From Fighter Pilot to Mayor -
The Fourth Generation
Ben and his wife, Theresa Slattery, had four children. The oldest son was Jeremiah Joseph III. "Jerry," as he was called, graduated from Loyola University in New Orleans and became an Ace fighter pilot in World War II. Later, he joined his father in the funeral business.
In 1953, Jerry bought the business from his father, Ben, who died the following year. Jerry merged the family business with another established firm to create Bradford-O'Keefe Funeral Home, Inc. He also took the burial insurance business a step further when he and his wife, Annette Saxon, founded Gulf National Life Insurance Company. While the funeral and insurance business kept Jerry busy he found time to follow in the footsteps of other O'Keefe's and served his community as a State Legislator and Mayor of the City of Biloxi.
Changes, Highlights, and Homecoming-
The Fifth Generation Begins
Many changes have occurred since the beginning of the small livery and undertaking business in 1865. But one of the highlights was the reacquisition of the original family home on Porter Street in Ocean Springs. On November 28, 1987, Jerry fulfilled the promise he'd made to his sister nearly 50 years earlier and returned the Porter Street home to the O'Keefe family. Jerry repurchased the home and fully restored it to its former grandeur. The livery stable was rebuilt and it, along with the home, now serves as one of the finest funeral homes in the South. The beautiful cut glass doors which had been a wedding gift to Alice and Jerry II were returned to their rightful places. Today, the home and livery stable are on the National Registry of Historic Places.
Bradford O'Keefe Funeral Home has grown over the years and now consists of five funeral homes, two cemeteries and Mississippi's first crematory. The establishment of the first crematory was yet another example of Bradford O'Keefe's leadership and vision concerning death care on the Mississippi Gulf Coast. Our funeral home's are located in Ocean Springs, downtown Biloxi, West Biloxi, Gulfport, and Orange Grove. Our cemeteries are located in Ocean Springs and D'Iberville. Our crematory is located in North Biloxi.
The Lang Family
The Lang family has a similar history of tradition and service. As with the O'Keefe family,
their business began as a livery business with John H. Lang sometimes using his wagons as hearses. Their being no other undertaking establishment in Pass Christian, he added to his services and by 1884 Lang was in the Funeral business. John Lang's son, Arthur Wallace Lang, Sr. took over the business and moved it to Gulfport in 1916. The business prospered and as Mr. Lang grew older his son, A.W. "Buzzy" Lang, Jr. stepped in to run the family business. This was in 1941. Buzzy heeded the call of his community in 1975 and was elected Mayor of the City of Gulfport, filling an unexpired term. During is tenure as Mayor, his son, Arthur W. "Bubba" Lang, III took over the family funeral Home business, paving the way for the 4th generation of Lang's to continue the tradition of service to the community. In 1977, the Lang's decided to close the business as they knew it and sold the company. Then in 1986 the Lang family teamed up with the O'Keefe's at their downtown location creating one of the highest quality service management teams in the country.
Over the years a number of different O'Keefe family members have worked at Bradford O'Keefe Funeral Home and aided in its growth. Presently, Jeffrey H. O'Keefe, serves as President of the company. Arthur W. "Bubba" Lang is Executive Vice President of Operations.
For six generations, the O'Keefe family and a host of dedicated funeral service professionals have been serving South Mississippi families with pride. Today, Bradford O'Keefe remains a locally owned and operated full service death care provider ensuring that the tradition of excellence established by Edward "Ned" O'Keefe more than a century and a half ago will be carried on into the future.
For more information, please view the Buzzy Lang memorial video.
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