Harrell is bringing more burial and cremation services to the Highland Lakes Community.
AUSTIN, Texas, July 25, 2022 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Harrell Funeral Home, the largest family-owned funeral home in Central Texas, makes significant investments in the Highland Lakes Community. Harrell acquired Waldrope-Hatfield-Hawthorne Funeral Home & Cremation Services in Llano, Texas, on July 19, 2022. In addition, Harrell is bringing a modern cremation experience to this area by launching a new Cremation Center called Highland Lakes Cremation Center, which will replace Cremation Advocates.
"We have strategically made investments in the Highland Lakes area that will benefit all the surrounding communities," Jason Harrell, owner of Harrell Funeral Homes. "We purchased a crematory in Kingsland, Texas, that will now serve as the Care Center for cremations to be performed through any Harrell Funeral Home or the Highland Lakes Cremation Center. Families who choose us will never worry about their loved one being shipped to an unknown location to be cremated or leaving our care team. In addition, we have invested in secure digital tracking technology that allows us to safely track your loved one from the moment they enter our care and throughout the entire process."
"I hand-selected Jason Harrell and Harrell Funeral Home to continue the Waldrope-Hatfield-Hawthorne Funeral Home as an independent family-owned funeral organization because I know how Harrell serves families and the importance they place on providing healing services," said David Hawthorne, former owner of Waldrope-Hatfield-Hawthorne Funeral Home. I have known Jason and his family for generations, and I am confident that his family's character will exceed our customers' expectations."
Because Harrell is family-owned, they are not preoccupied with meeting corporate goals. Their sole focus is on providing service that exceeds their customers' expectations. "We have mapped out the journey our families walk after death when they choose our funeral home, and we are committed to providing something extra through every step of the process," said Jason. "For example, most Funeral Homes do not have a strategy to assist customers after the funeral service is over. Harrell takes a multifaceted approach which includes providing personal assistance in closing out non-legal estate matters and helping assist families as they navigate the grieving process."
Harrell started providing an estate specialist to help each family for no charge because they learned that 82% of widows, depending on income, were missing out on benefits or being underpaid or not paid at all. With the help of the estate specialist, families can now accomplish in 1-2 weeks what takes many families 14-18 months to achieve. Their Estate Specialists make sure families are protected from fraud and do not give their information to people who will take advantage of them. In addition, they know who to contact, therefore saving families lots of time and the agony of doing something incorrectly.
Waldrope-Hatfield-Hawthorne Funeral Home performs burials for about 60 percent of its customers and has the largest chapel gathering space in the Llano community. Harrell Funeral Home has plans to update the chapel and administrative building to provide the community with a beautiful new environment to gather. They will host a ribbon-cutting ceremony once the facility updates are complete.
In addition, Harrell is changing the names of the Waldrope-Hatfield-Hawthorne Funeral Home and Putnam Funeral Home in Kingsland to Harrell Funeral Home. "Although we fully intend to preserve the legacy of each acquired funeral home's founding fathers, we feel it is necessary to adapt to the changing landscape," said Jason. "Families need a partner prepared for the challenges ahead, investing in their staff, and setting industry trends. We believe we can do this most effectively under one umbrella brand providing innovative services."
Introducing Highland Lakes Cremation Center
In 2021, Harrell acquired Cremation Advocates and is making significant changes to this business model. The name is officially changing to Highland Lakes Cremation Center effective immediately and it will be the only Cremation Center operating in the Highland Lakes area. The Cremation Center will offer customers a modern experience they will not find in a traditional funeral home environment: convenience, intimate service options, and an affordable cremation.
"Family members need an easy way to secure cremation arrangements when a loved one passes at a distance," said Jason. "We are introducing new technology to make this happen. Burnet County received an influx of 13,345 people in the past two years, according to Economic Development Corporation, many coming for retirement. Our Cremation Center will be the only Cremation Center in Highland Lakes with the ability to complete all the necessary forms and make payments online. This technology is easy to use and reduces the arranging process to the same amount of time it takes to order your groceries curbside. We will also personally deliver cremated remains within a 25-mile radius of the Cremation Center."
New research shows not everyone desires a large service in a Church or traditional setting. "At death, the question about where to gather often becomes complicated to answer," said Jason. The Highland Lakes Cremation Center is not what you think of when you think of a funeral home. Instead, it is a new, modern vibe specializing in hosting small intimate gatherings. "We crafted new offerings around the idea of families gathering for an experience and having the flexibility to host services at places that bring special meaning to them," said Jason. "Our new offerings include water burial on the lake, intimate dinners, memorial gatherings, or come and go events at the Cremation Center, your home, or other community venues."
"Gathering around a table for many families signifies connection because that is where they shared life and stories," said Jason. "We took a different approach and hired a local award-winning Chef, Renee Riddell, to create unique menu selections that bring comfort and allow families to pause, connect, share stories, and toast their love for each other. We can even host dinner on the patio of the Cremation Center featuring made-to-order brick oven pizzas."
Highland Lakes Cremation Center provides the lowest-priced cremation within a 56-mile radius partially because all of the planning is completed online, which reduces overhead costs. "Our cremations are not outsourced to a discount provider located almost an hour away," said Jason. "We operate with transparency, so our customers know exactly where their loved one is and when they will be cremated. Some families desire to have a moment of silence when cremation occurs, so we want to provide them this opportunity." All offerings are scalable for a simple cremation. Families can add unique service options to a simple cremation to customize their experience.
About Harrell Funeral Home
Harrell Funeral Home is the largest family-owned funeral home with an excellent reputation in Central Texas, the fastest-growing metropolitan area in Texas. In 2019, 2020, and 2021, Johnson Consulting Group recognized Harrell Funeral Home as #1 in providing excellent customer service among funeral homes serving 300+ families in the United States. Harrell received the 2021 "Best of the Best" award in Austin for the Funeral Home category. Additionally, Harrell is among the top 2% of funeral homes invited to be a Selected Independent Funeral Home and recognized for high-quality service, fair pricing, broad portfolio, and strong reputation. In 2021 they served over 1,000 families in Texas between all their locations in Austin, Kyle, Kingsland, and Dripping Springs. The Harrell brand also encompasses Angel Funeral Home and ATX Cremation, an online cremation business, and Highland Lakes Cremation Center in Marble Falls, Texas. To learn more about Harrell visit harrellfuneralhomes.com.
Media Contact:
If you would like more information, please call Starlyn Aurit at (512) 914-3397 or email [email protected].
Media Contact
Starlyn Aurit, Harrell Funeral Home, 1 (512) 914-3397, [email protected]
Adam Page, Orange Rock Media, 407-641-1580, [email protected]
SOURCE Harrell Funeral Home
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