EDITOR’S NOTE: This story was republished via permission from the North End Community Improvement Collaborative, as part of its monthly newsletter.
Pamela Williams Briggs has left a legacy on the North End. Not just from burying our deceased loved ones but by offering compassion to all those she served while giving back to the Mansfield community.
“Pam” as she is affectionately known, has worked in the funeral home business for 40 years and has decided to call it quits in an effort to enjoy retirement.
The funeral home business is not like your average self-employment business. It employs you to be available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, since people can die at any time.
Pam purchased the local funeral home at 753 McPherson Street, from David Gary 40 years ago and now in a full circle move she has sold it back to his nephew, Marlon Gary. Marlon’s wife, D’Andrea Cordell is also originally from the area being a Madison Comprehensive High School graduate.
Rather than selling the funeral home to a conglomerate or someone who may be out of touch with the community, it was extremely important for Pam to leave it in the hands of someone with a local ties.
“What was most important is that we pass it on or leave it to someone connected with the community,” Pam said of why she sold the business to Marlon Gary. “If at all possible, we did not want to leave Mansfield without a funeral home.”
Back in 1972 when David Gary first started the funeral business on McPherson Street, it was undeveloped farmland, Pam said.
“Trimble Road was not even developed,” she remembered. “We didn’t even have a Bob Evans. When we took over, we used to drive down to Columbus just to eat at Bob Evans. So, what you see up there on that corner, I don’t think there was anything on that corner except for BP (gas station). It even took a while for McDonald’s to come in.”
The area also started to develop from Black folks moving from Company Line out on Bowman Street Road.
“The North End would have been where the predominantly (Black members of your population) would have been and your Black churches, too.”
Something else unique about the McPherson Street property is that there were two acres of land that was developed by Pam and her husband Larry Briggs.
“When you look at other people’s funeral homes in other areas you will not see acreage,” she said. “It’s usually a house in between two houses and if they’re lucky another house will become available so you can make you a parking lot.”
Pam said there most definitely was a need for a Black mortician/funeral home business back in the day because segregation and the ugly truths of our American past with racial injustice.
“William (Bill) Jones was the first black undertaker here in Mansfield,” she said. “Bill Jones was down on Springmill between Woodland and Harker … My grandfather was one of the people who helped bring Bill Jones here.”
Pam said she and Larry still plan to reside in Mansfield but will claim snowbird status in the winter by going to the south.
“Marlon has stated that I’m welcome to stay on, work and do whatever,” she said. “And of which I probably will. My husband is still going to do his dump truck business.”
Although the idea of retirement sounds good, Pam said she doubts she will be 100 percent retired anytime soon.
“Retired from running this business, yes, it’s now Marlon. But I still intend to be around helping when I can,” she said.
Pam said she feels confident in passing the torch to Marlon Gary Funeral Home Chapel of Peace.
“We looked, we’ve talked, we feel pretty good with our selection that we can walk away and say that Mansfield will be in good hands,” she said.
