Our Story
Our Beginning
Since 1882, our funeral home has grown with Comanche. Our funeral home was first located downtown in the Higginbotham building on the square, later moving to 501 West Grand Avenue as Comanche Funeral Home, and in 1972 to our current address 411 West Grand Avenue. For over 100 years, Comanche County families have depended on our caring staff. We are local folks, here when you need us. Since 1882 we have sold and faithfully serviced hundreds of families. Families can depend on us to provide the funeral they selected, exactly as they pre-planned the service. To learn more about us, please click on the other pages in our History section.
Porter Franks
Porter B. Franks was born and raised near Comanche where his parents were prominent farmers. Porter had always desired becoming a medical doctor. Porter's father gave him one year's crop to pay for college in Brownwood, Texas.
He studied at the college in Brownwood for two years, working part time and also joining the national guard to make extra money during the summer months. Porter decided he could not continue this pace, and asked Mr. John Williams, the superintendent of Higginbotham Brothers Store in downtown Comanche, for a job.
In 1926, he was hired to work in the furniture department. This department included undertaking services, and since Porter enjoyed helping people, he quickly realized that he was well suited to becoming a funeral director. The undertaking department was located in the back part of the large Higginbotham Brothers Store and included an embalming room, casket room and a small sitting room.
The Higginbotham Brothers Company sent Porter to the Dallas School of Embalming which was located in the Ed C. Smith and Brothers Undertaking Company in Dallas, Texas. After completing the course in six weeks, Porter returned to work at Higginbotham Brothers in the funeral department in Comanche, Texas.
In 1928, Porter met and married Tillie. In 1930, their only child, Jan, was born. Porter Franks continued to develop and improve the funeral department and in the late 1930's, Higginbotham Brothers Company gave Porter a share of ownership.
First Funeral Home
In the early 1920s, the notion of "funeral homes" emerged. Many hardware companies moved their undertaking operations into a large home, thus leading to the name "Funeral Home." Porter Franks and Higginbotham Brothers opened their first funeral home jointly on January 1, 1940. The frame, one-story building with a nice chapel was built at 501 West Grand Avenue. The business included ambulance service. Porter believed in ambulance service as a way for families to get to know him and his funeral home. During WW II, Porter, Tillie and John Williams worked hard to keep the funeral home going. They made many ambulance calls transporting soldiers back to Brownwood after the soldiers got into fights in Comanche while on leave. In the late 1970s when wage and hour laws appeared, Porter fought hard to keep ambulance -- but later had to give it up in December 1976. Porter had a stroke at age 60, and although he recovered somewhat, he had to retire at age 65 but still came to the funeral home every day. Tillie became more involved in managing the funeral home. Porter died July 21, 1990. Tillie died August 28, 1999, at age 90. Their daughter, now Dr. Jan Mallett, remains active on the company's Board of Directors.
New Building
In 1972, Comanche Funeral Home finished a new, modern funeral home at 411 West Grand Avenue, right across the street from the first location. In 1997, the Comanche Funeral Home redecorated the entire building. It marked its 25th anniversary at this location with a well-attended open house. In 2009, the interior of our funeral home was refurbished with new carpeting and flooring throughout the funeral home. We are proud to serve Comanche, and welcome you to come by anytime to meet our staff and tour of facilities.
Dependable
Today, Comanche Funeral Home has been Comanche's funeral home of choice for over 100 years. Even though there have been other former funeral homes in this area, Comanche Funeral Home has remained the dependable firm for your prepaid funeral policies and pre-arrangements. Your preneed plans are safe with us, just like they have been for many decades at Comanche Funeral Home. Families may be comforted knowing that their final wishes will be fully honored. We also honor all valid preneed policies from the former Hall and Son Funeral Home. Comanche Funeral Home will furnish the same casket and services specified by the valid Hall and Son Funeral Home pre-need policies. Please call Katrina Smith if you have any additional questions at 325-356-2531 anytime.
