Honoring the legacy of Coldren-Crates

FINDLAY — Coldren-Crates Funeral Home is celebrating its 100th anniversary this month with the Last Ride Memorial Car Show from noon to 3 p.m. Sept. 20 in the funeral home's parking lot, 205 W. Sandusky St. in Findlay. The event honors not only Coldren-Crates' century of service, but also pays tribute to loved ones that have passed. Registration will be held from 11 a.m. to noon, with a $10 entry fee, benefiting Guitars 4 Vets, a nonprofit that provides guitars and lessons to veterans as a form of therapy. The afternoon will include live music from Guitars 4 Vets, food from Scotty's Subs and a trophy presentation. Participants will also have the chance to memorialize friends and family by entering the name of a deceased loved one in their registration application to be read aloud during the presentation. "It's a way that we can all still remember them," said Amanda Crates, funeral director at Coldren-Crates. The car show is open to all vehicles, with categories spanning from pre-1930s to post 2000s. Trophies will be awarded to the top three entries of each class and dash plaques will be given to all pre-registered vehicles. The Crates family became a part of Findlay's funeral service history back in 1975, when the Crates brothers Larry, Jack and Charles merged their business with the Coldren Funeral Home, operated by Rex and Helen Coldren. The Coldren family had carried on a legacy of service that began with Rex's father, Willis G. "Billy" in 1925. Larry, originally a pre-med student at Ohio State University, discovered his life's calling while living and working at a funeral home during college. He pivoted to mortuary school, where his brothers followed suit. With their father's help, they converted a farmhouse into the Arlington Funeral Home in 1968. Their business soon grew from one funeral home into a network of four across Findlay, Arlington, North Baltimore and Kenton. "Each of the brothers' oldest children, myself included, and my cousins Scott and Andrew, went into the business," Amanda said. "Our family is heavily entrenched into the community and the funeral service itself." With the next generation carrying on the family business, the Crates have continued to provide their services to the community. Amanda, Larry's daughter, now serves as the president of the Ohio State Board of Embalmers and Funeral Directors, while her mother Rindy is also a licensed funeral director. "I always say it's too many Crates under one roof," Amanda joked. For her, funeral services have always been about more than just arrangements. "I've met people at the hardest times of their life, and so many of those relationships have come out as friendships," she said. "Some people really need us to walk alongside them and others may need us to step back and give them the space to grieve. Our role is to meet them where they are. Our faith has always been streamlined into who we are and how we serve." Amanda wanted to carry on that same spirit of connection into the car show and trophy presentation. "Everybody's got somebody they've lost," Amanda said. "During the presentation of the trophies, I thought it would be meaningful to memorialize those people and honor them." While a car show may be unexpected for a funeral home event, cars have long been a part of the Crates' story. Among their collection of vehicles is the "Prinzing," a custom-built hearse with design elements from a Corvette, Rolls Royce and a Duesenberg. Amanda's father, Larry, who now suffers from Alzheimer's, insisted on owning the vehicle before he stepped down from the business. "It's really precious to my heart because my dad wanted this hearse so badly. He kept telling me, 'Mandie, it's timeless,'" Amanda said. "I remember it was one of my dad's last few days at the funeral home and we went for a drive together in the hearse. It was kind of like his exit, in a way." Another family favorite is a 1971 Cadillac hearse, which Amanda fondly remembers riding in as a child, despite its "awful green interior." "My parents never made us feel like death was bad or weird," she said. "It was a part of life, and I really believe that's the reason that my children are able to accept their dad's death." This year's event carries extra meaning for Amanda. It will be her last day at Cauldron-Crates Funeral Home, marking a bittersweet transition in her life. Earlier this summer, she tragically lost her husband in a motorcycle accident and now feels called to start a new chapter. "It's going to be a pretty emotional day for me," she said. "I'm not leaving the funeral service, it's just time for a transition. My dad's not there and my husband is no longer alive, I just need to find a different piece for me right now." Amanda will remain active on the Ohio State Board of Embalmers and Funeral Directors while focusing on her three children and carrying on the legacy of the Harley Davidson dealership she and her husband owned in Upper Sandusky. Her two cousins will continue to manage the funeral homes in her absence. "It's a hard decision to make, but it's the best one right now," Amanda shared. As for the next 100 years, she believes that Coldren-Crates will continue to meet the adapting needs of the community. "I do believe that funeral service is evolving," Amanda said. "People are looking to personalize memorials and do things differently than they maybe have in the past. Everybody needs to grieve in the way that they need to grieve, that's different for everyone." For more information, visit www.coldrencrates.com.