Hemphill in Sabine County, Texas — The American South (West South Central)

Starr Funeral Home

Photographed by James Hulse, December 19, 2025

1. Starr Funeral Home Marker

Inscription. In 1946, W.O. Stringer, County Judge and owner of Stringer Funeral Home in Jasper, opened a second facility in Hemphill, on the corner of Worth Street and FM 2971 (Beckcom Road). Stringer hired Tennessee native John Byron Starr, Sr. (1909-1978) to operate the business. John's parents, Hillard A. and Sarah E. Starr, lived in several states, including Georgia and Tennessee, and appeared in the 1880 U.S. Census in Navarro County, Texas. John, Sr. grew up in Chattanooga, Tennessee, and later moved to Texas. He was living in Houston in 1930 and Kerrville in 1940 and served in the Merchant Marines during World War II. In the early 1940s, John married Margaret Virginia (Prather) Lisle in Beaumont. She had been married previously and had two sons. The Starrs had a son and a daughter together to add to their growing family.

In 1949, W.O. Stringer chose to close the Hemphill location of his funeral home business. John Byron Starr, Sr. decided to purchase the business and keep it in operation. He received financial assistance from his brother Lewis E. Starr from Chattanooga. In a side room in the funeral home, Margaret started

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a flower shop, operating as a separate business. The funeral home moved in 1958 to a new facility, the first in East Texas specifically designed for that purpose, at 510 Starr Street the flower shop also moved in 1958, to a new facility at 201 Starr Street and is still in operation today, in the second generation of the Starr family. The Starr Funeral Home is in its third generation and is the only such business in Hemphill, providing a vital community service over a widespread area of East Texas and Louisiana.

Erected 2013 by Texas Historical Commission. (Marker Number 17569.)

Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Industry & Commerce. A significant historical year for this entry is 1946.

Location. 31° 20.8′ N, 93° 51.325′ W. Marker is in Hemphill, Texas, in Sabine County. It is on Starr Street (State Highway 184) 0.1 miles north of Rice Street, on the right when traveling north. The marker is located along the front of the building. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 510 Starr Street, Hemphill TX 75948, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in the

Photographed by James Hulse, December 19, 2025

2. Starr Funeral Home Marker

The view of the marker along the wall of the building.

American South,

specifically in the Deep South,

and in the Piney Woods.

Globally, it is in North America,

a Gulf of Mexico state,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Spain,

the Republic of Texas,

one of the Confederate States of America,

and the Antebellum South.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: William F. and Bertha Sutor Goodrich House (approx. 0.4 miles away); Hemphill First United Methodist Church (approx. half a mile away); Hemphill (approx. half a mile away); Sabine County (approx. half a mile away); Sabine County Texas Boys (approx. half a mile away); Sabine County Jail (approx. half a mile away); Sabine County Courthouse (approx. half a mile away); a different marker also named Sabine County (approx. half a mile away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Hemphill.

Photographed by James Hulse, December 19, 2025

3. Starr Funeral Home Marker

The view of the business from across the street.

Credits. This page was last revised on December 20, 2025. It was originally submitted on December 20, 2025, by James Hulse of Medina, Texas. This page has been viewed 67 times since then and 41 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on December 20, 2025, by James Hulse of Medina, Texas.