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Cranston Family Funeral Home in Fairfield acquires Gould Funeral Home
Wayne Gould, director of funeral homes in Richland and Brighton, will continue working but wants to spend more time with family
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FAIRFIELD – Cranston Family Funeral Home in Fairfield has announced a new partnership with Gould Funeral Home, which has locations in Richland and Brighton.
Jeremy Cranston, owner of Cranston Family Funeral Home, said Gould Funeral Home’s director Wayne Gould will continue working and will now be affiliated with Cranston Family Funeral Home. He said the two businesses had been talking about a partnership for some time, after Gould expressed an interest in stepping back from his role as director to have more time to visit family.
“He loves his job, and still wants to help from time to time,” Cranston said of Gould. “But he didn’t want to be on call all the time. We discussed what would need to happen for us to continue to serve, and one of the draws is that he knows we align with his values.”
As part of the agreement, Cranston Family Funeral Home will take care of the arrangements Gould Funeral Home has already made with families and will field phone calls directed to Gould Funeral Home. Wayne will retain ownership of his funeral home buildings in Richland and Brighton.
“We’ve already started to do work in Richland and East Pleasant Plain,” Cranston said. “[Wayne Gould] wanted to ensure that families in his area are still cared for, and he knew that Ryan [Pedrick] and I will take care of them going forward.”
Cranston said that, though he won’t be using the funeral home offices in Richland or Brighton, he is willing to meet with families wherever it’s convenient for them, whether it’s at their home, at a church, or at Cranston Family Funeral Home’s new building on the west edge of Fairfield.
Gould Funeral Home announced the partnership on its Facebook page on Feb. 18. In that same post, the funeral home noted that the Gould family has served Southeast Iowa for 85 years, going back to when Maurice and Marjory Gould purchased the Allen Funeral Home in Richland, operating it alongside the Gould Furniture Store. In 1958, the Gould family acquired Hoskins Funeral Home in Brighton.
The Facebook post states that Wayne joined the family business after graduating from Indiana School of Mortuary Science in 1978.
“Beyond funeral service, Wayne has been deeply involved in the community, serving as a Cub Master, Scout Master, Assistant Fire Chief, and a volunteer EMT for the Brighton First Responders,” noted the post. “His dedication also extended to the Brighton Lions Club, the Brighton City Council, and nearly two decades at Pedrick Funeral Home in Keosauqua.”
The post says that Wayne’s wife, Lynne, also played an important role in the funeral home while raising their family. The Goulds’ sons Sean (now in Milwaukee) and Kevin (now in Winterset) have gone on to “build their own successful careers and families, continuing the Gould legacy of service and dedication.”
The post concludes by predicting a bright future thanks to this new relationship with Cranston Family Funeral Home.
“This partnership ensures that the compassionate care and commitment the Gould family has provided for generations will continue under the trusted guidance of Cranston Family Funeral Home. We look forward to serving families with the same level of professionalism, empathy, and dedication that has defined our history,” stated the post.
Call Andy Hallman at 641-575-0135 or email him at andy.hallman@southeastiowaunion.com
