Memorable memorials: New hearse service wants to add special touch to funerals

Decades after they were replaced by their modern-day counterparts, horse-drawn hearses have continued to add a sentimental touch to funerals for the likes of Ronald Reagan, Rosa Parks and soul singer Aaliyah.

Steve Stroder of Jackson is hoping there's a local market for such a service that he says adds a "touch of class and dignity" for the funerals of loved ones, especially those who happened to be horse-lovers.

"To me, funerals are so boring," Stroder said. "There's nothing special to remember, except that somebody you know died. Having a horse-drawn hearse will be something people will remember the rest of their lives."

Stroder launched his new business, Stroder's Horse-drawn Funeral Service, last year. So far he's done only three funerals -- but he thinks that's because people don't really know about the service.

"It's not catching on real quick," he said. "But that's OK. Until somebody sees it, they don't understand it."

Stroder, 55, got the idea in 2004 on a Thanksgiving trail ride in the Missouri Ozarks. He was riding a trail with a stranger who mentioned she ran a horse-drawn funeral service in another part of the state. She had pictures and some literature about her business. Stroder was intrigued.

"I thought it would be pretty neat to do around here," Stroder said. "It's just like the old undertakers did it back in the 1800s. And I've been around horses pretty much all my life, so I knew I would love doing it."

What he did not know was how complicated and costly putting together such a business would be. The first thing he did was buy a pair of black half-quarter Percheron horses, known for their broad, thick proportions and strength.

Found Amish builder

Then, he went off in search of a horse-drawn hearse. He went first to the Internet and found that the simple-living Mennonite and Amish communities still regularly used horse-drawn hearses when burying their dead.

So he searched a Mennonite horse sale in Laurie, Mo., where he was told he could have one built by a Mennonite for $21,000. That price seemed excessive, so he kept looking. Finally, he came into contact with a Amish builder in southern Indiana and had one custom built for about $14,000.

The hearse is black, with wide wagon wheels and a glass and wooden exterior so the coffin can be seen from the outside.

After Stroder got his hearse, he thought of one final touch -- three-quarter-length wool frock coats and top hats for himself, as driver, and the shotgun rider, his assistant, Ann Bowen.

All in all, getting the business started cost Stroder nearly $30,000, which also includes the customized trailer for hauling the horses.

Still, Stroder thinks that it's an interesting addition for funerals that people would like if they knew it was out there. The horse-drawn hearse is pulled up to the steps at a funeral home, the coffin is loaded, and then the hearse leads the procession, just like a regular, motorized hearse does, all the way to the cemetery.

Stroder knows his service is not for everyone -- a funeral home charges about $200 for its vehicle hearse while Stroder charges about $500 for the horse-drawn variety.

"But it can be so neat," he said. "People can walk behind the hearse if they want. One guy had insisted on Missouri mules, so we accommodated that. It's the way I want to go."

smoyers@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 137