Lewis Brothers’ new owner Aubrey Larkin follows his faith of funeral home ownership

Lewis Brothers Funeral Home has a new owner who is familiar to Selma and to the historic funeral home on Minter Avenue. 

Selma native and longtime employee Aubrey Larkin bought the business this year and, as of July 1, renamed it Aubrey Larkin’s Lewis Brothers Funeral Home Inc. 

Larkin has worked for Lewis Brothers part time since 2012 while also serving as an educator in Hale County and Selma City Schools, including as the human resources director for Selma City Schools until June 30. 

After buying the business, Larkin has now switched from education to a full-time funeral home ownership and says the decision was made to follow his faith. 

“This is a path of obedience. This is something that the Lord put in my spirit to do,” Larkin said. “I am walking by faith.” 

Larkin went into education as a third-generation teacher and administrator. However, he says he was always drawn to the funeral business since childhood.  

“I remember just always being intrigued and curious about it,” he said. He admits he was “terrified” of death as a child, but that changed when his aunt passed away in 2006. 

A few years later in 2012, he crossed paths with Patricia Talbert, who owned Lewis Brothers Funeral Home at the time, and she gave him his start in the business as a funeral director assistant. She taught him the business side of the home and when her health declined, she let Larkin run the show while she guided from afar. After some turnover of general managers, she handed that job to Larkin in 2018, even though he worked full time as assistant superintendent of Hale County Schools, but he made it work, even as he switched to administration with Selma City Schools. 

Talbert passed away in 2021 and the funeral home went to her son in Oklahoma. By 2022, her son began discussions with Larkin to sell the business to him. 

Larkin credits a great staff to allow him to do both jobs – and to good scheduling.  

“They’re good upstanding people in the community. And they truly have a heart for God, No. 1, and have a heart for His people,” Larkin said. 

Larkin is growing the business already, with three licensed funeral directors on staff and two apprentices working alongside him to learn the business. Larkin also hired his sister to work in the office. 

Larkin is the only one on staff who can embalm for now, and he says he takes that part very seriously. Before he gets started, he always prays first, and his goal is to help the family find peace.  

Lewis Brothers has a storied history in Selma as a successful Black-owned business starting in 1942 by Timothy and Edward Lewis and when they both passed, they left the business to Billy Talbert and his wife Patricia, who ran it for 30 years after Billy passed in 1999. 

Larkin still keeps a smiling photo of Patricia on his desk as a reminder of how she gave him his start.