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Our History
Gatens Funeral Home was founded on May 1, 1940 by Joseph M. Gatens Sr.
and his wife, Norma Lee Gatens in Poca, WV. Since then, the Funeral Home
has been an important part of the community of Poca and a central focus
for the energies of the Gatens family. As we move into the new millennium
and the 68th year of the Funeral Home, we have prepared this brief history
of the business and the people who have most influenced it over the years,
especially the two "Joes", Joseph M. Gatens Sr. and Joseph M.
Gatens, Jr., and Norma Lee Gatens.
Joseph M. Gatens Sr. and Norma Lee (Harmon) Gatens
Joseph M. Gatens Sr. was born in Charleston, WV on December 7, 1912 to
Arthur William Gatens and Myrtle Clyde (Wick) Gatens. He was the 3rd of
nine children. The family moved to Bancroft, WV in 1913 where his father
became a successful merchant in that coal mining community. Joe attended
Bancroft Elementary and graduated from Poca District High School in May
1930, as a member of the first class to attend all 4 high school years at
Poca. Until March 1933, Joe worked in his father's General Merchandise
Store in Bancroft. He then left for the Cincinnati College of Embalming in
Ohio, where he graduated in March 1934. His father and his Grandfather
Wick before him had also been involved in the art of embalming and
funerary sciences in Bancroft and Winfield.
On October 3, 1934 Joe married his high school sweetheart, Norma Lee
Harmon, daughter of Albert M. Harmon and Lolla F. (Watkins) Harmon of Red
House. On October 14, 1935 their first child, Jane Lee (Gatens) Vaughan
was born and on October 7, 1937, their son, Joseph M. Gatens, Jr. was
born. Norma Lee was also a Poca graduate (class of 1930) and attended
McMillian Hospital School of Nursing in 1930-33 and became a Registered
Nurse in 1934. She worked at most of the Charleston area hospitals and was
also a county nurse in Putnam County.
From March to December 1934, Joe was employed as a funeral director and
embalmer at the Perrine Funeral Home in Cedar Grove. From December 1934 to
May 1940 he was employed at the Johnson-Cunningham Funeral Home in
Charleston, WV. On May 1, 1940, Joe and Norma Lee had the grand opening of
the Gatens Funeral Home at its present site, at what was then known as the Schowen home, at 147 Main Street in Poca. Joe and Norma Lee became an
integral part of the Poca community and the Funeral Home grew over the
years under their leadership. In 1960, they established the Haven of Rest
Memorial Gardens cemetery to more completely serve the Putnam County
community.
In 1944, Joe was inducted into 232nd General Hospital Unit of the
United States Army. He served in the Pacific Theater of World War II,
serving on the island of Iwo Jima during 1944-1945. Before and after the
war, Joe and Norma Lee lived on the second floor of the Funeral Home until
1980. At that time, they moved into the bungalow on the lot at the rear of
the Funeral Home property, where Joe resided until his death on February
14, 1989 and where Norma Lee still makes her home.
Chad R. and Billie J. Harding
Chad was born in Charleston,
WV to Robert E. and Diane Lee Simmons Harding. Chad being raised in
Poca attended Rock Branch Elementary, Poca Middle and Poca High Schools.
Chad was very blessed to receive a full scholarship to University of
Charleston. After attending the University of Charleston Chad
attended WV State College to finish his requirements for Mortuary School.
Chad graduated from Mid-America College of Funeral Service in
Jeffersonville, IN.
Billie was born in Charleston, WV to Dennis and Judy Lett Craigo. Billie being raised in Poca attended Poca Elementary, Middle
and High Schools. Billie graduated from University of Charleston
with a degree in Radiologic Technology.
Chad and Billie were married June 7, 1997 and have three beautiful
daughters Shelbie Jo Harding born November 29, 1999, Savannah Pearl
Harding born January 29, 2004, and Shiloh Lee Harding born February 26,
2007.
Today Chad and his family live
in Poca and
are members of the Nitro Church of the Nazarene. Chad and Billie are very blessed
and give God all the praise for allowing them to be owners of a successful
funeral home
The
Gatens-Harding Funeral Home Building
The physical building that was the original
Gatens-Harding Funeral Home, and is
still the core of the facility, has an interesting history. In 1775, the
American colonists were engaged in a War of Independence with the United
Kingdom. Five Schowen brothers from Germany were sent to America to join
the British Army as mercenary soldiers (like the Hessians Washington
defeated at Trenton) in their war against the Americans*. Like many of
such European mercenaries, the Schowen brothers quickly came to sympathize
with the Americans and their fight for independence and defected to the
American side, joining General Washington's Continental Army.
To repay the brothers for their wartime service, General Washington
offered the brothers their choice of lands in western Virginia. One of the
brothers, John Schowen, selected land in what is now the town of Poca in
Putnam Co., WV. In Washington Park, along current highway 62 near Hometown
is a historical marker, which makes reference to these Revolution-era land
grants. The original land grant records for John Schowen's lands can still
be found in the Dominion of Virginia land office in Richmond.
In 1872, one of Schowen's descendants, also named John, built the home
that is now Gatens-Harding Funeral Home. He had two sons, John and Charles, and
three daughters, Maude, Frances Ella (Nolen), and Blanche (Woodard).
Charles became heir to the Poca property on his father's death. However,
Dr. John Nolen, who came to practice medicine in Poca, a booming coal town
at the time, married Charles' sister Ella and purchased the property from
the heirs. Unfortunately, Dr. Nolen died prematurely of pneumonia in 1940
and his wife, Ella, was committed to the Huntington State Hospital. As a
result, Ella's sister Maude Schowen, who never married, was appointed
guardian of their minor son James and the administratrix of the estate.
Funeral Home in the 1970's
In May 1940, Maude rented the home to Joe Gatens Sr. for use as
Gatens-Harding Funeral Home as well as a residence for Joe and Norma Lee. She later sold
the property to the Gatens'. "Aunt Maude", as the Gatens family
knew her, continued to visit with the Gatens' until her death.
In 1953, the first chapel was added to the funeral home building. A
second chapel and further improvement were added in 1974. The current
funeral home was renovated extensively in 1994 as originally proposed by
Joe Gatens, Jr. shortly before his untimely death in 1989. Today and
always, the central core of the funeral home is still the old Schowen
home, built in 1872.
*It is interesting to note that the Gatens' family Irish ancestors were
originally Scottish mercenaries called gallowglasses. The first Irish
Gatens (then called McGettigan) moved from Scotland to Ireland in the
1600's as captain of a mercenary unit sent as part of the dowry for a
Scottish girl who was being married to Red Hugh O'Donnel, an Irish tribal
chieftain in Donegal.
Continuing the Tradition
On January 1, 2004 Chad and
Billie Harding became the sole owners of Gatens Funeral Home and on April
1, 2004 they became sole owners of Haven of Rest Memorial Gardens.
The Gatens family was very thankful that Chad wanted to keep the business
family owned and operated. Chad has worked for the Gatens family
since June 12, 1992 and they felt he would carry on the legacy of Joe and
Norma Lee Gatens. On June 1, 2004 the name of the funeral home
changed to Gatens-Harding Funeral Home. Both Chad and the
Gatens family felt this was important to have Harding added since Chad is
the sole owner. Chad realizes he wouldn't be were he's at today if
it hadn't been for Joe and Norma Lee Gatens.
Summary
As we celebrate our 68th anniversary at our historic Poca location and
enter the new millennium, we at Gatens-Harding Funeral Home proudly reflect on our
past and optimistically look to our future. Joe Gatens Sr., Norma Lee
Gatens, and Joe Gatens Jr. built a business, which was founded on the
premise of a locally owned and operated business with solid family and
community values.
Today, Chad R. Harding and the rest of the staff perpetuate and expand that tradition. In
today's world of mega-funeral homes owned by large corporations, the
friends and customers of Gatens-Harding Funeral Home can rest assured that we will
remain, as we always have been, a small family-owned business dedicated to
the residents of Poca and the surrounding area. In the capable hands of
Chad R. Harding and his staff, we look forward to our next
68 years.
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