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The Rader family tradition of service spans three generations, and dates back to the late 1920s when LeRoy Rader was a young man living in Illinois with the desire to become a mortician.
LeRoy attended mortuary school in Chicago during the day and worked nights to earn enough money for tuition and books. After graduating from mortuary school, LeRoy moved to Shreveport, Louisiana, and then later to Paris, Texas, where he was employed by Emerson-Brown-Roden Funeral Home.
After working in Paris for just a few years, LeRoy decided to move his family, which now included a young son, Charley, to Longview where he began working for Welch Funeral Home. After only two years, Thomas Welch asked LeRoy to manage the Everett and Welch Funeral Home in Gladewater, Texas. |
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Charles and his father Charley Rader (1932-2007) |
Rader Funeral Home - Longview |
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In 1938, LeRoy Rader and Thomas Welch formed a partnership and opened the Welch and Rader Funeral Home in Kilgore, Texas. Shortly thereafter, LeRoy purchased his partner's interest in the funeral home to create the Rader Funeral Home in Kilgore an East Texas landmark still operating today.
In the early 1950s, LeRoy purchased a funeral home on North Fredonia Street adjacent to the First Methodist Church in Longview. He asked his son Charley, who had just graduated from North Texas State University, to manage the newly acquired funeral home. In 1954, Charley and his wife Betty moved to Longview, where they became and have remained very active community supporters. |
In 1970, a beautiful new Rader Funeral Home was constructed at 1617 Judson Road, and the former location was acquired by the First Methodist Church.
In 1981, Betty and Charley's son, Charles returned to work after graduating from Texas Tech University and Dallas Institute of Funeral Service, he is now President and General Manager of the company.
In 2006, Charles and his wife, Lacy opened Charles Rader Funeral Home and Cremation Services, LLC in Henderson, Texas. |
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Rader Funeral Home - Henderson | |
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Two Locations to Serve You: 1617 Judson Road, Longview, Texas 75601 • 800 Kilgore Drive, Henderson, Texas 75652 |
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