Dayton E. Hardison
Dayton was first introduced to the funeral business when he found part-time employment at the age of 14 digging graves (by hand) at North Ridge Cemetery in the town of Cambria, NY. Dayton attended Simmons Institute of Funeral Service in Syracuse, NY, upon graduating he returned to Ransomville, NY and opened the doors to Hardison Funeral Homes in 1921. Approximately 3/4 of a mile north of its current location on Ransomville Road sat the original Hardison’s family home that doubled as the business, and it is there that Dayton, his wife Mabel raised their young family. Within a few years, the firm and the family moved to its current location at 3648 Ransomville Road. It is there that Dayton and Mabel would reside until their passings in 1970 & 1982. Dayton was personally committed to providing the communities he served with the highest degree of compassion, personal attention, sympathetic understanding, and that of a friendly consultant and advisor. He would later pass along these endearing traits on to his two sons Gerald and Denton, who later would assist him in the operation of the firm.