Cherokee Co. OK Archives: Reed-Culver Funeral Home history
Copyright c 2005 by. Terrell White e-mail:  terrillwhite1978@aol.com
This copy contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives. 
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The Reed’s and Culver’s
A History of Reed-Culver Funeral Home
Reprinted from Tahlequah and the Cherokee Nation
By C.W. “Dub” West 1978

Dr. Oliver W. Farrar came to Stilwell (Adair County), OK in 1900 to practice medicine.  
He traveled all over Adair County by horseback attending to his patients.  After his 
death in 1914 his wife, Pauline Wright (Collins-Farrar)(deceased Sep14,1954 Buried in 
Tahlequal City Cemetery, block 3 lot 14 space 11) , married W. E. Reed.  Mr.and Mrs. 
Reed opened a funeral home in Stilwell.  L.L. (Lawrence Love) Culver(Deceased 
Jan16,1978. buried in Tahlequah City Cemetery block 7 lot 31-A, space 5 in family 
crypt)  married Mildred Ione Farrar(deceased Nov25,1989. Buried in Tahlequah City 
Cemetery, block 7 lot 31A space 4 in family crypt)   on June 1, 1919.  Mrs. Culver 
attended the Hood and Smith School of Embalming at Dallas along with her husband, 
becoming the first woman in Oklahoma to become a licensed embalmer.  They moved to 
Westville (Adair County), Oklahoma in 1924, opening a funeral home.
(While I, Terrill White, worked at Reed-Culver Funeral Home, I heard many stories of 
Mrs.Mildred Ione (Farrar) Culver.  The workers used to tell of how, even though her 
family no longer owned the funeral home, she would come in many days to “help out”.  
Many times they said it was hard to tell her apart from the manager because she tried 
to run the business her way.  Although she did this, they said she was a very important 
part of the funeral home even in her retirement years)

The Westville and Stilwell funeral homes were sold in 1926 and the Reeds and Culvers 
moved to Tahlequah, opening the Reed-Culver Funeral Home in a building presently occupied 
by Dr. Masters.  In 1930 they moved to the historic Silver Bell Hotel, which had been 
remodeled.  They moved across the street to the present location in 1938.  These facilities
are among the largest in Eastern Oklahoma.

L.L. Culver Jr.(deceased Apr13,2004. Buried in Tahlequah City Cemetery, block 7 lot 41 
space 12 in family crypt)   grew up in the business, first as a driver, attending the 
Williams Institute of Mortuary Science in Kansas City after graduating from Tahlequah 
High School and Northeastern Oklahoma State College.  Bob Ed (Bob Ed later went on to 
become an Oklahoma State Rep. He is still living on a farm in Northern Cherokee County)  
joined the firm in 1955.The wives of all three generations of the Reed’s and Culver’s 
have been an integral part of the business.  The Culver’s retired in November of 1975 
after almost half a century, selling the business to Richard Robertson.(The funeral home 
is now owned and operated by The Alderwoods Corporation based in Canada) 

Mr. and Mrs. Reed, affectionately known as Uncle Button and Aunt Polly made it possible 
for many young people to attend Northeastern, providing room and board for a large number.

All of the Culver’s have been active in Tahlequah civic life.  All have been devoted 
members of the First Baptist Church.  L.L. Jr. was chairman of the building committee 
when the last church building was constructed.  He and his father served as commander 
of the American Legion.  One of the senior Culver’s hobbies in days gone by was 
participation in activities of the Roundup Club.  L.L. Jr. has been active in the 
Chamber of Commerce and Kiwanis Club, chairing the Drug Abuse Committee of the latter 
and participated in various fund raising drives.  Bob Ed has been a member of fire 
department and Chairman of Civil Defense.  He is employed by Midwest Nurseries.  
Joe F.(deceased Oct 3, 1997. buried in Tahlequah City Cemetery, block 7 lot 41 in family 
crypt) is chief engineer of the Amarada Hess Oil Company.