Draft:Ross-Clayton Funeral Home

Ross-Clayton Funeral Home is the oldest African American funeral home in Montgomery, Alabama. Founded in 1918 by Robert Ambers Ross and William Clayton.

History
When initially established in 1918, Ross-Clayton was located on 111 Monroe Street, which at the time was the hub for Montgomery's black-owned businesses, Robert Ambers Ross, an insurance agent for Mississippi Life Insurance and a prominent undertaker, partnered with William Clayton. William Clayton served as the funeral home's embalmer.

The funeral home operated at the Monroe Street address until 1939, when it relocated to 524 South Union Street. In 1958, Ross-Clayton moved to its current location at 1412 Adams Avenue, Montgomery, Alabama.

The funeral home initially offered traditional funeral services, but soon expanded to include ambulance services with the latest equipment, a rarity at the time. In the 1940s, Ross-Clayton Funeral Home moved to 518 South Union Street, where it remained for over two decades, eventually moving to its current location at 1412 Adams Avenue in 1958.

Community service
Ross-Clayton Funeral Home was the largest Black funeral chapel in the city and has a long history of community service, particularly during the civil rights movement. The funeral home supported the movement by providing transportation for black voters and participating in the Montgomery bus boycott, conduct class for colored wardens, with E. P. Wallace, serving as the instructor, at Ross-Clayton's South Union Street location. The funeral home also offered its facilities for meetings and events, including hosting renowned artist Bill Traylor. Ross-Clayton's history of involvement in the community earned it recognition as a "jewel in the black community" by state historian Richard Bailey.

Legacy
Ross-Clayton Funeral Home has been recognized and awarded for its contributions to Montgomery. In 2011, the state of Alabama erected a historic marker in front of the funeral home, acknowledging its significance. The funeral home has also received resolutions and certificates of respect from various organizations, including the city of Montgomery, Alabama State University, and the National Funeral Directors and Morticians Association.

Former presidents
Robert Ambers Ross, the founding president, who died February 8, 1945, named his son David Calloway Ross Sr. as president in 1936, who died in 1987, after naming his son David Calloway Ross, Jr. as president in 1978.

William Clayton, a funeral director, passed away in 1943. His wife Frazzie Clayton, a funeral director, who passed away in 1947, was survived by her daughter, Jule Clayton Lewis, a funeral director. Jule began serving as secretary-treasurer in 1947 and passed away in 1958, leaving her husband, Rufus A. Lewis, to later be named secretary-treasurer.

Current president
David Calloway Ross, Jr. died suddenly on October 14, 2020 due to complications following pneumonia. In December 2021, the Ross-Clayton Funeral Home board of directors named his daughter, Dr. Sharon A. Ross as president.