Page 4 - Dodge Thomas Funeral Guide

Our History:
Dodge-Thomas Funeral Home has been serving the community since 1816. It has the distinction of being not just one of the oldest continuing businesses in New York State, but the oldest Funeral Home in the state and the second oldest continually run funeral home in the entire country.
Dodge-Thomas Funeral Home originated in the mid 1700s, although not as a funeral home we know today. The business was started by the Kirby Family, early settlers of our community who operated a wheelwright and wood working shop on Cottage Row. Mr. Kirby was approached by a farmer from Brookville who lost his wife. He asked Mr. Kirby to build a casket for his wife who had passed. Mr. Kirby obliged, opening up our first practices into funeral service. At the beginning of the 19th century, Mr. Kirby’s daughter had married a Mr. Jordan C. Dodge. Mr. Dodge was given control of wood working shop and subsequently created Dodge Furniture Co., the original furniture
showroom still sits at 99 Glen St. in Glen Cove. The business was at an intersection of furniture sales and funeral directing, something unheard of today. By 1816 the Dodge Furniture Co. officially added funeral directing and funeral directors to their list of services offered. Mr. Jordan C. Dodge had then passed the business to his son, Herbert Kirby Dodge, who continued to expand his fathers work and ambitions.
In 1894, the Dodge Furniture and Funeral Directing company took their existing furniture warehouse and horse stable at 26 Franklin Ave. in Glen Cove, and converted it to the funeral home that still operates there today. Through the years the business had changed ownership between families, notably the Kirby, Dodge, Savage, Thomas and Minutoli families, but continually operated since its inception.
Today, the Dodge-Thomas Funeral Home has been owned and operated by Guy Minutoli, who became a partner of Mr. George Thomas in 1981 and took over
Page 4 - DODGE THOMAS - FUNERAL HOME