The Historical Society of Avon ParkAVON PARK, FL · EST. 1886
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The Undertakers and Funeral Homes of Avon Park

The care of the dead in Avon Park developed through three distinct stages over nine decades: pioneer storekeepers stocking caskets alongside general merchandise, independent undertakers operating parlors in repurposed storefronts and residences, and modern purpose-built funeral homes that have served Highlands County families for over half a century.

The Merchant Casket Sellers (1888–1918)

When Avon Park was founded in 1886, the settlement possessed neither an undertaker nor an embalmer. As town founder Oliver Marvin Crosby recorded, during the severe winter of 1889–1890—when thirteen settlers died, many arriving in advanced stages of pulmonary consumption—carpenter-settlers constructed pine coffins as needed[maxwell-1976]. Townswomen lined and covered the pine boxes in black cloth, usually at Crosby’s personal expense, and Crosby read the funeral liturgies in the absence of a resident clergyman[maxwell-1976].

As commercial trade matured, local merchants integrated casket sales into general retailing:

  1. John C. Burleigh: In 1890, Burleigh purchased the two-story commercial frame building erected by George Wray on Lakeview Street near Main Street (the site from which the pioneer wooden-tracked tramway began operating to Lake Thompson in July 1895)[maxwell-1976]. Burleigh stocked finished adult and children’s caskets in his grocery store, pricing inventory between $50 for plain models and $150 for top-tier caskets[maxwell-1976].
  2. Mr. Holt: In 1912, Holt acquired Burleigh’s general merchandise store and continued stocking caskets above the ceiling rafters[maxwell-1976]. In a written memoir of early Avon Park, his daughter, Mrs. Lucy (Holt) Sykes, described how her father retrieved caskets from the rafters and conveyed the deceased to the family home by mule wagon. On funeral days, Holt drove the wagon carrying the casket and immediate family to Bougainvillea Cemetery, while the larger procession of mourners walked on foot behind the wagon[maxwell-1976].
  3. Captain Rae: Capt. Rae subsequently bought out the Burleigh-Holt store, preserving the traditional inventory of tapered, pointed-end wood caskets in overhead rafters[maxwell-1976].
  4. Fred Smith and J. A. Lander: In 1918, Fred Smith purchased Captain Rae’s hardware store on West Main Street (later the site of Avon Auto Supply) and acquired its undertaker inventory[maxwell-1976]. Smith subsequently relocated his hardware enterprise into the newly constructed Hotel Jacaranda arcade building and sold the funeral merchandise to Dr. J. A. (Joe) Lander, an Avon Park druggist and furniture dealer who maintained mortuary supplies in conjunction with his home furnishings business[maxwell-1976].

Lloyd Correll and the Early Parlors (1920s)

Specialized mortuary service began in the 1920s under Lloyd Correll, recognized as Avon Park’s first dedicated undertaker[maxwell-1976]. Correll’s first professional commission in town was conducting the funeral of his uncle, Gene Bristol, who was interred in an unmarked grave in Bougainvillea Cemetery during the cemetery’s early unindexed era[maxwell-1976]. Correll’s kinship connected him to the pioneer Bristol family, including freeze-era grove owner E. H. Bristol and Hotel Jacaranda restaurateur Katherine Bristol[maxwell-1976].

Correll conducted his mortuary practice across several downtown addresses:

  • He initially operated on behalf of J. M. Stephenson from a small wood-frame building on Main Street adjacent to the original post office (a structure later remembered as the oldest continuously standing commercial building on Main Street, situated next to the Chamber of Commerce)[maxwell-1976].
  • Correll opened a retail music store near the center of the First National Bank block—remembered by early residents for its swinging front doors—and maintained his mortuary workspace and casket inventory in the rear of the store[maxwell-1976].
  • He subsequently moved his undertaking parlors into the Arcade building across Main Street, and later established a residential mortuary on South Forest Street opposite the Pendleton Wholesale Company, where the Correll family resided on the second floor above first-floor viewing and visitation rooms[maxwell-1976].
  • Correll’s status as a resident professional undertaker is corroborated by the 1930 federal census for Avon Park (Enumeration District 28-1, Sheet 9A, lines 15–22), which records Lloyd Correll (age 38, born in Iowa to Iowa parents) heading a household on South Forest Street with his wife Virginia (age 33, born in New York) and his occupation listed as undertaker in a private funeral home[census-correll-1930].

Stephenson-Nelson Funeral Home (1925–Present)

The institutional lineage of Stephenson-Nelson Funeral Home began in 1925, when Georgia merchant Jack M. (J. M.) Stephenson moved from Monroe, Georgia, to Highlands County[stephenson-nelson-about]. Stephenson opened the Highlands Hardware Company in Sebring and established a mortuary partnership with licensed embalmer J. Ross Blythe trading as Stephenson & Blythe[stephenson-nelson-about].

In September 1926, when the Great Miami Hurricane swept across Lake Okeechobee and catastrophic storm surge flooded Moore Haven, Stephenson and Blythe boarded an emergency relief train organized by the Sebring and Avon Park American Legion posts, taking embalming equipment and caskets into the disaster zone to care for storm victims[stephenson-nelson-about].

In 1929, druggist Joe Lander purchased the prominent two-story frame residence of pioneer settler and county division commissioner William R. Reck on East Circle Street (Lots 3–5, Block 4) and leased it to J. M. Stephenson to establish an Avon Park funeral home[maxwell-1976]. In 1932, Stephenson purchased the Reck property outright from Lander[maxwell-1976]. Following J. Ross Blythe’s death in 1932[fl-death-blythe-1932], Stephenson acquired full ownership of the enterprise[stephenson-nelson-about].

In the autumn of 1945, Stephenson’s stepson, Marion H. Nelson (1918–1991), a decorated World War II Marine Corps veteran and graduate of the Cincinnati College of Embalming, returned to Avon Park with his wife Helen Peyer Nelson (1921–2022)[obit-helen-nelson-2022]. Marion and Helen Nelson lived in the upstairs quarters of the Reck house and managed the Avon Park mortuary for six years until 1951, when they moved north to Polk County to establish the Marion Nelson Funeral Home in Lake Wales[obit-helen-nelson-2022].

In 1955, Stephenson reconfigured the East Circle Street property. The firm moved the historic two-story Reck house to the northwest portion of the parcel facing North Verona Avenue (correcting a directional slip in Leoma Bradshaw Maxwell’s 1976 narrative describing it as the northeast corner) and constructed a modern 6,715-square-foot brick and masonry mortuary facility at 111 East Circle Street (Highlands County Property Appraiser parcel A-22-33-28-010-0040-0030, Actual Year Built 1955)[hcpao-circle-parcel]. Through mid-century partner transitions, the firm traded successively as Scott-Stephenson-Smith Funeral Home (under partner Wilson Smith), Stephenson-Nelson-Smith, and formally incorporated as Stephenson-Nelson Funeral Home, Inc. (Florida Division of Corporations Document 600212)[sunbiz-stephenson-nelson][maxwell-1976]. The Circle Street mortuary continues continuous commercial operation in Avon Park.

Russell Mizell and Franklin’s Funeral Home (1948–1975)

In 1948, Russell Mizell and his wife established Avon Park’s second dedicated mid-century funeral home by acquiring an established residence at the corner of South Lake Avenue and East Walnut Street[maxwell-1976]. The Mizells remodeled the house into a formal funeral parlor featuring a public reception room, a dedicated memorial chapel, and a casket display room[maxwell-1976].

The Mizell Funeral Home operated at Lake Avenue and Walnut Street for twenty-seven years until 1975, when Mizell sold the business and property to Florida Funeral Chapel, Inc.[maxwell-1976] Following a brief transitional lease to James Fountain, the facility was acquired and operated by the Franklin family as Franklin’s Funeral Home[maxwell-1976].

Fountain Funeral Home (1973–Present)

Fountain Funeral Home was founded in 1973 by James Earl Fountain (1941–2005)[obit-james-fountain-2005]. Born in High Springs, Florida, Fountain moved to Avon Park in 1961, where he served on the Avon Park police force, became a licensed real estate associate, and earned professional credentials as a licensed funeral director and embalmer[obit-james-fountain-2005]. He was also an active civic leader, serving as treasurer of the Historical Society of the Old Settlers Association during the preparation of the 1976 centennial town history[maxwell-1976].

Fountain formally incorporated Fountain Funeral Home, Inc. on 12 December 1973 (Florida Division of Corporations Document 500854)[sunbiz-fountain-fh]. In early 1975, while his permanent facility was being constructed, Fountain leased the former Mizell mortuary on South Lake Avenue from Florida Funeral Chapel, operating from that location for several months[maxwell-1976].

Later in 1975, Fountain completed a dedicated 3,708-square-foot funeral home and chapel at 507 US Highway 27 North (Highlands County Property Appraiser parcel A-21-33-28-010-0040-0011, Actual Year Built 1975), situated just north of West Main Street[hcpao-fountain-parcel]. James Fountain and his wife, Cynthia (Prescott) Fountain (daughter of pioneer settler William Hiram Prescott), established their residence in an adjoining apartment on the premises, operating the mortuary as a full-service family enterprise[maxwell-1976].

Fountain Funeral Home has maintained continuous family ownership at the Highway 27 North location for over five decades. In addition to handling interments at Bougainvillea Cemetery, Fountain Funeral Home has served as a primary mortuary for the historic African American community of Avon Park, handling numerous burials and commemorative services at the Lakeside Historical Cemetery[fountain-fh-about]. Following James E. Fountain’s death on 15 February 2005 at the age of 63[obit-james-fountain-2005], the mortuary continued under family direction.

Summary of Mortuary Facilities in Avon Park

Era Undertaker / Proprietor Location Primary Sources & Records
1888–1890 Oliver M. Crosby / Local carpenters Townsite pine coffins covered in cloth Maxwell (1976), pp. 95–96
1890–1912 John C. Burleigh Lakeview St grocery store Maxwell (1976), p. 96
1912–1918 Mr. Holt & Capt. Rae Lakeview St store (caskets in rafters) Maxwell (1976), p. 96
1918–1920s Fred Smith & Dr. J. A. Lander West Main St / Jacaranda arcade Maxwell (1976), p. 96
1920s–1930s Lloyd Correll Frame shop nr. post office; bank block music store; Arcade; S. Forest St Maxwell (1976), p. 96; 1930 Census ED 28-1
1929–Present Stephenson-Nelson Funeral Home 111 E. Circle St (Reck house 1929–1955; modern mortuary built 1955) HCPAO Parcel A-22-33-28-010-0040-0030; Sunbiz Doc 600212
1948–1975 Russell Mizell / Franklin’s S. Lake Ave & E. Walnut St Maxwell (1976), p. 96
1973–Present Fountain Funeral Home (James E. Fountain) 507 US Hwy 27 N (built 1975) HCPAO Parcel A-21-33-28-010-0040-0011; Sunbiz Doc 500854; Legacy obit (2005)

References

  • maxwell-1976 — Leoma Bradshaw Maxwell. The First Hundred Years of Avon Park, Florida. 1976. Held at the Avon Park Historical Society Depot Museum, Avon Park, Florida
  • stephenson-nelson-about — Stephenson-Nelson Funeral Home. History and Staff, Stephenson-Nelson Funeral Home & Crematory. 5 September 2026. https://www.stephensonnelsonfh.com/who-we-are/history-and-staff
  • fountain-fh-about — Fountain Funeral Home. About Us: Our Heritage, Fountain Funeral Home. 5 September 2026. https://www.fountainfuneralhomeap.com/about-us
  • hcpao-circle-parcel — Highlands County Property Appraiser. Highlands County Property Appraiser Parcel A-22-33-28-010-0040-0030, 111 E Circle St, Avon Park. 5 September 2026. https://www.hcpao.org/Search/Parcel/28332201000400030A
  • hcpao-fountain-parcel — Highlands County Property Appraiser. Highlands County Property Appraiser Parcel A-21-33-28-010-0040-0011, 507 US Hwy 27 N, Avon Park. 5 September 2026. https://www.hcpao.org/Search/Parcel/28332101000400011A
  • sunbiz-stephenson-nelson — Florida Division of Corporations. Stephenson-Nelson Funeral Home, Inc., Corporate Filing Record. 5 September 2026. Florida Department of State, Division of Corporations, Document 600212
  • sunbiz-fountain-fh — Florida Division of Corporations. Fountain Funeral Home, Inc., Articles of Incorporation, 12 December 1973. 12 December 1973. Florida Department of State, Division of Corporations, Document 500854
  • obit-james-fountain-2005 — Tampa Bay Times / Legacy.com. James Earl Fountain Obituary (May 20, 1941 – February 15, 2005). 18 February 2005. https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/tampabaytimes/name/james-fountain-obituary?id=28828942
  • obit-helen-nelson-2022 — Marion Nelson Funeral Home. Helen Peyer Nelson Obituary (1921–2022), Marion Nelson Funeral Home. 1 August 2022. https://www.marionnelsonfuneralhome.com/obituaries/helen-nelson
  • census-correll-1930 — United States Bureau of the Census. 1930 United States Federal Census, Highlands County, Florida, Enumeration District 28-1, Sheet 9A, lines 15–22. 1 April 1930. https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:SR1B-WMM
  • fl-death-blythe-1932 — Florida Department of Health. Florida Death Index entry for J. Ross Blythe, 1932, Highlands County. 31 December 1932. Florida Department of Health, Office of Vital Statistics, Death Certificate Index, 1932

Where this comes from

Evidence
corroborated — More than one independent source agrees.
Review
unverified — Drafted from sources but not yet checked by a volunteer.
Rights
society

Sources

  1. Leoma Bradshaw Maxwell, The First Hundred Years of Avon Park, Florida (Held at the Avon Park Historical Society Depot Museum, Avon Park, Florida) (1976) · book
  2. Stephenson-Nelson Funeral Home, History and Staff, Stephenson-Nelson Funeral Home & Crematory (2026) · secondary
  3. Fountain Funeral Home, About Us: Our Heritage, Fountain Funeral Home (2026) · secondary
  4. Highlands County Property Appraiser, Highlands County Property Appraiser Parcel A-22-33-28-010-0040-0030, 111 E Circle St, Avon Park (2026) · official
  5. Highlands County Property Appraiser, Highlands County Property Appraiser Parcel A-21-33-28-010-0040-0011, 507 US Hwy 27 N, Avon Park (2026) · official
  6. Florida Division of Corporations, Stephenson-Nelson Funeral Home, Inc., Corporate Filing Record (Florida Department of State, Division of Corporations, Document 600212) (2026) · official
  7. Florida Division of Corporations, Fountain Funeral Home, Inc., Articles of Incorporation, 12 December 1973 (Florida Department of State, Division of Corporations, Document 500854) (1973) · official
  8. Tampa Bay Times / Legacy.com, James Earl Fountain Obituary (May 20, 1941 – February 15, 2005) (2005) · archival
  9. Marion Nelson Funeral Home, Helen Peyer Nelson Obituary (1921–2022), Marion Nelson Funeral Home (2022) · archival
  10. United States Bureau of the Census, 1930 United States Federal Census, Highlands County, Florida, Enumeration District 28-1, Sheet 9A, lines 15–22 (1930) · official
  11. Florida Department of Health, Florida Death Index entry for J. Ross Blythe, 1932, Highlands County (Florida Department of Health, Office of Vital Statistics, Death Certificate Index, 1932) (1932) · official

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