the one of the first South Carolina undertaking licenses (Lic. No. 74) and opened Stubbs Furniture and Undertaking Company on Market Street in Cheraw. This was the only undertaking firm in Cheraw until the 1930's.

Like most undertaking firms of the day, Stubbs' business was combined with a furniture company, where he built both his own furniture and coffins. Horse-drawn hearses were used by all undertakers in the early days, but in 1919, Mr. Stubbs had the distinction of owning the first motor hearse in this part of the country. Stubbs' business was originally located on Market Street, in a building long since destroyed by fire. Just after the turn of the century, he moved across the street into a building that was divided into three businesses. Sometime around 1917, he again moved the company into a larger building or Market Street.

W. P. Stubbs died in 1925, leaving the company to his children: Arthur Bernard Stubbs, Sr., Mamie Gray and Nora Montgomery. Arthur Bernard Stubbs, Sr., nicknamed "Bun," carried on his father's business.

WELLINGTON PRESTON STUBBS & WIFE	ARTHUR B. STUBBS, SR. & FAMILY	BERNARD STUBBS (1948)

In the late 1920's, the undertaking business moved to rented quarters on Second Street The furniture store, however, remained on Market Street until it closed in 1965.

In the Second Street location, the company began its first true funeral home, with an area in the front of the building for the laying out of bodies and an area in the rear of the building for storage and display of coffins. Prior to this time, the services now rendered it funeral homes had been done in the homes of the deceased.

In October 1930, Stubbs' grandson, "Pres" Smith, the son of Mrs. Mamie Gray, became General Manager of the furniture store and a licensed funeral director with the funeral home.

On January 24, 1940, the company purchased a two-story home on Huger Street. The funeral home moved from its Second Street location to the Huger Street home, with the business occupying the lower floor and Arthur Bernard Stubbs, Sr. and his family residing upstairs. His family consisted of wife, Clara and children: A. Bernard Stubbs, Jr., Edward Wellington (Eddie) Stubbs, and Frances Stubbs (who became Mrs. Edward Puryear.) In 1947, upon his graduation from the Cincinnati College of Mortuary Science, Bernard Stubbs, Jr. joined the family firm as an embalmer.

From 1964 through 1986, the funeral home's name changed three times as various other partners entered the business. Joe Reid became a partner in 1964, and the name was changed to Stubbs-Reid Funeral Home. In 1971, the business was merged with the Redfearn Funeral Home, which had been opened some years earlier by L. R. "Son" Redfearn. Operations continued at both Huger Street and the previous Redfearn location on Third Street under the name Stubbs-Redfearn Funeral Home. Mr. Redfearn remained as a funeral director and embalmer until shortly before his death on April 1, 1973.

A 1982 graduate of the Cincinnati College of Mortuary Science, H. Craig Norton has run the business since his acquisition of the firm. Norton Funeral Home is a member of the South Carolina Funeral Directors Association, the North Carolina Funeral Directors Association, the National Funeral Directors Association, and the Greater Cheraw Chamber of Commerce.

Norton Funeral Home of Cheraw celebrates its 112th anniversary.
"A tradition of caring since 1890"

The Norton Funeral Home of Cheraw, SC recently celebrated its 112th anniversary.

Founded in January 1890, the funeral home was formerly known as the Stubbs-Redfearn Funeral Home.

The funeral home is the oldest continuously operating family owned business in Cheraw, SC. Current owner, Craig Norton, has had control of the business since his purchasing the funeral home in 1986. The firm was founded on a premise of providing service with care and compassion and still operates under those guiding principles. The staff of Norton Funeral Home of Cheraw can fulfill any family's needs with great care, respect and true Southern graciousness.

Located at 417 Third Street, Cheraw, SC, the elegant facility is in the Cheraw Historic District. Cheraw is affectionately known as "the prettiest town in Dixie," being home to many tree-lined streets and historic homes, but is most well known for being the hometown of jazz great "Dizzy" Gillespie. Cheraw was incorporated in 1820 according to the design of Eli Kershaw.

Owner Craig Norton personally oversees the day to day operations of the funeral home. He is a native of Cheraw, SC, a graduate of the Cincinnati Institute of Mortuary Science, and holds funeral service licenses in both North Carolina and South Carolina.

In the age of corporately owned funeral establishments, Norton Funeral Home of Cheraw proudly holds to its values by remaining independent and family owned.