Funeral home wins county award
Darron Starling enjoys shedding his suit and tie for work clothes and digging in the soil.
Starling Funeral Home in Harlem won Columbia County Clean and Beautiful's Point of Pride award for the second quarter of this year. Owner Darron Starling, who does most of the maintenance for the home himself, said, "It's an excellent feeling to have this award come to us."
Photo by Jim Blaylock
"You wear a suit and tie all the time, and it's kind of nice to get outside and do this kind of work," said Starling, the owner of Starling Funeral Home on U.S. Highway 78 in Harlem.
Starling Funeral Home, which was built in the early 1900s, recently won Columbia County Clean and Beautiful's quarterly Point of Pride Award for the second quarter of this year.
"It just makes me feel good that I'm recognized in the community," Starling said. "It's an honor that people think of us that way."
Brenda Starling is credited with planting most of the flowers that adorn the grounds at Starling.
"My wife plays a big part in it, too," said Starling, who does most of the maintenance himself. "It's a team effort."
Starling said it helps the community look attractive when his lawn is kept up, and it also helps grieving families.
"It's an excellent feeling to have this award come to us," he said.