History and Staff

Greenlawn Memorial Park has been providing for the needs of families since 1937.  We are proud of the reputation we have established over more than 80 years of service to our community.

From the beginning, Greenlawn has endeavored to provide only the finest in service and facilities for families in their time of need.  An early Greenlawn brochure stated, “We envision a future of continuous growth, increasing beauty and loveliness.  Our past, successful as it has been, is only our ‘prologue’.”

The first thing you will notice upon entering the grounds at Greenlawn is the natural beauty of dogwoods and crepe myrtle as well as centuries old live oaks and other mature trees of various species.  The pond at the center of the memorial park serves as a focal point for our annual interdenominational Easter Sunrise Service which has been a Greenlawn tradition for over 50 years.

For those families who prefer other than in-ground interment, our Mausoleum provides the ultimate in above-ground entombment.  Constructed of the finest domestic and imported marble, the Mausoleum was the first in the Columbia area and is still unmatched in its richness of detail and striking beauty.  The Mausoleum Chapel, constructed as a wing of the mausoleum itself, is available for services in conjunction with funerals at Greenlawn.  Niches for cremation urns are an integral part of the mausoleum, an excellent choice for a permanent memorialization.

A key element in our success in providing unsurpassed service through the years has been our ability to make arrangements for many families before the time of need.  Approximately ninety percent of funerals at Greenlawn during recent years have been arranged prior to the death of the family member helping them avoid the stress of last minute planning.  Our staff stands ready to assist at any time, but we strongly recommend that arrangements be made in advance for the sake of your family and your own peace of mind.

In May of 1998, our services expanded to include a conveniently located funeral home facility to serve families all over the Midlands.  Thompson Funeral Home is conveniently located adjacent to Greenlawn Memorial Park on Leesburg Road and is also convenient to Fort Jackson, just one exit north on Interstate 77.  Our funeral home offers a variety of funeral options including both traditional options as well as cremation.  It is our desire to make every funeral or memorial service a personal time of remembrance to capture, share and preserve your special memories of life.

At Greenlawn, we are proud of our pioneering efforts in making special packages available for veterans of the Armed Forces of the United States.  Special discounts for veterans are just one of the ways we recognize the contributions of those who have served our country.  Considerable savings can also be realized for non-veterans as well for arrangements made prior to the time of need.

Our Staff’s Dedication to Respectful Care

A funeral, or memorial service, should provide family members and loved ones with the chance to reflect, remember, and celebrate a life well-lived. At null, our goal is to create exceptional services and experiences that fulfill the wishes of your loved one. Our experienced Funeral Directors provide guidance on the crucial first steps toward healing.

Gregg Turner
Market Leader, Licensed Funeral Director, and Cremation Specialist
FDE 1934

Gregg is a native of Saluda and began his career in the funeral industry while in high school after losing a childhood friend in an accident. The time he shared with this friend’s family during the funeral caused him to choose a career in funeral service. He is a lifelong resident of the Midlands and was first employed with Thompson Funeral Home in 1987. He rejoined the team several years ago and now serves as the market leader.

Gregg is a graduate of Saluda High School, LaSalle University, earning a Bachelor of Science Degree in Marketing and Business and a 1984 graduate of Gupton-Jones College of Funeral Service. He is a licensed funeral director, embalmer, pre-need counselor and licensed pre-need insurance agent.

Gregg is a member of the Cayce-West Columbia Lions Club and Lions Clubs International, having served as District Governor. He is an active member of the Lexington and Cayce-West Columbia Chambers of Commerce, the National and South Carolina Funeral Directors Associations and Wightman United Methodist Church where he is a vocalist and musician on the Praise Team, Chairman of Finance and serves on various other committees. Gregg also is a member of the West Columbia River District, where he serves as Treasurer on the Board of Directors.

Gregg is married to Tracie Pitts Turner who is employed with Bernardo Geriatric Medicine. They have two children, a son, Tyler and a daughter, McKensey, both of whom are married. He and Tracie have one grandson, Bennett.



Gina Garrison
Family Care Advisor & Licensed Funeral Director
FDE 2828


Gina is a 1992 graduate of Winthrop University with a BS in Business Management. She received her BA in Funeral Service at Piedmont Technical College in Greenwood, SC. Gina is a licensed funeral director/embalmer with the SC and NC Board of Funeral Service, a licensed Preneed Insurance Consultant, and a Celebrant. She is married to Glenn Garrison; they have two children and five grandchildren.
 



Tonya Brazier
Manager of Administration
Unlicensed

Tonya grew up in Columbia, SC and attended AC Flora High School. Tonya and her husband, Ray, currently reside in Pelion, SC. Together Tonya and Ray have 2 children, 3 step-children and several grandchildren. Tonya attends and is an active member of the West Columbia First Church of the Nazarene.

Tonya has been a passionate cemetery professional for 23 years, with the majority of her career being at both Greenlawn Memorial Park and Woodridge Memorial Park. Tonya really enjoys being a part of a great team of professionals who are caring and passionate about serving and assisting families.
Tonya enjoys being involved in the community and spending time with her family.



Carol Trakas
Administrative Assistant
Unlicensed

Carol has been a part of the Greenlawn Memorial Park team for over 20 years. She serves as an administrative assistant at Thompson Funeral Home at Greenlawn Memorial Park and can be found helping others on a daily basis. She truly enjoys her work and finds tremendous satisfaction in assisting families and supporting her coworkers.

Carol has spent most of her life in Southeast Columbia. She has one son and enjoys meeting people from all walks of life. Carol has a heart for animals and especially treasures time with her two miniature poodles and three cats.



Sherry Felder-Allen
Family Service Advisor
Unlicensed

Sherry began her career as a cemetery counselor in 2011. She discovered that taking care of people in their time of need and assisting with their preparations brings her great satisfaction and enjoyment. In previous years, she worked in sales, but feels most passionate about her position as a Family Service Advisor.

Sherry is a native of Sumter and graduated from Sumter High School.  She continued her education at DeVry University in Decatur, Georgia and at Central Carolina Technical College, where she studied computer technology.

Sherry is the mother of two, Aliyah and Alexandria, and also grandmother of two, Khloe and Kaveyah. In her spare time she enjoys crafting for others.



Rachel Lucas
Family Service Advisor
​Unlicensed

Rachel was born and raised in Columbia, SC, and is grateful to have joined the Thompson/Greenlawn family in September of 2017. She graduated from Cardinal Newman High School, and received a Bachelor in Social Work degree from Columbia College. She has two daughters, Madison and Taylor, and is a member of Shandon Baptist Church.



Kenneth Crane
Family Service Advisor
Unlicensed

Kenneth was born and raised in Mobile, Alabama. He was homeschooled from kindergarten through high school. He worked his way through college and attained an Associate degree in Management and Supervision Technology from Bishop State Community College.

He began his career as a Family Service Advisor six and a half years ago in Mobile AL. Kenneth has always been passionate about helping people and when this opportunity opened up for him it felt like something he was always called to do.

Kenneth has worked for a few cemeteries now and always strives for the best way to help families through the most difficult time of their lives. Kenneth married his lovely bride, Rebecca, in 2014 and they have an adorable rescue dog, Minnie. Whenever Kenneth is not at work he enjoys spending time with his wife, the rest of his family,playing video games, or keeping up with the latest streamed TV show.



Makeba Gregg
Family Care Advisor & Licensed Funeral Director

Makeba joined the Thompson Funeral Home family as a licensed funeral director with years of service to families.

Assisting families in advance with preplanning their service is a passion of hers and credits her family with instilling benignant traits in her as a child.

She is involved with various organizations, including, but not limited to Rotary, Hospice, Junior League, as well as Habitat for Humanity.



Dan Ragle
Market Sales Manager
​Unlicensed

Raised in Cincinnati, Ohio, Dan has always worked in professions that involve helping people. Having worked in the Cemetery/Funeral industry for over 20 years, he is passionate about his work as a Market Sales Manager in the Columbia/Lexington area of South Carolina.

Dan is dedicated to the families and staff who call on him, seeking assistance, guidance, and practical solutions to their needs. He is trained to listen and personally address particular issues and concerns. He specifically enjoys sharing the necessary information needed to make informed decisions about making arrangements now or planning for the future.