127 years old and at our best!

Recently while at a speaking engagement in Holden, I encountered a young woman whose mother died about five years, when she herself was quite young. She remarked, “Miles was so good to us during that really difficult time.”  I hear this type of remark a lot, and it’s always so refreshing  to encounter people who, having had a positive experience, make our marketing job so easy.  Whether a great google review or a live remark such as this, Miles is honored to have won the esteem of so many people in the community. It started me thinking that although the blog has  shared 95 posts, we have never introduced ourselves or told our story to blog readers that may not have used our services.  Today, I take the opportunity to better acquaint you with us.

Miles Funeral Home was established on Main Street in the Jefferson section of Holden in 1896 by Edwin Miles. After his death, his widow, Delia O’Day Miles, ran the business until their son Adin took it over. Adin Miles and his wife, Dorothy, relocated the funeral home to its present location in the center of Holden. After training for eighteen years with Dorothy Miles, Rick Mansfield and his wife, Bev, purchased the funeral home from her in 1992. In 1997, they opened another facility in Sterling to serve families throughout the Wachusett area, Worcester, and Worcester County.  During its 127 years of operation, Miles has continuously been a family owned and operated business. Their son, Ricky, also a funeral director, is now in charge of operations and represents the commitment of Miles to the community.

Miles Funeral Homes offers exceptional, personal service to support people in honoring and celebrating the lives of their loved ones. We offer traditional funerals, cremations and celebrations of life, military funerals, bereavement and after-care support, and pre-planning.  With the advent of less traditional funerals came the opportunity to personalize our products and services. Miles excels at creating meaningful experiences designed to address the needs of each grieving family. Newer endeavors in our industry include educating the community,  event planning, working in non-traditional locations, and the inclusion of mourners through virtual means.

Whatever service is provided, Miles is committed to helping people create the ideal, personalized tribute for their loved one. We routinely work with other professionals to create and enhance celebrations. We help families collaborate with specialists trained to design meaningful rituals, including presiders, ministers, live musicians, and eulogy writers.

Miles has enjoyed 127 years of continuous service to the community.  Over the years the number of staff has increased proportionate to business expansion and need. Miles currently employs 25 people locally.  Our investment in our employees, our facilities and our markets have grown Miles Funeral Home to be one of the top funeral homes in Worcester County. We started as a small funeral home in Holden, added a second location in Sterling, and now serve people throughout Worcester County. Forty-five percent of our business is from Worcester.

Miles serves everyone with an open heart, open mind and a helping hand. We are prepared and committed to serving all faiths, cultures, and nationalities. Whether volunteering at our local churches or synagogues, coordinating Veteran’s Services on Memorial Day, co-sponsoring annual charity events, senior events, youth sports teams, or chairing Holden Days, we have a clear and positive impact in our community.

For over 70 years, Miles Funeral Homes has been a member of Selected Independent Funeral Homes, a by-invitation-only international organization of family-owned funeral homes who share a common interest in continuous improvement to best serve families and individuals in their time of need.

Recent Milestones & Awards

• We are honored to have won First Place in the Worcester Telegram’s Best of Central Massachusetts-Worcester County Awards for 2020, 2021 and 2022. Thank you for voting for us! To the families who have entrusted us with the care of their loved ones, a special thank you.
•  During 2019 and 2020 Miles was rated the highest Funeral Home on Google in both Worcester County and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts with 130 “Five Star ratings.”
•  In 2019 we received The Better Business Bureau Award for Marketplace Excellence, for commitment to Employees.

One reason I am proud to be a member of the Miles family is that as a staff we all understand that those who come in need of our help are usually experiencing the worst day of their life.  We consistently remind each other that kindness and generosity are at the foundation of our mission to honor lives and celebrate memories.