The second-oldest continuously run family business in Warren County marks its 100th birthday.
The DeVoe Funeral Home, the second oldest continuously family-run business in Warren County, recently turned 100 years old.
Elliot Herbert DeVoe (left) with D.B. Laubach in 1915. (Courtesy photo) Elliot Herbert DeVoe purchased the funeral home from D.B. Laubach on May 1, 1915. Eventually the business was passed on to Elliot's son, Elliot Thomas "Tom" DeVoe, and in 1989, a third family generation took over with the passing of the baton to current owner (and Tom's son) Mark DeVoe.
In all, the West Washington Avenue funeral home has been in business an estimated 120 years. Mark DeVoe, a lifelong resident of Washington, runs the funeral service business with his wife Susan.
"We're still a mom and pop operation," said Mark. "We haven't been bought out by one of those big conglomerates that are buying up funeral homes everywhere."
DeVoe notes that the family has coordinated over 13,000 funerals over the years. He notes the biggest change in the industry has been the high rate of cremations. "That's 60 percent of our business now," he said. "The last year my father was doing funerals there were maybe one or two cremations."
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Except for an expansion many years ago and some remodeling, the current building at 136 W. Washington Ave. (Route 57) is pretty much the same as it once was even if the neighborhood has changed somewhat.
The longest running family business in Warren County is another funeral home, Cochran in Hackettstown.