PEOPLES FUNERAL HOME, 1301 W. Grand Avenue, Marshall, Texas has been owned by three generations of the Williams family. It has served the Marshall community since 1923. Milton Williams, Sr. and his wife, Josie P. Campbell Williams, who reportedly was the first Black female mortician in East Texas, established Peoples Funeral Home. Milton and Josie were born and reared in Harrison County, Texas. To
gether, Milton and Josie Williams established six funeral homes in East Texas and also started Peoples Funeral Service Insurance Company. Three sons, Milton, Jr., Joseph, and Romeo, were born to Milton Sr. and Josie Williams. Milton Williams, Jr. became a licensed mortician and funeral director and assisted his parents in the family business. Military service in the United States Army during World War II interrupted his work in the family business. While in the military, Milton, Jr. married Rubye Adams, who was born in Marion County and was a student at Wiley College at the time of their marriage. After an honorable discharge from the U.S. Army, Milton Williams, Jr. returned to Marshall and continued working with his parents in the funeral home business. For decades a lighted marquee in front of the funeral home read "Peoples Funeral Home - Milton Williams & Son” Two children, Milton III and Rubye Jo were born to Milton Jr. died in 1966, Josie P. Campbell Williams died in 1975, and Milton Williams, Jr. died in 1992. Milton H. Williams, III, came to Marshall with his family in 1979 to assist in the family business. Milton III graduated from North Texas State University, Denton, Texas, then served in the United States Air Force. Following Milton III's military service, while living in Fort Worth, Texas, he worked in banking and obtained his mortician and funeral directors license from the Dallas Institute of Mortuary Science. Milton Jr. and Milton III worked in unison at the family business for many years. After the death of Milton Williams, Jr., his wife Rubye joined Milton III to continue the tradition of the family business. On May 6, 2014, Milton H. Williams III passed away but the legacy of Peoples Funeral Home endures. View full obituary of Milton H. Williams III in "Obituary" section. Continuing to work hard to provide a renewed commitment of exceptional funeral service for Harrison County and surrounding areas is Peoples Funeral Home's manager, Julia Frilot Williams (Milton III's wife), Ronnie Wall, mortician and funeral director-in-charge, and staff, Quinton Henderson, Lorenza Turner, Gloria Turner, Ronnie McCowan, Lewis Bush, Bertha Knighten, and Willie Campbell.
