Coleman Funeral Home has created a memorial board to honor late veterans in the North Mississippi region who used Coleman’s services.

Olive Branch director and embalmer Ashley Bowlan came up with the idea of physical boards that are stationed at all three locations in Olive Branch, Southaven and Oxford. Each board features up to 90 names each and lists the veteran’s name, the date they passed and what branch they served in the military.

If they chose to use the services of Coleman Funeral Home, families can have the names of their loved ones who served the country engraved on the board.

Oxford, with the most veterans out of all three sites, has four boards stationed in their entry way with each one holding up to at most 90 names. Olive Branch has two boards and Southaven has one.

However, Oxford’s branch is pushing the idea a step further and is taking advantage of the internet to bring the veteran board to everyone. With the suggestion of a funeral director consultant, funeral apprentice Pipkin is working to put a virtual veteran’s board right on Coleman Funeral Home’s website.

“Not everybody is going to come to the funeral home and see the ones that are hanging up on our wall,” said Pipkin. 

Just like the physical boards, the virtual board will list the veteran’s name, date of death and the military branch they were associated with, but the virtual board has added features.

“Once we publish the virtual veteran’s board, families and visitors to our website will be able to go to it, click on the veteran’s name and it will take you to the actual veteran’s obituary and their picture,” said Pipkin.

In addition, visitors can leave notes and share memories on late veterans’ tribute pages, upload photos, view their funeral service or watch the slideshow Coleman Funeral Home provides their clients.

Pipkin said before the idea of boards came along, Coleman Funeral Home had no real way of highlighting the service of local veterans other than providing flags to the nearest next of kin.

“A lot of people around the country have respect for our veterans,” said Pipkin. “They’re the ones fighting for me and they are braver than I could ever be. Even though this is minute to what we could be doing to honor our veterans, I think it’s something the families would appreciate.”

Coleman Funeral Home makes it their mission to treat families and their deceased loved ones with dignity and care, said Pipkin. Veteran or not, everyone will be treated fairly and with compassion and will be catered to based on their needs.

“It is my mission to serve that family to the best of my ability,” said Pipkin. “I like to honor and celebrate their life and their life well lived.”

For more information on Coleman Funeral Home and their veterans’ services, visit www.colemanfuneralhome.com or call 662-234-3900.