Our History
Culler-McAlhany Funeral Home has had a long history in North, S.C. Culler Funeral Home was founded when small town businessman W.C. Culler began selling caskets in his general store in 1898. In those days, most funeral homes started as part of a general store, which sold furniture and caskets. Within the next two decades, Culler Funeral Home began providing the town of North with full services, complete with a horse-drawn hearse.
The business was moved to its present location in 1947. This was the first time the funeral home was in a residential building and used solely as a funeral home.
In 1948, S.F. Long became a partner in the business with W. Clarence Culler, son of W.C. Culler. In the fall of 1948, construction began on an addition to the back of the funeral home, which became a preparation room, storage and tent room, casket display room, and a garage. Mr. Long became sole owner in 1960, and operated the business until his death in 1988.
In 1989, Tom C. McAlhany, Jr., became owner and manager. The name was changed to Culler-McAlhany Funeral Home in 1993. In 1994, ADA restrooms and a ramp were added to the building and an area was added to be used as a chapel/visitation room in 1996. With the new addition, a chapel seating 175 can be used for services; and with the new facilities, three visitations can be held at the same time.
The funeral home is a member of the National Funeral Directors Association and the South Carolina Funeral Directors Association.
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Chandler K. Sheetz Manager
Chandler K. Sheetz has been with Culler-McAlhany for over twelve years, serving an apprenticeship before receiving his license in 2011. He is a graduate of the Piedmont Technical College School of Mortuary Science.
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Ronnie Smith Funeral Director
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Trudy Robinson Office Manager
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James P Richardson III Advanced Planning Funeral Director
Jimmy Richardson has been a licensed funeral director since 1989. A native of Charleston, he began his career in funeral service at McAlister Funeral Home while a student at the College of Charleston. Jimmy continued his education at the Cincinnati College of Mortuary Science where he earned his bachelor’s degree. In 1999, he began to specialize in advanced funeral planning and continues in that capacity today. He and his wife, Rebecca, have been married since 1991 and have two adult children, Ross and Kara, and two grandchildren, Raelynn and Keaton. They also have three dogs: Biggie, Tank and Ricky. Over the years, Jimmy has served in his church as a deacon, in his community in the Lions International, and in the Gideons International. Music, reading and running are among his hobbies, but his occupational passion is to help people be prepared. “I want to keep an emotional loss from also becoming a financial loss. That’s a burden bereaved families don’t need and that’s why I’m such an advocate for advanced funeral planning.”
