About Us

Kip Kiser founded Kiser Funeral Home in 1991. He is a native of Cheraw, SC. Married to Janice Atkinson they have 2 children. He is a graduate of Cheraw High School, and graduated with honors from Gupton-Jones College of Funeral Service (1985), in Atlanta, GA. He is a 2013 graduate of Coker College, Hartsville, SC.

Having been in the funeral profession since 1983, Kip is a licensed funeral director/embalmer in South Carolina and North Carolina.

He is a Past President of the South Carolina Funeral Directors Association and Past Chairman of Pee Dee Group of the SCFDA.

He is a Past President of the South Carolina Funeral Service Board.

Steven Wilkes is a native of Laurinburg, NC and has worked with Kiser Funeral Home full time since January 2020. He has two children, Jenna and Jace. Steven is a graduate of Scotland High School and graduated from Fayetteville Technical Community College.

He is a member of Lighthouse Nation Church in Laurinburg, NC, where he serves on the Connections Team.

Having been in the Funeral Business since 2003, Steven is a licensed Funeral Director in North Carolina and South Carolina.

Bryan Harper is a native of Cheraw, SC. He is married to Ashley Harper from Chesterfield, SC, where they now reside. They have two active and outgoing boys, Dawson and Luke. Bryan graduated from Cheraw High School and holds an Associate Degree in Applied Science. He is a member of Pine Grove Baptist Church in Chesterfield, SC. Bryan is active in youth sports, a board member of Chesterfield Dixie Youth and he is also a full-time firefighter for the Town of Cheraw, as the Training Captain.

He has been employed by Kiser Funeral Home since 2015 and became a licensed funeral director in 2023.

John James is a native of Cheraw, SC and has worked with Kiser Funeral Home full time since January 2021. 

John is a graduate of Cheraw High School and graduated from Bethel University with a master’s degree in Criminal Justice. John is the Chief Deputy Coroner in Chesterfield County, and a member of Sanctorium Lodge #25 in Cheraw. He is a member of Grace Temple Fellowship Church in Wallace, SC, where he serves as Director of Administration. 

John is a licensed funeral director in South Carolina.

Jimmy C. “Jim” Murray, Jr., is a lifetime resident of Cheraw, SC.  He is a former small business owner and a Retired Command Sergeant Major with the South Carolina Army National Guard with 40 years of service. 

He is a member of Cheraw First Baptist Church, serving as a Deacon and sound engineer for many years and a licensed Amateur Radio Operator. He is married to the former Tana Gail Sullivan and has two daughters, Hali Murray Porter (Matt) and Rebeka Murray Burch (Banks) and five grandchildren.

He has been employed with Kiser Funeral Home since 2004.

Grace Johnson is a native of Chesterfield, SC. She has been employed with Kiser Funeral Home since 2022. Grace is married to Seth Johnson and enjoys spending time with her family and her golden retrievers. Grace graduated from South Pointe Christian School and Florence-Darlington Technical College. She is currently pursuing her funeral directors license. 

John C. McLauchlin, Jr is a native and lifetime resident of Cheraw, SC. He graduated from Cheraw High School in 1972, and Chesterfield-Marlboro Technical College in 1974 with an Associate Degree in Business Administration. John is a member of First Presbyterian Church of Cheraw, where he has served as a deacon and Sunday School Superintendent. He retired from the Town of Cheraw Water Department. John has been employed part-time with Kiser Funeral Home since January 2017. He enjoys attending car shows and NASCAR races, classic cars and spending time with his family and friends. 

Marvin is a lifetime resident of Cheraw, SC.  He graduated from Cheraw High School where he was very active in the band.  He is married to the former Wendy Stafford.  Together they have two children Chrisa and Christopher (Meghan) and one grandchild, Anna Marie.

Marvin is the Fire Chief with the Cheraw Fire Department, and is a Certified Instructor with the SC Fire Acadamy.  He is a licensed Paramedic and a longtime member of the Cheraw Rescue Squad.  He enjoys woodworking, gardening, and spending time with his family and friends.

Jason Shoemake is a native of Cheraw, SC. He started in the funeral service in 1996 as a funeral assistant with another local firm. He left to pursue a career in law enforcement, a career that has spanned the last 24 years. Jason began work at Kiser Funeral Home in 2015 as a funeral assistant. His passion and calling is to help others. Jason graduated from Cheraw High School and holds an Associate’s Degree in Business from Columbia Southern University. 

David Caulder grew up in Cheraw and currently lives in Chesterfield, SC.  He graduated from Chesterfield-Marlboro Technical Community College with a degree in Business Administration.  David was employed 22 years as the buyer for Cooper Tools Weller and is currently the Store Manager for CMC Building Supply.  He is married to the former Janet Renee Freeman and together they have a daughter Lynsee Ana Winburn (Trent), two granddaughters and a grandson on the way.

David was a member of the Cheraw Lions Club for more than 20 years, where he was the 1990 Lion of the Year.  He was also the recipient of Cooper Industries Outstanding Community Service Award.  He is a member of Cheraw First Baptist Church where he has served multiple tenures as Trustee and Deacon.

David has worked with Kiser Funeral Home part time since its opening in 1991.

Jay Hinson is a native of Cheraw, SC. He and his wife Mary have been married over 36 years and have two children, Lee (Gabrielle) Hinson and Kayla (Garrett) Burr. He is an active member of Cheraw First Baptist Church, where he coaches youth soccer. Jay has  recently retired from American Stainless.

Jay has always enjoyed sports; and has spent countless hours as a volunteer with Cheraw Recreation Dept, coaching baseball, softball, basketball, and football. He enjoys golfing and currently volunteers at the Cheraw State Park golf course.

Dorr Depew grew up in Charlotte and has lived in Cheraw since 1975. He and his wife, Chrissy, have three daughters and two grandsons. Dorr is a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and holds a master of education degree from the University of South Carolina. He retired in 2016 after a 41-year career at Northeastern Technical College, where he served as vice-president for institutional advancement. Dorr is a member of Cheraw First Baptist Church, where he serves as a deacon and small group leader. He enjoys amateur radio and photography.