Was supposed to meet up with a guy named Chris to make funeral arrangements that a friend of his…read morerecommended for my Veteran brother. He never showed up. Joe secretary Sid he was still out would be back shortly. Waited 1/2 hr. No phone calls or texts. He called around 5:30 after his friend called to see why he never contacted me. He then texted apologized and said he was under the weather and decided to go in and wanted to meet with me. Sorry too late. I hope this is not how you treat others. Will never go back there again.

My 98-year-old grandmother (in-law) was in a non-responsive coma at Haven Hospice with stage 3 lung…read morecancer.   She had days to live, and adding to our difficulties, my husband and I needed to be out of the country in just a few days, and would probably not be back before she died.  Choosing a funeral home to collect her body, embalm her, and hold her until we came back was very important to us.  We researched and contacted Chestnut, Forest Meadows, and William Thomas.  We visited all three, to compare services and prices.  Chestnut, mostly on the strength of their history, was the first one we contacted.   I do not want to be too hard on Chestnut Funeral home, but OMFG, if I had not experienced it myself I would not have believed this place could exist.   I had read good things about Chestnut, their history, and how they provided what was essentially FUBU service in an era when black people in North Florida had no where to turn where they would be treated with respect when a loved one died.  That history must be honored, and should never be lost or forgotten.  Never forget how bad race relations were in America, or how far we have come, and beware of the whitewashing of our civil rights struggle and those who deny how far we have yet to go.  Don't think for a minute that my husband and I do not face discrimination every day.  As a so-called, "swirl couple," my husband is sometimes discriminated against within the black community.  This was the situation at Chestnut Funeral Home. My husband was treated horribly by this business. I will get to that, but first I must tell you about the scene in the parking lot when we arrived.  There was a beautiful young woman sitting on some steps on the side of the building obviously in great emotional pain.  She momentarily gathered her self, then suddenly burst into another crying jag.  Judging from the pile of tissues next to her, this had been going on for some while.  There was a funeral going on, and I would not think this unusual or odd, but for the group of boys trying to pull off the pants on the ground look, detailing cars next to her.  Maybe they had asked her earlier if she was okay, and she told them to go away, I do not know, but the boys should not have been there polishing fenders, and shining up oversized dubs while there was a family in grief having a service inside.  I felt horrible for this woman, and sorry for the family that had to enter and exit past reenacted scenes from the 70's movie Car Wash.   The funeral was peaking as we entered the funeral home.   Someone was talking about memories of the diseased at a podium, and people where crying and holding hands.  And while the furniture and drapes were a little threadbare, the overall setting was very homey, warm, and loving, like you were in someone's actual home, in their living room, instead of a cold funeral home. A man who worked for the funeral home greeted us.  I do not know what his official function was at the funeral home, but his primary interest seemed to be getting into my pants.  He was the first person that did not acknowledge my husband's existence, like my husband was invisible, and he placed his hand on my back, below my belt to guide me to the Funeral Director.   The Funeral Director also failed to acknowledge my husband's presence.  He shook my hand, learned my name.  He did not shake my husband's hand; he did not ask my husband's name.  He did not respond when my husband spoke to him. He did not acknowledge my husband in any way.  It was freaky. One last nit to pic.  The Funeral Director launched directly into taking information as though they already had the job.  After I explained to him that he was getting ahead of himself, and that we were there to see some prices, and services offered, he pushed the dirtiest, grimiest, piece of paper I have seen in a long time to me, and said I could have it.  It was a price list, and I was afraid to touch it.  The photo will clean it up, but I will attach a picture of the piece of paper he thought I would pick up with my hands. Sadly, I do not recommend Chestnut Funeral Home to anyone.

The staff at Williams-Thomas put you at ease the moment you first talk with them and/or meet them…read morein person. They are patient, kind, professional, knowledgeable, extremely competitively priced and able to accommodate almost any request you can think of having. They were amazing to work with, prompt, able to meet our scheduling needs and handle everything including catering for a reception on premise, saving us a huge burden of hosting a reception elsewhere ourselves. Every person we met made us feel more like family than a customer. They are all stellar and the best at what they do. Thank you all for your support and help in the loss of both of our parents.

Vonda ​was wonderful very sweet. My only concern is which is very concerning and very sad my…read morehusband's wedding ring was sent to them and somehow it was not retrieved from their location. Very upsetting.

I would give 0 stars if it was an option. My daughter and her partner lost their infant son a year…read moreago. Crevasse in Gainesville handled the cremation and was supposed to send the baby's remains to Ocala to be picked up, which they were. Now on the year anniversary when they feel ready to have a memorial they find the envelope is empty that was supposed to contain their son's ashes. Then to make them feel worse they were made to feel like they were not looking correctly and it must be their fault. Why would you want them to be missing? I was given the owners name and she called and said to call her back. I did repeatedly six times and no response not even a sympathetic one. Nothing.... How callous is that for a company in this line of work? I would think it they should have reached out to them and at the very least expressed condolences and sympathy.

Absolutely excellent place to work with. Quick and detailed communication and kept our family's…read moreprivacy paramount. They truly make help the family make the best of a heartbreaking situation. I highly recommend this company.

My family chose this establishment because its black owned, so we were looking forward to top-notch…read moreservice, and unfortunately, that is not what we had gotten. My family was scheduled to see our loved one's body at 3pm the day before the service; his remains were not ready, the owner along with her staff, were going in and out to finish his preparation, and we were not able to see him until about 5pm. The process of burying a loved one is already hard enough and for a funeral service, there should be a level of compassion for the family, and a display professionalism at all times. We were supposed to have the service in their chapel, only to find out we were having the service outside the day of, in their parking lot. It was about 90 degrees plus, and of course his remains were not able to be outside during the service. When it was time to close the casket, his remains were rolled outside, and that part of the service was able to be done, in the parking lot. We were told on that day that a memorial video, along with pictures were to be sent to the family, and we still have yet to get those. We found out about a "memorial video," via Facebook, and it was more of an advertisement for her business, and not a memorial video for the family. I would not recommend D. Williams Mortuary Services to friends nor loved ones.

This is the worse funeral I've been to. The director was very rude and certainly not professional…read more There was a young guy there moon walking in font of the casket while they set up. I don't think they realize that this is someone's family member in the casket. Laughing and having a good time while covering stands to put flowers on. The previous funerals this same funeral home were excellent. Something has changed and I do hope they fix it for the next funeral. This one was unacceptable. I would not want to entrust any of my family members into their hands. The hearse then speed off and left the whole procession. Total madness!!!

My father passed away and it was my first time needing to make final arrangements for anyone…read more Thanks to Richard I had all the information and proper expectations needed to make the right decisions. His interactions were thoughtful, informative, and responsive! I felt great about him handling the cremation because of his professionalism and knowledge. The burial is out of state, where he was able to nicely package and ship my father's ashes and death certificate(s) in an expeditious manner. No one ever wants to think about who they will use to cremate their loved one, until the time actually comes. Richard and A Direct Cremations is a great choice that I highly recommend if in the unfortunate need in the central Florida area.

The people at Direct Cremations made a difficult situation better. They were compassionate,…read more efficient and provided a variety of options to choose from.

It's important that we remember those who came before us and the Evergreen Cemetery in Gainesville…read moreallows that to happen. The cemetery was established in 1856 and includes the final resting places of many of Gainesville's most notable figures including Florida's first female physician and the inventor of Gatorade. It is a neatly laid out cemetery and thanks to their interactive app (download from a QR code displayed at one of the information booths), I was able to easily find those I wanted to see. The cell phone tour turns this peaceful burial ground into an outdoor museum. Dr. Sarah Lucretia Robb became Florida's first female physician after earning her medical degree in Germany, where she studied because U.S. medical schools wouldn't admit women. She practiced medicine in Gainesville, Florida, serving as a horse-and-buggy doctor, delivering babies, and running a clinic with overnight beds for patients. Her former home now serves as the headquarters of the Alachua County Medical Society. Gainesville is the home of the Florida Gators and the University of Florida is not far away. Dr. Robert Cade was an American physician and research scientist who led the team that invented Gatorade in 1965 to help University of Florida football players combat dehydration. His groundbreaking formula, which replenished electrolytes and fluids, revolutionized sports hydration and became a global phenomenon, earning billions for Pepsi (who eventually bought the rights) and millions in royalties for the University. Historical marker number F-805 was erected in 2014 by the Evergreen Cemetery Association of Gainesville, Inc. and the Florida Department of State. It reads, "Evergreen Cemetery, known locally as "This Wondrous Place," began with the burial of a baby girl in 1856. The infant, Elizabeth Thomas, was the daughter of wealthy cotton merchant James T. Thomas and his wife, Elizabeth Jane Hall Thomas. The baby was laid to rest by a young cedar tree on family land. Eight months later, her mother was buried alongside her. Their double grave is marked with a simple headstone carved by a noted stonemason from Charleston, W.A. White. In 1866, Thomas sold his 720-acre parcel, reserving roughly one acre around the burial for a graveyard. The Evergreen Cemetery Association operated the cemetery, beginning in 1890, until it was purchased by the City of Gainesville in 1944. The cemetery now includes 53 acres, and is the final resting place of more than 10,000 people. Some the persons interred here are Gainesville founder James B. Bailey, anthropologist William R. Maples, ecologists Archie and Marjorie Carr, Florida's first female physician Sarah L. Robb, Major General Albert H. Blanding, U.S. Commissioner of Education John J. Tigert, and Gatorade inventor Robert Cade. Veterans of nearly every American conflict since the 1830s are also buried here." [Review 354 of 2025 - 2006 in Florida - 23916 overall]

People have occasionally asked me why I like graveyards, some have asked if I thought it was…read morecreepy, and my response is that I can see beyond the surface (no pun intended), that I see this not only as a resting place for the dead, but as a testament to the lives lived by those who lay in eternal rest here. Evergreen Cemetery in Gainesville, Florida is such a place. It speaks not only of the people who reside in eternal slumber upon these grounds, but it remembers and charts the birth of this area. This cemetery traces its history to 1856 when James T. Thomas, a wealthy area merchant, and his wife, Elizabeth Jane Hall Thomas, laid to rest their infant daughter, Elizabeth Jane Thomas. In a sad testament to the mortality rate of children back then, there is a section of the graveyard called Babyland, where infant children are laid to rest. Another area of this necropolis holds a statue to remember soldiers who died from an outbreak of yellow fever. Within these grounds lies countless stories, tales of joy and sadness, of triumph and loss. Resting here are the spirits of those who walked their time upon this earth and who have moved beyond this realm to the next. I am both humbled and inspired to be amongst their company, to hear their stories whispered upon the wind.