Standing on Sacred Ground: How Four Generations Built Louisville's Oldest Black-Owned Funeral Home
- Feb 24
- 3 min read
By Angela Joy Morgan
The phone call that changed everything wasn't about death—it was about life, purpose, and coming home to a legacy I didn't know I was searching for.
For 124 years, the doors of Hathaway & Clark Funeral Home have remained open, serving Louisville and surrounding cities with unwavering dedication. Since 1901, it has stood as more than a business—it has been a sanctuary for the grieving, a cornerstone of the Black community, and a testament to what's possible when faith meets determination. My grandfather, Lawrence F. Montgomery Sr., committed his blood, sweat, and tears to building a legacy he knew would endure beyond him. Now, as I stand in this historic space, I carry the weight of ensuring that generations five, six, and beyond will have a home to call their own.
The journey here wasn't mapped out in boardrooms. After my grandfather and grandmother, Violet L. Montgomery, dedicated decades to this sacred work, my mother, Karen M. Williams, transitioned from part-time funeral director and embalmer to full-time CEO. For my son Jordan D. Doston, joining the family business was relief from dead-end jobs—a chance to find purpose. But for me? After twenty years in corporate America making money for other people's empires, I hesitated. When I got laid off, I started using the funeral home as my temporary office. Something shifted in those quiet moments. I started really seeing what we did here.
Then came the offer: excellent salary, full benefits, everything corporate America promises. I turned it down. The funeral home couldn't match the money or benefits. But I had discovered something worth more than security—I had found significance. We witness people on the absolute worst day of their lives, and we don't just show up; we show grace.
At Hathaway & Clark, leadership isn't a birthright; it is earned through personal commitment, years of hands-on service, and learning to hold space for other people's pain. For four generations, we've maintained one uncompromising standard: superior service, every single time. Women have always powered this business, but now we're stepping into roles as business owners, chief administrators, and board members. I stand in that doorway, grateful for those who pushed it open.
Louisville has watched us weather storms that would have buried weaker establishments. During the Civil Rights Movement, my grandfather drove Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and baseball great Jackie Robinson from the airport to Frankfort in our limousine and marched beside them for freedom. My great-aunt, Georgia Davis-Powers, shattered ceilings as Kentucky's first Black woman senator. A photograph from that Frankfort march still hangs in my grandparents' living room—reminding us we've always stood for something bigger than profit.
COVID-19 brought us to our knees. Families mourned on Zoom screens instead of in our chapel. When cremation rates surged as funeral costs climbed, we made a choice not to raise our service fees. Louisville families mattered more than our bottom line.
The most sacred services I've conducted were for my own family: my grandfather Lawrence F. Montgomery Sr., my sister April M. Doston, my father Ronald L. Doston, and my aunt Georgia Davis-Powers. Each demanded that I stand in two places at once—drowning in personal grief while remaining professionally composed.
We don't advertise for staff—they find us. Family members seeking purpose discover it here, and those who join us without shared bloodlines become family too. We invite them to Thanksgiving dinner and include them in strategic decisions because family isn't always about blood—it's about believing in the same mission.
This 24/7 commitment demands sacrifice. My grandfather refused answering services, believing clients deserved to speak with actual funeral staff, even when it means leaving Christmas dinner to retrieve someone's loved one. But we're also building for tomorrow—partnering with industry professionals to enhance our operations and transforming the historic building next door into affordable event space for Louisville while creating sustainable revenue.
Serving grieving families has taught me what matters: love people while you still can, because death doesn't offer second chances. Gather your elders' stories before silence takes them. Hold your people close and never forget the shoulders that lifted you.
Our 124-year survival rests on three pillars: consistency in executing flawlessly the first time, compassion in treating every family like our own, and accountability in answering every call, every time. We're small but mighty, rooted in Louisville's history and sustained by faith.
After more than a century, Louisville trusts us. God has blessed us beyond measure, and we return those blessings to everyone who walks through our doors. That's not just our legacy—that's our sacred covenant with this community.
Ready to give your family the gift of peace? Download our free comprehensive Preplanning Checklist at hathawayandclark.com/preplan/preplanning-checklist—because planning ahead removes tomorrow's burden.
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