F. B. Hardy graduated from Cincinnati School of Mortuary Science in 1919. He worked in his father’s business, The F. H. Hardy Undertaking Company in West Point, Kentucky. Following the death of his father in 1925, F. B. set off to carry out his trade. He stepped off a train at a stop in Smiths Grove, Kentucky, to buy some breakfast. He walked down the street thinking he rather liked this little town. He passed a sign that read “Funeral Home for Sale’ and as they say, the rest is history. In 1926, F. B. Hardy began business in Smiths Grove, KY.
The funeral home in Smiths Grove became a family business in 1950, when F. B.’s son, William B. Hardy (Bill, Sr.) graduated from The Kentucky School of Mortuary Science. He joined his father in his work at the funeral home in Smiths Grove. W.B. and his wife, Mary Lou, expanded the business when they opened a Bowling Green location in the former residence of Duncan Hines. In 1968, W.B and Mary Lou’s son, Bill Hardy, Jr., a licensed funeral director, joined the family business.
Today, Bill, Jr., operates the business with the same traditions of integrity, compassion, honesty, care, and compassion his grandfather established in 1926. Bill is a licensed funeral director and helps to plan services keeping the family’s needs and desires in mind.
Bill has surrounded himself with members from the community who maintain the strong principles that F.B. Hardy believed were necessary for the early days of the business. Earl Manco, a retired licensed embalmer and funeral director. Earl dedicated his 49 years of service to the people of our community. He has left a lasting impression on many families that he served throughout his tenure. Faye Phelps, licensed funeral director, has been with the business for 23 years. She meets with families to provide the services desired for their loved ones. She helps in the areas of pre-need, insurance, and other services necessary to assist our families in their time of need. Her knowledge of the community is a valuable resource for the business.
Billy Allen has joined the Staff of Hardy & Son Funeral Homes. Billy lives in the Merry Oaks Community and comes with 13 years of experience. He received his Funeral Director’s license in 2018. Coming to us from Barren County, Billy has worked extremely hard to serve families and friends at their time of need. Billy’s expertise will be a great asset to the families we serve.
Kevin Beaty has joined the staff at Hardy & Son. He will serve as an embalmer and funeral director. He and his wife live in Glasgow and have two children and three grandchildren. Kevin is now serving as a School Resource Officer for Barren County Schools. He believes in serving our community in a thoughtful and compassionate way. He realizes that loss is inevitable but helping families in their time of need is a service deserved by all.
Will Hardy, III works alongside his father in the funeral home. Debbie Richey, a retired educator with 39 years of service to Warren County Public Schools, helps with administrative duties, visitations and other tasks necessary to serve those in their time of need.
The staff at Hardy and Son treats the families and extended families with the utmost respect. It is important that our families have a treasured memory of the final visit with their loved ones. Compassion, empathy, helpfulness, and understanding are many of the traits necessary in making this time of life as comfortable as possible. Hardy and Son Funeral Homes are large enough to care and be concerned with every detail; yet small enough to meet each individual detail for a family that is grieving. We will accommodate each need from a simple memorial service, cremation services, a traditional funeral service, or a celebration of life. We are here to assist families in ensuring that their desires will be handled in a caring and professional manner.
Caring Professionals
The caring and experienced professionals at Hardy and Son are here to support you through a very difficult time. We offer a range of personalized services to suit your family’s wishes, needs and requirements. A family can count on us to help plan a personal, lasting tribute to a loved one. We will carefully guide you through the many decisions that must be made during a most difficult and challenging time.
We encourage you to call us at any time of the day for immediate assistance. Come by and visit our facilities at your convenience. Our website contains a great deal of information about our services for you to review in the comfort of your own home. Should you have questions, please call us at 270.842-3230.
