JESSE E COLLEY

JESSE E. COOLEY JR., of Fresno, CA died July 20, 2011 at the age of 79.He was a funeral director at the Jesse E. Cooley Jr. Funeral Service for more than fifty years. His father, Jesse E. Cooley Sr., was the first African-American to open a mortuary in Fresno. The business began as Valley Funeral Home, which was established on E Street in 1941. His father turned over operation in 1956 and he renamed it, Jesse E. Cooley Jr. Funeral Service. The building was destroyed by fire months later, forcing him to relocate to 1830 S. Fruit Street. Additional facilities are located in Stockton and in Bakersfield.