Meet Tobias Uhrig | Owner / Funeral Director

We had the good fortune of connecting with Tobias Uhrig and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Tobias, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
When I started my business, I really wanted to focus on what I felt made people walk away from funeral service with a bad taste in their mouth and work with people to overcome those issues. Whether that be cookie-cutter services that look very similar to other funerals they have been to in the past or price gouging with over-expensive services/merchandise. There are cases where this is not what people want, and I recognize that as well. Sometimes, you want a simple service, or a service for Dad that is just like the one that you already had for Mom, but at least for the younger generation I feel that finding creative ways to honor our loved ones is more important than just getting a funeral done and over with. Honoring the legacy of your loved one is possible to do with a simple funeral service, But I truly believe that there is so much more that can be done if the service is focused on who that loved one was in life, their achievements, and the impact that they had on others. In regards to being flexible with pricing/affordability, I feel that this has bitten me sometimes, but not nearly enough to completely do away with compassion. There are people that have taken advantage of my kindness and flexibility in the past, but those situations are close to one in fifty, and I feel that letting bad actors ruin my perspective on helping others is something that other funeral home owners do quite often, and unfortunately it has made the industry quite hostile to people who are not able to afford services that are not as extravagant or who dont have the money for a nice service right away.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Starting a funeral home has been immensely challenging. I am in an area that has had only one funeral home for a very long time, and it has been a struggle to inform people in the local community of our existence, much less get them to trust us. Especially in this business, advertising is extremely difficult and oftentimes altogether ineffective. We are still doing our best with it, but we often find ourselves relying on word of mouth from families that we have helped in the past to spread the word. Even with these challenges, I am very proud of what we have accomplished in the two years since we have opened. We have maintained a five star rating on google, and have a wall covered in thank-you cards from families that we have helped. This is very affirming to me, because it shows that people are grateful for the work that we put in on their behalf, and that all of the effort that we are putting into helping the community is recognized. I have learned a great deal of lessons in the time that we have been open, and most of them are financial. Without large scale investments or backing, it has been a challenge to get the business to a position where it is able to sustain itself and also put food on the table for my family. The key mantra that another funeral director told me before I began the project has stuck with me through it all, though, and I have pushed forward with the idea that if you treat your community right, they will in turn take care of you, and thus far that has been the case.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Morgan county has a lot to offer for being a farm town. Aside from the stereotypical trip to the mountains for camping/skiing in Colorado, Morgan county offers recreation in the forms of golf, bowling, tennis, and many other outdoor activities to participate in. Local eats are also great, with many fantastic restaurants to choose from.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
There are people who have had my back from the very start of my endeavor as a business owner. My wife, as well as my parents and other family have been very supportive of my endeavor and the causes that my business stands for. I have friends that I have made along the way as well, namely Mr. Terry Nichols of Dover, DE, who has offered me mentorship, friendship, and invaluable advice as I struggled to navigate the process of launching a new funeral home. I have also received significant help from Mr. Merle Rhodes, who is an advisor currently working for the Colorado SBDC. He has offered me advice that I truly believe has kept me running to this day. Lastly, My fellow soldier Aaron Mitchell, who passed away before we could launch the dream of owning our own funeral home together. His spirit and passion pushed me to take the risks that I have to start this business, as anything less that my best would be an insult to his memory.

Website: https://www.rowanoakmortuary.com/about-us

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100095309179372