About Us

Whitesell Funeral Home was established in 2004 by Steven A. Whitesell who started his career in the funeral profession forty six years ago here in Rock Hill at Bass Funeral Home. Born and raised right here in Rock Hill, Steve is a 1971 graduate of Rock Hill High School and a 1975 graduate of Gupton-Jones College of Mortuary Science in Atlanta. He purchased his first funeral home in 1984 in Fort Mill, SC and opened Whitesell Funeral Home so he could serve his friends and family in his hometown of Rock Hill as well. Steve's dad, Arthur Whitesell, Jr. was a printer at the Rock Hill Printing and Finishing Co. and his mother, Leaborne, is a retired school teacher having taught at Rock Hill High School for many years.

We are proud to be part of the Palmetto Funeral Group where we provide exceptional service at a modest price. We now have added a convenient location on Hwy 521 in Indian Land to better accommodate our extended part of York and Lancaster Counties.

Bass Funeral Home dates back to J.E. Bass who in 1911 became identified with a furniture store know as Helm and Willis Co. It later became Helm and Bass Furniture Co. and later J.E. Bass and Sons. Funeral Directing was added in 1922, when Bass bought the “undertaking department” from Rock Hill Furniture co. His younger son was described as an expert embalmer and the business became Bass Furniture Co and Funeral Directors. By 1935, the funeral home split from the furniture company and moved to 241 E. Main St., the site of Rock Hill Bank & Trust’s corporate office. In the 1940’s it moved to 331 E. Main St. in the sprawling white house on Main St. Built between 1905 and 1910 the house was the home of Thomas O. Flowers, treasurer-manager of Rock Hill Supply Co. He also was the long time Rock Hill fire chief and a city building inspector. At one time, the house, which has two-story Corinthian columns, was converted into apartments. The Cauthen family built on Heckle Blvd. in 1995. In 2004 the two merged together into the newer more modern facility and became Bass-Cauthen Funeral Home. It is the only funeral home in York County that has an adjoining perpetual care cemetery, Rock Hill Memorial Gardens offering convenience and affordability.

We are proud to be part of the Palmetto Funeral Group where we provide exceptional service at a modest price. We now have added a convenient location on Hwy 521 in Indian Land to better accommodate our extended part of York and Lancaster Counties.