photo by Tylar Sutton
The Face of Family Legacy | Billow Co.
It’s nearly impossible to discuss funeral service in The 330 without mentioning the Billow Co., a sixth-generation family-owned and -operated firm. Billow is a family of firsts. Capt. George Billow, a Civil War veteran, founded the Billow Undertaking Co. in 1875, which is the oldest company in Summit County. In 1881, the Billow family set the standard for funeral service when they became founding members of the Ohio Funeral Directors Association.
In 1911, the family took service to a new level when they partnered with Akron City Hospital to operate the area’s first ambulance service. In 1915, Billow opened one of the nation’s first funeral parlors. In 1933, Billow became a member of Selected Independent Funeral Homes, the industry’s premier trade association. In 1984, under the leadership of fifth-generation owner Chip Billow and his sister Ann Billow Grebelsky. Billow became the first funeral home in Greater Akron to install its own crematory.
Billow recently announced an exclusive partnership with Don Drumm Studios & Gallery to offer pewter cremation merchandise. With Chip’s children, Nathanael and Stacy, helping to run the company, Billow is poised to continue its legacy as a leader of the most progressive and forward-thinking funeral homes in the country.
The Billow Co. | 330-867-4141 | billowfuneralhome.com
