Polk group buys Salmon Funeral Home in Rome

Salmon Funeral Home has been acquired by Polk County funeral home director Steve Miller, his son Chris Miller and Norman Smith.

Steve Miller is the son of the late Rockmart funeral director Alvis Miller and has been in the business close to 40 years. His son Chris came up in the family business and Smith has been a partner with the Millers in the Smith & Miller Funeral Home in Cedartown since 2017.

Smith, who is a native of Cedartown, partnered with Miller to purchase and renovate the former Georgia State Patrol barracks at 1000 N. Main Street in Cedartown into a funeral home.

Steve Miller said Smith had been helping Trey Salmon with some embalming work from time to time in the past.

“We’ve served several Rome and Floyd County families throughout the years and have church affiliations in Rome,” Steve Miller said. “We have purchased their name and will continue to operate under the Salmon name as we evaluate how to best tie our name to that business.”

His son Chris will become the licensee and primary funeral director in full and continuous charge of the Rome location.

Steve will serve as the director in Rockmart while Norman will serve as director in Cedartown per regulatory requirements.

All three are considered equal partners in the Rome location.

Trey Salmon said that the funeral home was owned by his parents, Ramey and Carol Salmon, and that both himself and his grandfather, Sherold Salmon will still be affiliated with the funeral home going forward.

Ray Miles, who has more than two decades of experience in local funeral homes, will stay on at Salmon Funeral Home as a funeral director. Wanda Rowell, who served both Fred Talley and Salmon for more than 20 years, will stay on as part of the administrative staff.

Steve Miller said that other part- time staff will be adjusted as the need dictates.

“There are still a lot of little things that need to be done,” Miller said. “We have a good relationship with the Salmon family and Trey wanted the funeral home to remain in a family- like ownership.”

Doug Walker The Salmon Funeral Home has been sold to Polk County funeral home operators Norman Smith, Steve Miller and his son Chris Miller. They plan to continue to operate the Rome business as Salmon Funeral Home for the immediate future.

File Chris Miller ( from left), Norman Smith and Steve Miller own Smith and Miller Funeral Home in Cedartown, located on North Main Street in the former Georgia State Patrol barracks.