Open House Planned for Aug. 29, 12-6 p.m.
Family-owned Best Funeral Home has expanded with the opening of a second location in Rock Creek.
Family-owned Best Funeral Home has expanded with the opening of a second location in Rock Creek.
The new funeral home will be located at the former Rock Creek United Methodist Church, 3210 North Main St. An open house will be held Aug. 29, from 12-6 p.m.
“We started from scratch and built as business allowed it to grow,” said Gary Best, who with his wife, Tracey, opened their Middlefield location in 2008. “By paying out of pocket with each addition, we were able to keep our overhead low, which in turn, kept our pricing low.”
In 2017, they added Noah’s Ark Pet Cremation services to the Middlefield location.
“In 2020, between the funeral home and pet crematory, we were honored to have served over 300 families. It was now time to expand to the beautiful community of Rock Creek,” Gary said.
Rock Creek is a community familiar to Gary, who was born and raised on a small family farm in Conneaut. For the past 10 years he has been a member of Grand River Chapter 104 Royal Arch Masons, which meets at the local Masonic Lodge, which is directly across from the former church.
“I have always admired this historical building and knew it was the perfect location to be of service,” he explained. “In my opinion it is the one of the icons of Rock Creek because the bell tower plays musical bells every day, which we are continuing, for the entire community to enjoy.”
Why Rock Creek?
“That is easy. It is a beautiful community with a lot of wonderful and friendly people,” Gary said. “It is a small village, along with Roaming Shores and the neighboring townships, with no other funeral homes physically located within their boundaries. Prior to our arrival, families, friends and guests had to travel from the center of Rock Creek 8.5 or 9 miles away to the two nearest funeral homes.”
The former 177-year old church will now serve as a full-service funeral home offering traditional burials, cremation services, monuments, pre-arrangements, cremation jewelry and more.
“We are keeping with our business model by maintaining affordable and competitive pricing for our services,” Gary said. “Our goal is to continue providing our services through compassionate, professional and affordable care.”
He added, “We understand the ever-changing funeral industry and needs of each family. We listen and make recommendations to make every service as meaningful as possible. We place our prices online for families to compare the variety of services offered so they can make the best-informed decision when making arrangements.
“We are here to be friends, neighbors, and a part of Rock Creek and the surrounding areas,” Gary said.
To contact Best Funeral Home, call 440-563-0818 (Rock Creek) or 440-632-0818 (Middlefield), or visit www.bestfunerals.com.
