Young-Levett Funeral Home Generational Service

By Emily Rose Hamby

Young-Levett Funeral Home’s history has spanned over 80 years and three generations. Now owned by Lanier and Dana Levett, the two family dynasties in the industry continue to provide families with reputable and hospitable services.

“We’re a funeral service, but we’re event planners, and that’s exactly what we’re doing,” Lanier said. “We’re planning a celebration. One of the things that we pride ourselves on is that we will take that family by the hand and walk them through that process.”

In 1938, Dana’s grandparents, Daniel and Grace Young, opened Young Funeral Home in Monroe. They followed by opening their second location in Covington by 1961.

Lanier’s grandfather, Gregory W. Levett Sr., was employed by the Youngs, teaching everything he knew to his son, Gregory. As a result, Gregory opened his family business, Gregory B. Levett & Sons Funeral Home, in 1990 in Scottsdale.

Lanier believes his path was “destined” to serve families in this capacity.

“When my father started our funeral home, I was seven years old and from that point to now, this is all I’ve ever done my entire life,” Lanier said. “So I was kind of destined to be in the funeral service.”

After meeting at an industry function in 1995, Lanier and Dana got married one year later. Despite their families being so close, the two had never met prior.

“It’s interesting because our families have been connected all through the years,” Lanier said. “So our families knew one another, but I never knew my wife.”

While Dana helped her mother, Ariel, run Young Funeral Home, the Levetts made the decision to purchase the business when Ariel decided to retire in 2013.

The two combined to establish their own legacy with Young-Levett Funeral Home.

Young-Levett maintains a level of familiarity and personability. With around 18 part-time and full-time employees and a considerable pool of clientele, Young-Levett works diligently to ensure every family is taken care of.

“Almost all of my funerals I’m able to attend,” Lanier said. “Almost all of my family arrangements I’m able to make, or if I’m not able to attend the service, at some point through that whole process, the family has seen either my wife or myself. The same level of service that my wife and I want to give, our employees give that same type of service. Regardless of which one of my directors is meeting with the family, we want that experience to be seamless.”

Because Lanier has experienced both ends of the spectrum with his family’s large-scale funeral business in the suburbs of Atlanta and the smaller, localized Young-Levett, implementing a “personal touch” into each service is top priority.

Although they have been presented with the opportunity to grow larger and expand their facilities throughout Newton County, the Levetts enjoy being a part of a small community, especially since their business is conveniently located right off the Square.

“I could build a big, elaborate Taj Mahal if I chose to do so, but I wanted to give it that home feel when you walk through our doors,” Lanier said. “We want to make you feel like you’re sitting in your living room and I think that helps take some of the stings away where it doesn’t feel so commercialized. That’s kind of the feel I was trying to capture when we started.”

Though dealing with the loss of loved ones is oftentimes highly emotional and difficult to process, helping ease the pain of their clients is what fuels Young-Levett to offer their support for grieving families.

When looking to the future of Young-Levett Funeral Home, Lanier hopes for longevity. Though Lanier and Dana’s two daughters do not have interest in taking on the family business when the time comes, Lanier plans on prolonging Young-Levett for as long as possible.

As for now, Young-Levett Funeral Home will keep operating as they have been for the last 10 years.

“Continuing to offer extraordinary services,” Lanier said. “Staying engaged in the community. Being involved. Getting to know the people that we don’t serve and people that we hope to serve at some point when death should occur. Trying to stay connected with the community.”