By Chelsea Pyne

Out of the 31,000 licensed Funeral Directors in the United States, Danny Jefferson of Pierce-Jefferson Funeral & Cremation Services is honored with this year’s grand title: National Funeral Director of the Year Award 2017. After many nominations and reviews completed by the American Funeral Director Magazine/Kates-Bolston Publications (a 140-year-old publication), the organizations chose three finalists and winner.

It was a cause for celebration on West Mountain Street, home to Pierce-Jefferson Funeral & Cremation Services (Pierce-Jefferson). Danny Jefferson explained, “I have seen our industry change and evolve over the past 44 years. To be a part of this experience and to be able to bring light into a dark situation makes this line of work so meaningful. We speak daily with people who have had a devastating event happen in their lives. How one honors their loved one after a death is very individual and personal. We continue to create new ways to help with these events in order to honor the memories of loved ones.”

It is obvious that Danny has a passion behind his work, but it takes more than a big heart to accomplish what he and his team have. So, what were the reasons behind this little Kernersville funeral home amounting to so much? To start, Pierce-Jefferson offers a wide array of resources that go above and beyond average funeral home services.

Danny explained, “Our partnership with the Foundation Partners Group allowed us to install the trademark ShareLife experience in our Chapel using sight, scent, and sound. This has had a tremendous impact on the memory sharing process for our families. We use the Jefferson House for separate catered events for families following the service, during the service, or simply no service when families just want to share time with each other. We offer jewelry items with the deceased fingerprints displayed on the items selected. Some families choose “earth friendly” items and we have a full selection available. We recently installed a 25ft Flag Pole that was dedicated this past Veterans Day, November 11. The Flag Pole is another way to say “thank you” to all those who have served protecting our country. This includes both living and deceased Veterans.”

In a time of grief, the atmosphere must be soft and uplifting for the families. This is where The Jefferson House does so well. The Jefferson House is perfect for small events and affairs. Families appreciate the ability to bring their relatives together following the funeral service in a relaxed and intimate ambience. Pierce-Jefferson Floral Design also serves all floral arrangement needs for any event requested. Even more, The Jefferson House has been used for baby showers, family events including Christmas parties, birthday parties, and sometimes, even weddings.

Danny added, “We have a full-service florist for all occasions. We also have full service Monument offerings and we design each Monument to the specifications of the family, so they do not have to select from an existing collection. We handle the installations of the Monuments and provide the writing of the death dates on existing Monuments regardless of where it was originally purchased.”

Pierce-Jefferson is well known for its all-encompassing service. The staff provides grief support, pre-planning, obituaries, and works with families to ensure the experience is easy and peaceful. As Pat Harris said, “I cannot find the words to express my appreciation for Pierce-Jefferson Funeral Home and especially Danny. After I had made all the arrangements, he told me not to worry about anything; he was going to take care of everything and he did! Everyone has told me, “It was the most wonderfully planned funeral” they had ever attended. Hal and I had the precious time to plan his funeral together and I will always treasure that. I could not be more pleased with Danny and Pierce-Jefferson Funeral Home.”

Pierce-Jefferson Funeral Home & Cremation Service has the only onsite Crematory in Kernersville. This assures families their loved ones are cared for throughout the entire process. Pierce-Jefferson is located on 213 W. Mountain Street. For more information call 336.993.2121 or visit www.pierce-jeffersonfuneralservice.com. Danny shared, “We strive to treat each family as our own, and all our employees are family oriented. We are local people helping local families. I am not ever retiring as long as my health permits and I am excited to have the health which allows me to continue to serve this great community I call home!”

Those looking for encouragement can find comfort in Danny’s book “From ‘Hear’ to Forever” which has produced over 3,000 copies. It is available through BarnesandNoble.com, Amazon.com, and also at the funeral home.

“Again, I am humbled to have received this honor and will receive the award, in Nashville, Tennessee on December 8, at the end of a three-day Education Event “BizPlan” sponsored by Kates-Boylston Publications. I have a wonderful team working with me at Pierce-Jefferson. I have been so blessed to have had so many people to assist with us getting to where we are today.”