Lavenia and Summers Home for Funerals

“We utilized Lavenia and Summers to bury my daddy, Darryle Toles. We worked with Miss Joie, alongside Reverend Peck. Miss Joie is awesome, compassionate, and did everything in order and decency. Cremation was the route and she explained the process to us so well, I felt comfort during the entire process. The "urn spray" was one of Miss Joie's favorites, and I am so glad we chose that option because she had my daddy's urn looking so beautiful. This was my first time working with Lavenia and Summers and I am grateful we went in this direction. Definitely would recommend Lavenia and Summers. Ask for Miss Joie and if possible, Reverend Peck as well. Awesome team 💖☺️”

— Alecia Toles

“Thank you George! Lavenia and Summers helped make a very difficult time better. George actually made us smile and forget all the drama and pain whenever we got together. He made us feel like we were old friends hanging out for a few minutes. Nobody wants the responsibilities of planning a funeral. George and Lavenia helped us feel like we had a team and the support system that family often refuses to be. It was just business, but excellent customer service makes you feel confident about your business decisions and who your doing business with. Going with L&S was a great move for us.”

— Charles Warren

“When Grief Meets Greed... My family and I recently trusted Lavenia & Summers with the final farewell for my beloved nephew. While they cared for his body with professionalism, the way they treated us as a grieving family was disgraceful and needs to be exposed. Funeral Director Stephanie Goldsmith was, at best, inconsistent—sometimes polite, but more often cold, dismissive, and completely lacking compassion. When we asked for just one additional day to secure the funds needed for his burial, she flat-out refused. Not one week, not several days—just one single day. That refusal showed us exactly where her priorities are: the money first, the family’s grief dead last. In this industry, that is unacceptable. Years ago, when Lavenia herself was in charge, this funeral home set the standard for compassion and professionalism. What I experienced this time around under Stephanie’s direction was the complete opposite. It felt transactional, heartless, and indifferent to the pain my family was enduring. To make matters worse, another funeral director actually had the decency to ask how much more time we needed, proving that it was possible to show humanity in this situation. Stephanie chose not to. That choice was deliberate, and it made our already devastating loss even harder to bear. Families beware: if you are considering Lavenia & Summers, understand that the care for your loved one may be fine—but don’t expect the same level of compassion for yourself. Under the leadership of people like Stephanie Goldsmith, grieving families are treated like business deals, not human beings in pain. Stephanie, you are in the wrong profession if you cannot extend basic compassion to people at their lowest point. Families do not come to you for more obstacles, pressure, and coldness—they come to you for help. And if you cannot provide that, then either change how you treat people or step aside and let someone with actual empathy do the work. I will never recommend Lavenia & Summers to another family as long as this is the kind of treatment they allow under their name. In this business, compassion is not optional—it’s the job.”

— Margaret Garner