Front exterior building with signage at Colonial Funeral Home photos icon

Highlights

Plan ahead and save

Pre-planning lets you pay today's prices for future services. Learn more about the benefits from an expert.

ACT NOW

Get help now

You don't have to go through this alone. A dedicated agent is ready to chat with you.

CHAT NOW

About

Located in Columbia, Colonial Funeral Home helps families in Marion County, Mississippi, create memorable funeral and memorial services that guests will cherish. For over 100 years, our experienced staff has provided exceptional, compassionate care to families at a difficult time in their lives.

Downtown Columbia funeral home

Colonial Funeral Home, nestled within the heart of downtown Columbia, offers spacious and comfortable amenities, accommodating both intimate and large gatherings with 2 visitation areas, a hospitality room and a large traditional chapel. Families will find ample space to spend time with one another and receive comfort.

Create meaningful services

We believe funeral services should reflect the lives of those being honored, and we strive to design meaningful tributes to those who have meant so much to family and friends. With over 80 years of combined experience, our staff has the knowledge and expertise to carry out your needs.

At Colonial Funeral Home, we celebrate life. We host funeral, memorial services and celebrations of life, all fully customizable with the option to add special touches. Whether your loved one had a specific hobby, favorite food or drink, or served in their community, we will take those details to create a fitting tribute. In addition, we write obituaries, design photo collages and keepsakes for guests and assist with scheduling catering.

Meet our team

Our team lives and works in the Columbia area, which allows us to offer personal, local care to each family we meet. This commitment to the area is showcased through our team, and we are among Columbia’s oldest funeral service establishments.

Everyone at Colonial Funeral Home considers it our calling to help families in Marion and the surrounding counties. Please contact us or come by to learn more about our funeral home in Columbia or to meet our funeral directors.

History

Colonial Funeral Home has a rich history in the Columbia, Mississippi, area that dates back over 100 years.

Our original funeral business

In October of 1880, Lampton Company opened for business. The Lamptons are a well-known Marion County family who entered the mercantile industry and offered many different products. One of their store's departments was its undertaking and funeral department, where caskets were sold as a retail item.

Around the turn of the century, in 1900, this department operated out of a warehouse in the rear of the department store. This was also when the first professional embalmer was employed.

In approximately 1914, the business moved from the warehouse to a remodeled home on 2nd Street. Mr. E. W. Wright served as a funeral director and manager during this era.

Building local partnerships

In 1923, J.W. Smith moved to Columbia to become associated with the Lampton Funeral Home. In 1929, a fire damaged the funeral home beyond repair, and many valuable records were lost. This did not deter the men from giving service to the townspeople as they quickly adapted to a nearby facility on 2nd Street.

In 1937, a group of business people met for the purpose of incorporating Colonial Funeral Home and selected the following directors: George Ben Lampton, H.H. Barnes, W.M. Lampton, E.H. Austin, J.W. Smith and F.W. Thornhill. It was announced that Lampton Funeral Home was retiring from the operation of its undertaking and funeral department by transferring the business to Colonial Funeral Home.

Continued care

In 1947, J.T. Waldrop became a member of the board of directors. He worked at the funeral home in Columbia and helped with the Poplarville location, also located in Mississippi, when needed. In addition, Colonial operated an ambulance service during this era.

In 1971, after 47 years of dedicated service, J.W. Smith retired and turned over the reins of general manager to J.T. Waldrop. A huge fire occurred on June 25, 1979, consuming a large part of the funeral home. Colonial had to temporarily operate from another facility while our funeral home was rebuilt.

What sets us apart

In 1987, Colonial Funeral Home merged with Bradford-O’Keefe Funeral Homes, a family-owned firm. Nearly 10 years later, in the fall of 1992, Colonial Funeral Home became part of the Dignity Memorial® network, which allows us to offer exclusive benefits that set us apart from others while providing caring service, value and customer satisfaction.

Amenities

Location

Cremation

Service

Religious & Cultural

Other

100% SERVICE GUARANTEE

At Dignity Memorial, we take our promises seriously. That’s why we offer a 100% service guarantee. We strive to get every detail right the first time, every time. If for some reason we don’t and you’re dissatisfied with any aspect of your service, we will remedy it quickly and fully.

Learn about our Dignity Difference benefits.

Find nearby cemetery & cremation property

Browse cemetery and cremation property near you so you can compare your options and determine the best fit for your family.

FIND A CEMETERY

Recent Obituaries

See All Obituaries

When new obituaries are added, receive a notification by email or phone.

Receive notifications

Limited-time savings

Pre-plan today to protect the people you love and receive up to 15% off prepaid cemetery and cremation property. Act today.

VIEW OFFER DETAILS

Floral component background

Express your sympathy with flowers & gifts

1-800-Flowers

View arrangements

Bouquet of flowers on a cemetery 

Remember the one you love

Honor the memory of your loved one with cemetery flower placement. You choose the flowers. You choose the months. We do the rest.

Learn More
Floral component background

Express your sympathy with flowers & gifts

1-800-Flowers

View arrangements

Bouquet of flowers on a cemetery

Remember the one you love

Honor the memory of your loved one with cemetery flower placement. You choose the flowers. You choose the months. We do the rest.

Learn More

Express your sympathy with flowers & gifts

View arrangements
Floral component background

Express your sympathy with flowers & gifts

1-800-Flowers

View arrangements

Vintage photos scattered

Unable to find an obituary?

Not finding what you are looking for? Search for your loved one's obituary across any of our other locations.

VIEW OBITUARIES
Floral component background

Express your sympathy with flowers & gifts

1-800-Flowers

View arrangements

Vintage photos scattered

Unable to find an obituary?

Not finding what you are looking for? Search for your loved one's obituary across any of our Washelli locations.

VIEW OBITUARIES

Financial assistance when you need it most.

Applying for CareCredit is fast and easy, and you'll receive an immediate credit decision.

ACT NOW
A beautiful bouquet of flowers

Express your sympathy with flowers & gifts

 1-800-Flowers

View Arrangements
Bouquet of flowers on a cemetery

Remember the one you love

Honor the memory of your loved one with cemetery flower placement. You choose the flowers. You choose the months. We do the rest.

Learn More
Vintage photos scattered

Unable to find an obituary?

Not finding what you are looking for? Search for your loved one's obituary across any of our other locations.

VIEW OBITUARIES

Ratings & Reviews

Verified Customer Reviews

Since 2005, many of our customers have taken the time to tell us how we did each year via our Voice of the Customer program. Our star ratings and comments from families come directly from these surveys.

"I highly recommend, they also do great work with any budget. The level of care and detail, along with kindness and great service was exceptional."

jd-power-verified-checkmark Verified Burial & Memorial Service Customer

April 2021

"The entire staff at Colonial Funeral home were amazing and we truly felt as if they cared about our loved one and our family."

jd-power-verified-checkmark Verified Burial & Memorial Service Customer

March 2021

"The staff was wonderful! They really met our needs with a smile. Thanks Bill and staff."

jd-power-verified-checkmark Verified Burial & Memorial Service Customer

February 2021

"We treated with compassion and caring in all aspects of planning funeral for our mother. Special thanks to Danny Jackson and Jimmy Turnage for their kindness to my family and I during this very sorrowful time in the loss of our beloved mother!"

jd-power-verified-checkmark Verified Burial & Memorial Service Customer

January 2021

View More Reviews

Other Resources

Scenic walkway with flowers, green grass and trees.

CHECKLIST

What to do when someone dies

learn more
Chapel at Geo. H. Lewis & Sons Funeral Directors

COSTS

How much does an average funeral cost?

Learn more
A sunlit road in a cemetery with private estates, bushes and flowers.

CEMETERY, CREMATION

Choosing cremation or traditional burial

LEARN MORE
Grandmother and granddaughter sitting on a bench at Pacific View

JEWISH

Advance funeral planning as a Mitzvah

LEARN MORE
A couple pre-plans on a tablet at a funeral home.

PREPAID PLANS

How to pay for a funeral in installments

LEARN MORE
Pathway through a cremation garden in a cemetery with niches, boulders and benches.

CEMETERY, CREMATION

Cemetery options for cremation

LEARN MORE
Stones sit on top of a Jewish headstone

JEWISH

Yahrzeit observance

LEARN MORE