Moser continued from page 12
In 2005, Moser Funeral Home expanded its services by installing a crematory, the only one in the area. Shown are Randy Minter (left) and rigging expert Gus Forbush, who directed the installation.
descended on the house. I remember my Dad (W. B. ‘Dick’ Minter), saying to his sister, Nina Thorpe, ‘I just don’t know what to do now… I don’t know what to do.’ A few moments later, he told us, ‘I’m just going to call the funeral home. They’ll know what to do.’” He picked up the telephone and called Moser’s, and Charles Moser answered. “I remember Dad’s face and his whole demeanor changing as he talked to Charles,” he recalled. Details as to what needed to happen right away were discussed, as well as explaining the responsibility for the autopsy and death certificate. Once these issues were resolved, Mr. Moser suggested that the Minters come by the funeral home the next day to discuss the arrangements, and told them what to bring. “When Dad got off the phone, he said, ‘I feel so much better. Here is what’s going to happen,’” recalled Mr. Minter. “We were accepting of that help, because we considered Charles our friend. He covered things we didn’t even know enough to ask about.” What impressed young Randy was the Mosers’ sense of concern, and the belief that they would always be there for his family. This is the ideal he has sought to fulfill throughout his professional career. This is borne out every day, when families come to the funeral home to make funeral arrangements. “You have to bear in mind that when you sit down around the table with the family, each one is in a different stage of grief,” Mr. Minter explained. “Some are angry that their loved one has died, and I’m the one they take it out on. Others may feel guilt because they think they did not do enough for the deceased while they were still alive. That’s just human nature, and you can’t change it.” It is clear that since Mr. Minter came to Moser Funeral Home 31 years ago, the community has changed. “Back then, I probably knew eight out of 10 people who came to the funeral home. Now, it’s more like two out of 10.”
On to the future
As part of their 175th anniversary observance, Moser Funeral Home is expanding its efforts to “give back to the community” by increasing its support to the Fauquier County Fair, and sponsoring a Christmas Concert to be performed by the Piedmont Regional Orchestra.
Randolph T. Minter is the president of Moser Funeral Home. The antique clock in the background was willed to the funeral by the late Blanche Sudduth Moser. 14
Author John Toler is a writer and historian and has served Fauquier County for over 50 years, including 4 decades with the Fauquier-Times Democrat. He has written and lectured about many legendary characters in Fauquier County’s history. Toler is the co-author of 250 Years in Fauquier County: A Virginia Story, and author of Warrenton, Virginia: A History of 200 Years.
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