Funeral Homes in Oak Hill & Fayetteville, West Virginia
Oak Hill and Fayetteville anchor Fayette County at the doorstep of the New River Gorge National Park. Five funeral homes serve the area — including one with a piece of American music history (Tyree, where Hank Williams Sr.'s body was taken in 1953) and one with a combined funeral home and cemetery (High Lawn). No Fayette County funeral home has its own crematory, so cremation families should also consider Beckley providers 20 minutes south.
At a Glance
| Funeral Home | City | Type | Crematory | Price | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tyree Funeral Home | Oak Hill | Independent | ❌ | $ | Fayette County's primary provider, historic |
| High Lawn Funeral Home & Memorial Park | Oak Hill | Ind. · Since 1994 | ❌ | $ | Combined funeral + cemetery on one property |
| Dodd Payne Hess | Fayetteville | Independent | ❌ | $ | Fayetteville / New River Gorge families |
| New River Gorge Funeral Service | Fayetteville | Independent | ❌ | $ | Newer provider, Fayetteville area |
| Wallace & Wallace — Ansted | Ansted | 6-location network | ❌ | $ | Ansted/Gauley Bridge, Lewisburg crematory |
| Beckley providers (20 min south) | Beckley | Various | ✅ Melton | $–$$ | Cremation families, 6+ additional options |
Price guide: $ = moderate
Not sure where to start?
Three calls to make:
- 1. Tyree — Fayette County's primary provider for decades. Your traditional service benchmark.
- 2. High Lawn — if burial is your plan, their combined funeral home + cemetery eliminates a second arrangement and a procession drive.
- 3. Melton Mortuary in Beckley (20 min south, (304) 253-8100) — only nearby crematory. If cremation is your choice, get Melton's direct quote alongside whatever local providers quote for outsourced cremation.
Three calls covering: the established traditional provider, the one-stop burial option, and the nearest crematory. That's your decision framework.
Tyree Funeral Home
Fayette County's primary funeral provider — and a piece of American cultural history. On January 1, 1953, country music legend Hank Williams Sr. was discovered dead in the back seat of his Cadillac while stopped in Oak Hill. His body was taken to Tyree Funeral Home before being transported to Montgomery, Alabama for burial. That event put Oak Hill on the map for music historians worldwide. But for Fayette County families, Tyree isn't a tourist curiosity — it's the funeral home that's been handling their most difficult moments for generations. They've served this community long before and long after that famous New Year's night. The Hank Williams connection is history; the daily commitment to local families is the real story.
High Lawn Funeral Home & Memorial Park
The only combined funeral home + cemetery in Fayette County. High Lawn's Memorial Park is on the same property as their funeral home — meaning the service, the procession, and the burial all happen in one location. For families planning a burial, this eliminates the separate cemetery arrangement and the drive between funeral home and cemetery. Staff includes a third-generation cemeterian and team members with 20+ years of service — deep institutional knowledge of the local community. They serve Oak Hill, Fayetteville, Ansted, Kincaid, Page, Mossy, Dothan, Beckwith, Lansing, and Scarbro — essentially all of Fayette County.
Dodd Payne Hess Funeral Home
Fayetteville's primary funeral provider — serving families in the New River Gorge town that's become an adventure tourism destination since the area's designation as a National Park. For families in Fayetteville proper, Dodd Payne Hess is the closest option without driving to Oak Hill (10 min) or Beckley (30 min). Traditional funeral and cremation services in a community-focused setting.
New River Gorge Funeral Service
A newer addition to the Fayetteville market. As the New River Gorge area grows with tourism and new residents, additional funeral providers are emerging to serve the expanding community. New River Gorge Funeral Service gives Fayetteville families a second local option alongside Dodd Payne Hess — creating price competition in a town that previously had limited choices.
Wallace & Wallace — Ansted Chapel
The Ansted outpost of Wallace & Wallace's remarkable 6-location network. For families in western Fayette County — Ansted, Gauley Bridge, and the Kanawha Falls area — this location means a Wallace & Wallace chapel is close to home. Cremation arranged through the Ansted chapel is processed through Wallace & Wallace's own crematory in the Lewisburg area, keeping your loved one within one organization's care despite the geographic distance.
No Crematory in Fayette County — What That Means for You
None of the 5 Fayette County funeral homes has an on-site crematory. Here's what you need to know.
Where cremation actually happens. Your loved one will be transported to a crematory in a neighboring county — most likely Melton Mortuary & Cremation Center in Beckley (20 min south) or Wallace & Wallace's crematory in the Lewisburg area.
What this costs you. Each local funeral home adds their own markup plus a transportation fee for the round trip. This can add $200–$500 to the cremation cost compared to going directly to the crematory operator.
The alternative. Call Melton Mortuary in Beckley directly: (304) 253-8100. Get their direct cremation price. Then compare it against what your local Fayette County funeral home quotes. If the difference is significant, the 20-minute drive to Beckley could save your family real money.
This isn't a criticism of local providers. Outsourcing cremation is standard practice in rural WV — most counties don't have their own crematory. But as a consumer, knowing WHERE cremation happens gives you an informed choice.
Beckley funeral homes — including Melton →
The Hank Williams Connection
On the night of December 31, 1952 / morning of January 1, 1953, country music legend Hank Williams Sr. was being driven from Knoxville, TN to Canton, OH for a concert. When the car stopped in Oak Hill, WV, the driver discovered that Williams — who had been in the back seat — was dead. He was 29 years old.
His body was taken to Tyree Funeral Home in Oak Hill before being transported to Montgomery, Alabama, where he was buried at Oakwood Annex Cemetery on January 4, 1953.
Oak Hill is generally accepted as Hank Williams' place of death, though some historical sources dispute the exact timeline. Tyree Funeral Home continues to serve Fayette County families — the Hank Williams episode is one night in a story that spans decades of community service.
This section exists because people search for it — and because it's genuinely interesting. But it's a footnote in Tyree's story, not the headline.
Oak Hill / Fayetteville Funeral Cost Quick Reference
| Service | Oak Hill/Fayetteville | Beckley (20 min) |
|---|---|---|
| Traditional burial | $6,000 | $6,200 |
| Direct cremation | $1,150 | $1,200 |
| Cremation with memorial | $2,800–$4,200 | $3,000–$4,500 |
| Cemetery plot | $600–$1,400 | $700–$1,500 |
Fayette County is slightly cheaper than Beckley. But Beckley has an on-site crematory (Melton) and 6+ providers. For cremation, comparing across both markets is smart.
Full Oak Hill cost breakdown with itemized pricing →