C.J. Williams Mortuary Services may be a new business in town, but they are comprised of a staff with decades of experience.

“We are a new business, but all of my employees have years of experience,” said owner C.J. Williams, who opened the mortuary service in June on Halls Ferry Road.

Williams said his funeral director has more than 57 years in the mortuary business and his three embalmers have 21, 17 and 13 years of experience, respectively.

“That’s what I wanted to show. That although I have a new business, all of my staff are very well trained,” Williams said.

Williams said he traveled the country to look at some “big name funeral homes in the U.S.” to see how they ran their business before opening Williams Mortuary Services.

He went to Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Glendale, California, which has the remains of some of Hollywood’s biggest stars, including Michael Jackson and Elizabeth Taylor.

“My vision was to bring a Hollywood-type funeral to Vicksburg at a reasonable cost,” Williams said.

That includes a concierge service and making hotel arrangements for those traveling from out of town.

They also offer full service from burial to cremation.

“We have package plans to fit everyone’s budget,” Williams said.

C.J. Williams Mortuary Services, located at 4310 Halls Ferry Road, is open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. They can be reached at 601-501-1766 or visit their website at cjwilliamsmortuaryservices.com.