The Jillson Funeral Home been serving Whitehall, New York and surrounding communities through three generations. Starting in 1933, with Stewart Jillson, who opened on South Williams Street to help make death peaceful. Like all of his descendants, Stewart was a local boy. who graduated from Whitehall High School. After graduating from WHS in 1923, Stewart attended Simmons School of Mortuary Science
in Syracuse, which he graduated from in 1938. Stewart made his first big move in 1938, when he moved the funeral home down the street to its present location at 46 Williams Street. In 1950, the Jillson Funeral home began its expansion, when Stewart joined Robert Allen in the purchase of the Scott Funeral home. The pair joined the three businesses together into the Allen-Jillson Funeral Homes, with one located in Whitehall and the other in Fort Ann. The next major milestone was in 1950, when Stewart's son Richard joined the business. Like his father, Richard graduated from Whitehall. After graduating from high school he went on to the Albany Business College, where he earned an associates degree in business administration and accounting. After graduating from the Albany Business College in 1948, Richard attended the American Academy of Mortuary Science in New York City, graduating in 1949. Nine years later, Richard bought out Robert Allen's interest in the funeral home in Whitehall and it became the Jillson Funeral Home Inc. The funeral home has also maintained an ambulance service over the years and in 1967. when the Skenesborough Emergency Squad began servicing the community, the funeral home donated their ambulance and emergency equipment to the squad. In 1969, the Jillson Funeral Home in Whitehall expanded again purchasing the Horton Property at 45 Williams St, This property was turned into a parking lot to create more off street parking on Williams Street. Then in 2002 the property adjacent to the Horton property was purchased. The buildings were raised and the parking lot was expanded to make room for parking for 50. In 1978, the third Jillson to work in the funeral home business joined his father and grandfather. a 1976 graduate of Whitehall and a 1978 graduate of SUNY Canton with a degree in Mortuary Science has been associated with the business since. Jay is still the owner today, continuing the three generations of Jillsons having served the Whitehall and surrounding communities.
