A Dallas funeral tradition

Sparkman/Hillcrest Funeral Home and Hillcrest Mausoleum & Memorial Park radiate balance and excellent taste. For four generations, the Sparkman family and their caring, compassionate staff have perpetuated the uncompromising standard of service that makes Sparkman/Hillcrest exceptional in the industry and a Dallas tradition.

Serene cemetery setting

Acres of green rolling berms encircle the grounds painted with the palettes of the seasons. Like a silken Persian carpet, summer is radiant with the splendid crepe myrtle reds, pinks and lavenders, and the beds of annual blues, purples, yellows and corals. Fall flourishes with an explosion of scarlet, mahogany and russet against a background of brown and taupe. Winter possesses its own subtle palette of live oak sage, gray and taupe. Spring reinvigorates the landscape with early redbuds followed by blossoming Bradford pears and dogwoods. On the south end of the property, the “Little Mermaid” lake shimmers like a cabochon sapphire reflecting this march of the seasons.

More than a century of fine service

Since 1893, the Sparkman family and Sparkman/Hillcrest Funeral Home and Hillcrest Mausoleum & Memorial Park have provided compassion, comfort and professionalism, as well as pride of service for families of all faiths who are wishing to honor their deceased with a celebration of life.

We’re proud to be a member of the Dignity Memorial® network of funeral, cremation and cemetery service providers. Dignity Memorial providers offer exclusive benefits, including National Transferability of prearranged services, the Bereavement Travel Program, the 24-Hour Compassion Helpline® and access to an acclaimed grief management library. As North America’s premier symbol of funeral, cremation and cemetery services, the Dignity Memorial brand is your assurance of quality, value, caring service and exceptional customer satisfaction.

Here for you

Whether you have an immediate need or wish to take a tour of our cemetery property, at Sparkman/Hillcrest Funeral Home and Hillcrest Mausoleum & Memorial Park, we are here to serve you. Please contact us at any time. 

History

In 1893, Will R. Sparkman began a tradition of excellence in service that prevails today at Sparkman/Hillcrest Funeral Home and Hillcrest Mausoleum & Memorial Park. 

In the early days, when horse-drawn carriages would lead the funeral procession from home or church to a nearby cemetery, the funeral home was owned by the George W. Loudermilk Undertaking Company since 1893. Historically the term “undertaker” comes from the concept of one agreeing to undertake a necessary service. Early undertakers were former cabinet makers who were called upon to make coffins for the deceased. To transport coffins to the cemetery, Loudermilk matched teams and beautifully outfitted carriages sporting “the only rubber tires in the city” and became a source of great pride. As the business entered the age of the automobile, hearses were the original ambulances for transporting the sick to hospitals as well as the deceased to the burial ceremony.

A legacy that reaches back generations

The 4 generations of Sparkmans began when Will R. Sparkman purchased the business in 1920 and operated it under the name of Loudermilk-Sparkman for many years. In keeping with his firm’s growing reputation as Dallas’ premier funeral home, Sparkman moved his business to a famous city landmark in 1926, the A.H. Belo Mansion at Ross and Pearl streets, built and presented by Colonel A.H. Belo, founder of The Dallas Morning News, to his son and his family. Under lease for 50 years, the lovely mansion was remodeled, with its homelike qualities and Colonial grandeur carefully preserved.

At that time, Mr. Sparkman’s 2 sons, Louis N. and Hal C. Sparkman, joined the family business. Under the presidency of the 2nd generation of Sparkmans, the business was expanded to include a 2nd funeral home at Garland Road and Easton to serve the White Rock and Garland areas. Louis N. Sparkman’s son, L.N. “Bill” Sparkman Jr. entered the family business in 1951 as the 3rd generation. Today, David L. Sparkman continues to serve the community as the 4th generation represented.

A North Dallas institution

The original Sparkman’s funeral home remained at the downtown location until it moved in 1968 to its present location at Boedeker and the Northwest Highway, resulting in what we know now as Sparkman/Hillcrest. This new corporation gave North Dallas its major full-service funeral home surrounded by the rolling acres of a cemetery that dates back to 1850.

Over the years, Sparkman/Hillcrest has provided caring service for Dallas residents, including many famous and infamous.