Troutman Funeral Home has new owners.
But they’re not new to the funeral home business in Iredell County.
William S. Troutman, director of Nicholson Funeral Home in Statesville, and his wife, Abbi R. Troutman, completed the purchase of the 29-year-old business Tuesday from husband-and-wife team Jim and Susan Sappenfield.
William Troutman and his father, Joseph H. (Joe) Troutman III, have long been the face of Nicholson Funeral Home. Joe will join his son in the operation of Troutman Funeral Home, William Troutman said.
Abbi Troutman, while a co-owner of the funeral home with William, will not be involved in its daily operations. She will continue her role as salesperson in the pharmaceutical industry.
According to Jim Sappenfield, he and Susan had been considering the sale of the funeral home for many months but wrestled with the question of who the right buyer would be.
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“We didn’t want to pass the business along to a large funeral home corporation, preferring instead to select someone who would nurture the business in a personal way and continue to care for the people of our community,” Sappenfield said. “We found that person in William Troutman.”
Jim Sappenfield has been in the funeral service profession for more than 45 years. He and Susan purchased the present site of Troutman Funeral Home in 1989, converted the 106-year-old residence to the funeral home, and in 2002 added a spacious chapel that has served Troutman, the surrounding area, and many families from distant locations “to help them through the grief of what is one of life’s most difficult times,” he said.
Sappenfield said that contracts already purchased at Troutman Funeral Home will be honored by the new ownership, which also will accept contracts that may exist at other funeral homes.
Kasi Mitchell, a licensed funeral director who has worked for the Sappenfields, will remain on the staff at Troutman Funeral Home, according to William Troutman. He said his father, Joe Troutman, will begin provide the same kind of services at Troutman Funeral Home that he has at Nicholson for more than 35 years.
William Troutman is a 1999 Statesville High School graduate. He graduated from the University of South Carolina with a business degree in 2004, then completed his studies to become a licensed funeral director in 2006, when he joined Nicholson.
“Our Goal”, Troutman said, “is to continue the high quality, personalized service which the Sappenfields have provided at Troutman Funeral Home, and to develop that location into a regional facility to serve not only the Troutman area, but also Statesville and Iredell County.”
The new owners assumed operating control of the funeral home on Tuesday. The Sappenfields will remain on site to complete any current funeral services and to assist the new owners in adapting to the Troutman location.
Jim and Susan Sappenfield will move in early 2019 to Bermuda Run in Davie County, and split their retirement time between there and the condominium they own at Litchfield Beach, South Carolina.
