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History & Staff

Our Story

Learn our story, from the beginning and into the future.

Ever since we opened our gates we have approached life (and death) differently. While some just see the end of a loved one’s life as a time for grief and mourning, we prefer to think of it as a time for reflection, appreciation and even celebration. This is evident in everything we do, from the way we conduct our services to the amenities we choose to offer. We are not just a funeral home. We are a close knit community dedicated to honoring, sharing and preserving the amazing and inspirational stories that are life.

10k+
legacies honored
70+
years in business
300k
moments remembered

Learn the legacy.

It’s a fall Sunday morning in 1985. Two happy, laughing brothers scamper through South Union Missionary Baptist Church. A grinning adult is overheard saying, “oh, those are the Horn boys”.

Meanwhile, a short distance away, 28 year old Roy J. Nail became the third generation to invest compassion and care into serving grieving families of Daingerfield, Lone Star and Morris County, joining his father Roy A. Nail at Nail-Haggard Funeral Home.

In time, the two stories would become one.

The family-owned Nail-Haggard Funeral Home’s rich history started when the landmark building housing the business today, was built as a Victorian styled home in 1899 by the R.N. Traylor family, on land purchased in 1883 from the Mitchell Family. In time, Robert Nail, Roy J.’s grandfather, revered the home’s outstanding quality and historical essence. So he, along with partner George Haggard, purchased it for conversion into a funeral home, officially opening in 1949.

In the following decades, Nail-Haggard Funeral home would grow and gain the trust of the community they were called to serve. By 1967, Nail-Haggard became a member of the prestigious “International Order of the Golden Rule”, an honor given by invitation only.

As the business grew, so did community trust. The cooperative work of ministers, florists and medical professionals combined with the compassion grieving families felt in their time of need, made Nail-Haggard Funeral Home one of the most honored names in East Texas.

Soon, the “Horn boys” were introduced to mortuary and funeral services by their father Harold, who held a mortuary science degree. Harold served Rader Funeral Home of Longview for 27 years, after a 5 year stint at Texarkana Funeral Home. The older brother, Jason, now 44, came to the funeral ministry early and today has over 25 years experience in professional mortuary services.

Almost by divine plan, young Jason met and married his wife Genia, whose mother worked for more than 30 years at Rader Funeral Home.

So, two families grew simultaneously serving East Texas with loving compassion toward those who lost loved ones. In time, Horn Professional Mortuary Service worked occasionally with Nail-Haggard Funeral Home preparing and caring for those who passed on. This mutual participation was the spark of what is now unfolding in Morris County.

Roy J. Nail knew he, like his father, would reach a point when the family business would transition to a new generation. Long before it was needed, he began searching for the right combination of professional service, a compassionate heart, the drive to reach out and be part of the community, and someone he could trust with the Nail-Haggard legacy.

It took several years before Roy found the people he was looking for, and in 2018 he first approached Jason Horn. Roy’s idea was to provide continuity to the families he, his father and his grandfather had served. His goal was to seek an experienced, caring, family oriented and respected team. To place the 72 year legacy of Nail-Haggard into lesser hands, would be unacceptable.

Roy wanted someone with deep roots in Daingerfield. Jason Horn is a Daingerfield native, with ties to Lone Star and Morris County reaching back to his grandparents. His grandmother, Mary Lanagan and his grandfather, 91 year old Mayo Lanagan, who served as Director of Public Relations Lone Star Steel since June 1, 1953.

So, the two men met. They talked, sharing experiences and history. And when Jason said his goal is to “serve each family as our own”, Roy knew he had his answer.

Driving by 400 Webb Street recently, local townsfolk have noticed the 1899 structure undergoing extensive beautification. Careful, loving updates and restoration has been underway, with an eye toward recognizing and honoring historic values. Likewise, acknowledging the part the home played in so many families lives for seventy-two years.

Now, the new Horn-Nail-Haggard Funeral Home is carrying forward the tradition of service and “family first” focus. All current pre-need policies will remain in effect and transfer over with full services. New pre-need counseling and pre-need policies will be handled with the same traditional care and compassion as before. Every memorial service will be carefully tailored to honor each family's needs.

Seven decades of loving care and the gentle hallmark spirit of servanthood will remain as guiding principles each day going forward. Jason and Harold Horn are the new funeral directors, while Jason’s wife Genia oversees administrative activities. As for the future, look no further than their son Carson, who begins mortuary school this month, after serving 3 years with Rader Funeral Home.

Roy J. Nail understood the best way to thank the families trusting Nail-Haggard for decades, was to ensure the funeral home would not only continue, but be elevated to ever higher standards of service to the community. In Jason and Genia Horn, and their family, Roy found the right family for Daingerfield and Morris County.

Who We Are

Meet our staff. Members of the local community make everything that happens possible.Together, we make this place amazing.

Mr. Jason A. Horn

Mr. Jason A. Horn

Owner / Licensed Funeral Director
Genia Horn

Genia Horn

Owner/ Administrative Director
Harold Horn

Harold Horn

Licensed Funeral Director
Carson Horn

Carson Horn

Funeral Director Apprentice
Colby Horn

Colby Horn

Funeral Director Assistant
Lajoy Brown

Lajoy Brown

Funeral Director Assistant/ Family Care
Willie Davis

Willie Davis

Greeter/ Funeral Director Assistant
Jill Tucker

Jill Tucker

Office Manager
Shawn Lanagan Snyder

Shawn Lanagan Snyder

Administrative Assistant

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