June 29, 2023

To our Fellow Bartowans and the Larger Polk County Community,

Since 1928, the Gause family has served Bartow and the larger community with great pride and honor. Our family business, Gause Funeral Home, Inc. has been a cornerstone in the community that we love. Therefore, it is with mixed emotions that we announce the transition of ownership of Gause Funeral Home, Inc. to its new owner, Michael Smith who was just approved today by the Florida Board of Funeral, Cemetery and Consumer Services. Ownership officially transferred on June 29, 2023, hence the decision to delay an official notification was an attempt to ensure that proper protocols were followed for our community.

Charlotta and I have worked side-by-side with Michael and his beautiful family for the last 2 years to ensure this transition would be the best fit for the community and for the business itself. We are confident that the new owner will continue to provide the level of service and compassion that our community has grown accustomed to, and which has been the hallmark of our business for all of its ninety-five years of existence.

Over the next few years, we will continue to work and support the new owner as he acclimates to full ownership. Charlotta and I are confident that the community will embrace this new generation of ownership and continue to patronize the business. We can assure you that the level of quality service that is associated with the Gause name will continue with the new owner.

We are thankful for the decades of patronage from the community and truly cherish the support and enduring love that has been expressed by many who have heard the news of the business transition. We are assured that the business is equipped to flourish for another generation allowing us to now turn our time to other business pursuits and to enjoy more time with our family, fishing, and enjoying our many lifelong friends.

Thank you again for your enduring support,

George Ronald Sabb
President, Gause Funeral Home