Our History

The history of our funeral home dates back to 1930 with the establishment of the Fred C. Gridley Funeral Home founded by Mr. Fred Gridley, a local gentleman who also founded and ran the Fred C. Gridley Furniture House. Both establishments were conveniently located on the Municipal Square in Walden, NY. Mr. Gridley ran the funeral home for 34 years, serving the communities of Walden, Maybrook and the greater surrounding area.

In 1964, Mr. Gridley sold the business to Perrott Funeral Home, a prominent funeral home predominantly serving the communities of Newburgh and New Windsor, and renamed the Gridley’s location Perrott’s Walden Chapel. Perrott continued to operate in the Hudson Valley until 1973, when the entire firm was bought by SCI, a corporate conglomerate of funeral homes. During the transaction, SCI did not wish to continue business in the Walden location. It was at this time that the Gridley Family, who still resided in the area, bought back the property in the hopes that a funeral director might have an interest in renting the space. Unfortunately, this venture was unsuccessful and the building sat vacant until 1975, when Joseph and Anne Horan saw the potential in the location and purchased the building from the Gridley Family. With the Gridley Family’s permission, the Horans renamed the firm Gridley-Horan Funeral Home, Inc., continuing the heritage and legacy of the Gridley Family while also creating a successful business and culture that they still operate and maintain to this day. After vast amounts of hard work and dedication to the firm, as well 46 years in business, the Horans, with the invaluable help of Jason Trafton, continue to assist the families they serve in a dignified and meaningful way.

Today, the Gridley-Horan Funeral Home, Inc. serves the communities of Walden, Maybrook, Montgomery, Wallkill, and the greater Hudson Valley. We invite and encourage you to explore our site to learn more about our firm, history, and the services we have to offer you and your family.