We love living here. It's been our home for a very long time. The textures and colors of the seasons have become deeply woven into the tapestries of our lives - as we know they have for you and your family.

 

Everything we do in our business, everything we are in our personal lives, focuses on holding this place and the people who live here in deep honor and respect.

 

Houghtaling & Smith Funeral Home, Inc . and Gray-Houghtaling & Smith Funeral Home have been vital care-giving members of the Central Mohawk Valley for well over a century. Our staff carries on the traditions begun so long ago, in the villages of our beautiful valley. However, we aren't limited by tradition. Many of our services are designed to suit today's families and their specialized needs.

 

Whether you seek the familiar, traditional service, or wish to take a more unique approach, we assure you that our driving force has been, and will continue to be dignified, personal and quality service.

We are uniquely able serve the Veterans in our community. Funeral Director and owner Bill Smith, having served in the Air Force during the Vietnam War, realizes the importance of military service – and the necessity to honor the personal commitment of Veterans.

Our commitment to excellence in service to Veterans and their families has a rich history. Floyd Houghtaling, Jr., the original owner of our firm, was a veteran of the US Army serving in the Medical Corps during World War II in the European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign. He was Past Commander of the Smith Schultz Post 222, American Legion of Canajoharie, member and past commander of the Montgomery County American Legion.

His wife, Doris Houghtaling was a veteran of the US Army Nursing Corps serving in World War II as a first lieutenant with the 122nd Evacuation Hospital in Europe. She was a member of the Smith-Schultz Unit 222 of the American Legion Auxiliary and she was a Gold Star Mother.

Their son, Floyd (Chip) Houghtaling III, was killed in 1968 in Viet Nam while serving in the US Navy.

Their personal military service, as well as the loss of their son during the same conflict where Bill served in the Air Force, created a heartfelt closeness between Bill and the Houghtaling family. When he entered into business with them in 1975, the funeral home renewed the commitment to exemplary service for Veterans.

All Veterans’ families will be relieved of the burden of completing and filing all the necessary paperwork to receive Veteran’s benefits. Our staff will obtain the flag to drape the casket, the grave marker, and arrange military honors for burial. For further information on our dedicated service to Veterans and their families, please click here.

Both Houghtaling & Smith Funeral Home, Inc. and Gray-Houghtaling & Smith Funeral Home have been members of the International Order of the Golden Rule for over 25 years. This is a professional association of independently owned and operated funeral homes.

Golden Rule funeral homes must adhere to basic principles which guide our practices and high ethical conduct. OGR funeral homes are dedicated to offering dependable, dignified and caring services to families. “Service measured not by gold, but by the Golden Rule” has been the credo of this organization since its founding in 1928.

Our Life Tributes program offers customized, cinema-quality tribute videos, personalized memorial folders, keepsake bookmarks and prayer cards, and – should you choose this option – a dedicated Web site honoring your loved one's life.

Each element of Life Tributes incorporates photos of your loved one, with theme-based graphics, and a musical score selected especially for you . In this way we strive to capture the essence of their life experiences, passions and pursuits.

We are pleased to give a Life Tributes memorial video to our client families, in honor of your loved one. Should you wish to order additional copies for friends and family, you may do so at a nominal fee. This is just one more way we offer only the highest-quality services to our families.