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The
History
of
Black & Clark
Funeral Home
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S.
C. Black |
C.
J. Clark |
 Samuel
Black founded Black and Clark Funeral Home under the
name of S.C. Black Undertaking in the Oak Cliff area
of Dallas, Texas in 1914, and C. J. Clark started to
work for his uncle in 1927.
When
World War I was declared in 1917, Clark started on
a series of jobs that little by little heightened his
professionalism in the trade he had chosen. He was
conscious of the need to support his mother and younger
brother and sisters so he side-stepped the temptation
to go West and North to high paying jobs in the steel
plants and railroad companies and stayed in Texas to
perfect his trade, a more secure move. With only a
limited education, C.J. Clark accepted a job with the
Crawford Undertaking Company and attended the Crawford
Gunter Embalming School. While continuing his embalming
training at night, in 1920 he worked for Sears & Roebuck
Company.
In
1924, C.J. Clark was hired at Dallas Coffin Company.
That same year, Clark's uncle opened his funeral home
in North Dallas. Eleven years later, Clark had quit
the Dallas Coffin Company and joined his uncle full
time. 
In
1935, C.J. Clark became partners with Samuel Black
and the first Black & Clark Funeral Home was built.
Now one of the oldest familiar landmark buildings in
North Dallas still stands at 1802 N. Washington.
Samuel
Black died in 1939 and in 1945; C.J. Clark purchased
his uncle's share of the partnership from Mrs. Black
and became sole owner.
Under
the leadership of C.J. Clark, a dynasty was born. C.J.
Clark's philosophy of doing business was simple; provide
the community with courtesy, kindness, integrity and
above all honesty. With this philosophy in mind, Black & Clark
became one of the leading funeral homes in the Dallas
area. In 1968, C.J. Clark opened an impressive modern
facility in Oak Cliff located at 2517 E. Illinois.
Black & Clark now had two locations to service
the community (in both the northern and southern sectors
of town).
While
attending Mary Allen College, Otis Clark, son of C.J.
Clark, was drafted during World War II and received
an honorable discharge. Upon returning home, he attended
Prairie View University and majored in Business.
In
1948, he joined his family business. He attended the
Dallas Institute of Mortuary Service and received his
Funeral Director's License in 1960.
After
working in every capacity of the business, Otis Clark
was made Manager in 1982. Keeping with tradition, Gary
Clark, Otis Clark's son, joined the family business
in 1978 and became a licensed Funeral Director in 1988.
C.J.
Clark died in 1983 leaving Otis Clark in charge of
running the business. Otis Clark ran the family business
with a staff of 14, the oldest employee having over
46 years of service. Otis Clark died April 3, 1999.
On
February 28, 2006, the ownership of Black and Clark
Funeral Home was transferred to Linda Mitchell, Dr.
Gwen T. Clark, and three of its long-time employees;
Emanuel Pruitt, Gary Clark and Johnny Wilson.
Quality,
Dependability, Care
A
Tradition of Excellence, Where Service Speaks Quietly
For Itself |
