Thompson-Miller Funeral Home

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The Pineapple is our symbol of Thompson-Miller Funeral Home to "Welcome" the New Year of 2003 to our community!

Richard J. Miller, owner of the Thompson-Miller Funeral Home, made these specialty "Williamsburg" decorations. After visiting Colonial Williamsburg, Virginia a few years ago, he learned of the beauty of the pineapple and fruit combination used as decorations on the buildings.

He brought this idea home and he prepared them and incorporated the fruit decorations himself onto the front windows of the funeral home. This integrates with our premise of "We Welcome You and We Care".

"Often called the colonial symbol of hospitality, the pineapple was the most exotic of the tropical fruits that seafaring captains brought back to the American colonies from their voyages to the islands of the W. Indies. The sailing ships' main purpose was to bring American staples such as tar, turpentine and barrel staves to the islands and trade them for sugar cane, rum, indigo and coffee. But it was awfully hard for a captain to sail home without a load of tropical fruits. The return trip took several weeks and without the blessings of any refrigeration, the perishable fruits didn't last too long. Those that made the trip and could still be eaten were very prized and it was an honor to be given one.

It is said that in New England, a returning captain would spear a pineapple on his gate announcing to his friends that he was home and all were welcome. Often friends would be invited to share a pineapple, and this was seen as the warmest welcome. Records from the Colonial Williamsburg Research Department state that the pineapple had become a symbol of friendship and welcome in port towns relatively early in America's history, which probably explains the presence of the fruit in Virginia architecture. Indeed, the fruit has been an enduring symbol of hospitality over the years, brought to our country by travelers who cherished its taste, as well as its inherent meaning."

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