In 1966, Howard J. Rush decided to start a funeral home in Oakdale, selling stock to raise enough capital for its establishment. He kept his first endeavor close to his heart by building the facility within 100 feet of his home. By the same means, he established Rush Funeral Home of Pineville in 1971, and then Rush Funeral Home of Pine Prairie in 1972.
Shortly thereafter, he realized the necessity for families to be able to preplan for death. And so, he established Great Central Life Insurance Company to provide insurance policies that would be funded through the Rush Funeral Homes. In 1968, came Mr. Rush's idea of starting two beautiful perpetual care cemeteries, Resthaven Cemetery and Restland Memorial Gardens, established in conjunction with his funeral homes to provide for the families he served. As business prospered, Rush Funeral Home of Hineston was added in 1979, Great Central Fire Insurance Company in 1980 and Rush Funeral Home of Kinder in 1987. Mr. Rush, a young man in his early 50's filled a niche in central Louisiana by forming a conglomerate of businesses, consisting of two insurance companies, five funeral homes, two cemeteries, two finance companies and a furniture gallery.
And now to the present - in October 2003, Rush purchased four of the Ardoin Funeral Homes located in Oakdale, Glenmora, Oberlin and Pitkin from S.C.I., a corporation headquartered in Houston, Texas. Rush Funeral Home now has nine locations to better serve the families in central Louisiana.
Forty years ago, Howard J. Rush established Rush Funeral Homes based on family values, compassion, sensitivity and a commitment to help other families in their time of sorrow. Today, we are strengthening those family values for the future. Families care. Families count.
Please know you can count on mine!