Coldren-Crates to open second Findlay location

Coldren-Crates Funeral Home plans to open an additional location on Findlay's east side in a few weeks. Findlay City Planning Commission on Thursday approved a zoning-related request for Coldren-Crates to use the former Social Security Administration building at 1720 E. Melrose Ave. The funeral home bought the 6,883-square-foot building this week, co-owner Amanda Crates said. Coldren-Crates plans to open its new location in late August or early September. It will be tailored for celebration of life services, Crates said. "Traditional burial services are trending away," she said. "We want to be able to offer just a different feel within this location, focusing on that celebration of life, offering a lot more technology, offering maybe some more cheerful colors, just very different feel to the service we're offering and really focusing on our cremation-based client." Crates said she envisions more screens and pictures on the walls of the new location, showing a person's interests and hobbies. "We're able to encompass who they were within this service more," she said. "What we're seeing a lot of is the celebration of life," Crates said. "The funeral home (on West Sandusky Street) has its purpose and I love its purpose, but (it is) very traditional." Planning commission members initially expressed concerns that the parking lot at the Melrose Avenue site would be too small for arranging large funeral processions. Crates said the site is intended for services without processions. The exception would be a smaller procession involving family members taking a loved one's remains to the cemetery. "We just want to have celebration of life. I don't want to, have a look for there to be a lot of processions coming out of there," she said. Coldren-Crates would like to add a crematorium at the site in three to five years. It already has a crematorium at its Sandusky Street location. Wilin: 419-427-8413