Our History
History of W. E. Memorial Flanagan Funeral Home & Cremations
In March 4, 1898 Mr. Walter Esmer Flanagan was born in Lenoir County, North Carolina.
In 1917 at the age of 19 Mr. Flanagan finished schooling at Brown college & mortuary school in New York.
in 1920 Mr. Flanagan relocated to Pitt county, in Greenville, North Carolina.
In 1921 Mr. Flanagan establishes Flanagan Funeral Home on 2nd Street, in Greenville North Carolina.
In 1939 Mr. Flanagan established the Greenville mutual burial Association.
In the mid 1940s Miss Ellis Brown Joined Flanagan Funeral Home and obtained her funeral director license, becoming the first African American, female funeral director in pitt county. She then became the office manager and executive secretary for the corporation.
In 1957 city commissioner Rev. David Hammond, Sr became an employee at Flanagan Funeral Home.
In 1958 the funeral home on 2nd Street is destroyed in a fire.
In 1962 Flanagan Funeral Home relocated to it’s present location on W. 5th St. in Greenville North Carolina.
In between 1971 and 1975, four funeral home chapels we’re establish under Flanagan Funeral Home. These chapels were located in Belhaven, NC , Robersonville, NC , Grifton, NC and Williamston, NC All of these chapels served Beaufort, Martin, Pitt and other surrounding counties.
Mr. W. E. Flanagan worked until his death in 1984 at the age of (86).
In 1984 the establishment Flanagan funeral home became a corporation.
From 1984 - 1995 several funeral directors served as president and vice president of the Funeral Home INC. such as Miss Ellis Brown, Mr. Clinton Mills, Mr. Lonnie Anderson, Mr. Milton leathers and Mr. Jesse Williams.
In 1996 City Commissioner Rev. David Hammond Sr., became president of Flanagan Funeral Home Inc.
In 1998, Rev. David Hammond Sr. daughter,
Rev. Esther Hammond, obtained her Funeral Director & Embalming license and joined Flanagan Funeral Home Inc.
In 2006, Rev. David Hammond Sr, Retired as President of Flanagan Funeral Home Inc.
From 2007 - present , Rev. Esther Hammond, serves as President & General Manager of Flanagan Funeral Home Inc.
In 2007, Flanagan Funeral Home Inc. name was changed to its present name; W. E. Flanagan Memorial Funeral Home and Cremations.
In 2021, W. E. Flanagan Memorial Funeral Home and Cremations, Celebrates 100 years of service to Eastern North Carolina.
In 2021, As a 100 year old Funeral Home, W.E. Flanagan memorial is recognized as the oldest Funeral Home in Greenville, NC.
W. E. Flanagan Memorial has been black owned for a century !
-
Reverend Esther L. Hammond, General Manager/ Funeral Service Practitioner
-
Deaconess Zeddie Hardy Wilkins, Senior Advisory Staff
-
Rev. Dr. Kenneth R. Hammond, Senior Chaplain
Reverend Kenneth Hammond is a native of Winterville, North Carolina. After graduating high school, Hammond enrolled at nearby East Carolina University. It was there he became a charter member of Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity, the first black Greek organization on the ECU campus. Hammond’s prominence as an undergraduate earned him recognition as one of “Who’s Who among Students in America’s Colleges and Universities” in 1973.Dr. Hammond earned a master’s degree in education from ECU in 1983; a certificate for advanced study from ECU in 1985; and a Master of Divinity degree from Shaw University Divinity School in Raleigh. After finishing his education, Dr. Hammond began a transition toward full-time Christian ministry. His father, Rev. Hoyt Hammond had been a successful pastor during Hammond’s childhood. While in his sophomore year at ECU, he embraced full-time ministry as his own calling.Hammond worked as a youth pastor at Mount Shiloh Baptist Church in Winterville, Pastored, Cedar Grove Baptist Church in Greenville, and Pastored Mount Shiloh Baptist Church in Williamston while continuing his work on campus at ECU. In 1991, Hammond left East Carolina to become the senior pastor of Union Baptist Church in Durham, fulfilling his long-held dream of focusing solely on his new role as a clergy. A modest-sized church of about 1000 members and 150 regular attendees when he arrived, Reverend Hammond oversaw a period of unprecedented, explosive growth for Union Baptist.
-
Rev. Ronnie Ray Worsley Sr., Chaplin
Rev. Worsley is a very humble servant. He’s a very active as associate Pastor at Conetoe Chapel Missionary Baptist Church in Bethel, North Carolina. Rev. Worsley is a retired veteran of the United States Army with 21 years of service. He served two tours in Vietnam. He has been married to Mrs. Brenda Worsley for 50 years. For the last decade he has devoted his life's work to serving God's people!
-
Alexandria Sampson, Office Assistant
-
Mr. Carsha Stromas
