News

The 145-year-old Billow Funeral Homes company, like others in the business, is in new territory as its strives to be sensitive to grieving families as well as respond to concerns about the spread of coronavirus. 

“It’s a time when we as small businesses need to do our best and be prudent,” Billow said Tuesday. “We need to stand up and make decisions we feel are best for our community.” 

The Billow company is taking an aggressive approach to social distancing, and is only offering private funeral services and visitations limited to family at its locations in Fairlawn, Cuyahoga Falls and in Kent, where the business is known as Bissler & Sons.

After a friendship lasting decades, the Bissler family and the Billow family have become more than that. They’re now business partners.

Billow Funeral Homes and Crematory Owner Chip Billow said his funeral home and Bissler & Sons Funeral Home have finalized a merger as of Aug. 1.

“The thing that’s exciting about this is that it has been a lifelong friendship between Rick (Bissler) and me,” Billow said. “It’s a perfect fit from his perspective, and it’s a perfect fit from our perspective.”