Our Story

Our Story

Vera & Paul R. Swigart

The Swigart-Easterling Funeral Home, Inc. of Canal Fulton had its beginning as the Finefrock Furniture Store on North Canal Street in Canal Fulton. As was the custom in the early twentieth century, many local furniture stores also served as the undertaker in town; such was the case with the Finefrock Furniture Store. Records from this era begin in approximately 1915 and continue until the death of founder James Finefrock in 1936. In 1937, Paul R. Swigart and his wife Vera (the son-in-law and daughter of James Finefrock) separated the funeral home operations from the furniture store and moved the Swigart Funeral Home to its present location at 624 East Cherry Street (State Route 93) in Canal Fulton. This had been the family home; Paul Swigart had been the licensed funeral director of the furniture store, prior to the death of Mr. Finefrock.

Portrait of a man and woman. The man wears glasses and a suit. The woman has curled hair and a lace collar.
Elderly couple, woman in blue, man in beige suit, both wearing glasses, smiling.

Jean & Don P. Swigart

Following World War II, the second son of Paul and Vera, Donald P. Swigart, joined his father in the family business. After completing his mortuary school education in Cleveland, Ohio, Don became a licensed funeral director in 1949. He served the community with his father until the death of his father in 1957. At this time, Don and his wife Jean became owners/operators of the funeral home and continued to operate the business from the same location in Canal Fulton.

Belinda & Benjamin R. Easterling, Jr.

In 1978, Benjamin R. Easterling, Jr. and his wife Belinda joined the funeral home staff. Ben served as a licensed Funeral Director and Embalmer. A native of Barberton, Ohio, Ben attended Barberton Public Schools, the University of Kentucky, and the Pittsburgh Institute of Mortuary Science. He obtained his license in 1977. In December of 1979, the Swigart Funeral Home became incorporated as the Swigart Funeral Home, Inc. of Canal Fulton; this incorporation permitted Ben and Belinda to become minority stock holders in the business in 1981. In November of 1989, Don retired from fulltime funeral service; Ben and Belinda then became owners/operators of the now Swigart-Easterling Funeral Home, Inc (state law required the name change).

Man in suit and woman in red sweater posing together; indoor setting.
Two men in suits smiling, one with a yellow tie, the other with a striped tie.

Stephen R. Best

In June 2009, Steve Best was hired to provide the foundation for a fifth generation of private family ownership and operation of the funeral home. Steve is a native of Ashtabula, Ohio. He is a 2002 graduate of  Sts. John and Paul High School, 2007 graduate of the University of Akron and a 2011 graduate of the Pittsburgh Institute of Mortuary Science. He has been a licensed Funeral Director since 2010 and licensed Embalmer since 2013.

On January 1, 2021, Ben and Belinda retired from full-time funeral service and Steve took over as owner/operator of the funeral home.

Steve and his wife Ashley reside in Canal Fulton with their son Jaxon. In his spare time Steve enjoys golfing and attending his son’s sporting events.

Steve is a member of the Ohio Funeral Directors Association, National Funeral Directors Association, member and past president of the Canal Fulton Rotary, former board member of the Schalmo Family YMCA and former board member of the Canal Fulton Historical Preservation Committee. 

The Best family will provide yet another generation of local, family owned service to the Canal Fulton, Clinton, North Lawrence and Manchester areas, as has been the case since 1915. As a family-owned funeral home, we serve every family as if it were our own; with the dignity, respect, care, and professionalism that they deserve.