FERRIDAY, La. – Full service for families at their time of need — as founder and owner George Comer sees it, that’s the niche Comer Funeral Home has made for itself.

And with 49 years serving families in Concordia, Catahoula and Tensas parishes, it seems to have worked.

&uot;Superior service is what we strive for — taking care of families,&uot; Comer said. &uot;And when you’re dealing with the death of a loved one, you need all the help you can get.&uot;

Like modern funeral homes throughout the country, Comer’s has a full variety of services.

A monument company has been part of the business since the funeral home was founded in 1951, and samples of tombstones can be found on the funeral home’s front lawn.

At the front of the funeral home is a flower shop that started in 1966 and is run by Patsy Stutson, who has worked for 30 years at the funeral home.

&uot;I just saw a need for a flower shop in this area, and the fact that it’s here at the funeral home makes it easier for a family to make their selections,&uot; Comer said.

Other services range from pre-planning to making a video tribute to a loved one, complete with music, in less than a day’s time from pictures provided by the person’s family.

&uot;We just added (video tributes), so not many people have taken advantage of it yet,&uot;&160;said Comer, who runs the business with grandson David Boystun and several other staff members.

Funeral directors learn about new trends and innovations from other members of regional, state and national funeral directors’ associations.

&uot;It helps us keep abreast of things,&uot; Comer said.

They must also take a certain number of hours of continuing education courses each year.

And this year, Comer’s took part in another kind of tribute — a Veteran’s Day service that included a balloon release.

&uot;It was done nationwide to help raise money for a (national) World War II memorial,&uot;&160;said Comer, who served in the U.S. Navy during that war.

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