By COLLIN BREAUX
Holmes County has always been Joel Davis’ hometown.
Davis owns Davis-Watkins Funeral Homes & Crematory, which has locations throughout Northwest Florida. He wanted to open one in Holmes County but was waiting for the right place.
That right place opened up at 406 West Highway 90 in Bonifay-which is expected to be the next new funeral home for Davis-Watkins.
Davis said his family-owned company aims to have modern facilities and intentionally selected the building on Highway 90 since they want the location to be on a main road.
‘We’re going to try to have something that’s good for the community,’ Davis said. ‘We wanted something that was convenient for people.’
The location on Highway 90 is familiar to Davis, whose family lived out there. He remembers visiting the area and even had his first job across the street.
Davis is also a pastor at several churches in Holmes County.
The coming Bonifay site will be Davis-Watkins’ seventh location. The remodeling for the Highway 90 funeral home should be done this month, Davis said.
‘We’re telling people we should be open before the year is over,’ he said. ‘It means so much to be home. I always had my heart set on Holmes County.’
The convenient location is so people don’t have to struggle to get to a funeral home, Davis said.
‘Everything’s always been Holmes County,’ he said.
A potential expansion of the property is possible in the future to make the site into ‘something really nice,’ Davis said.
‘This is really kind of stage one,’ he said.
GARETT VALCOURT 
Jim Saunders 
Dara Kam 