Now, looking back at perhaps the largest funeral service in the mortuary's more than 100-year history, he says it's what he's meant to do.

Preston grew up helping his dad work in a mortuary in Roswell.

"Nothing about that work appealed to me in the least," he said. "But in 1991 when we went in together here, I finally realized he developed relationships with these families and that's what we're here to do."

Funeral attendance usually ranges between 150 and 200 people, Preston said, and complete arrangements can be made usually in a few days. That wasn't the case for former Gov. Bruce King's funeral Saturday or wife Alice King's a year ago.

Alice King's funeral was a test of what Harris-Hanlon could handle, Preston said, and additional staff was brought in to help make arrangements and carry out the services for both funerals.

The week leading up to Bruce King's funeral included a great amount of coordination with everyone from Garcia's Tents to the United States Secret Service. Logistics, parking, fire code issues and the security of several dignitaries and a former president consumed most of the week between King's death and burial, Preston said. State Police officers guarded King's body from the day after he died until his burial Saturday morning, Preston said.

"Alice's funeral was very similar," he said. "We had to coordinate with several different agencies, but we didn't have the Secret Service. Their needs changed everything."

For example, each Harris-Hanlon staff member close to former President Bill Clinton had to go through security clearance, Preston said. Barriers were posted and windows covered in the gym. Despite heightened security measures, Preston believes the services went smoothly and was thankful for many people who helped that happen. Preston and his staff couldn't do it alone, he said.

"The most important thing is to recognize what your limitations are," Preston said. "Alice's service went very well, but we knew when Bruce passed away we'd be tested even higher."

Harris-Hanlon hired six additional staff members from Daniels Family Funeral Services and six experienced volunteers from the Moriarty Chamber of Commerce to assist.

Harris-Hanlon may have just organized one of the largest funeral services in Moriarty's history, but the family-owned business isn't new.

Hanlon Mortuary was established in 1908 by Earl Hanlon and his son, Lawrence, in Willard inside the Trading Company store. They built the Mountainair location in 1946 which is still in operation today. The Hanlon's sold the mortuary to Jim Douglas in 1972, who established the second mortuary in Moriarty.

In April 1976, Rex and Lola Harris bought both mortuaries and changed the business name to Harris-Hanlon Mortuary. Rex and Lola operated both businesses for 15 years.

Preston, along with his parents bought the mortuary in 1991 and kept the name.

The Prestons built a new building in Moriarty which reopened in September 2006 after an electrical fire in November 2005, Preston said.

Preston's formal education includes two years of business college, two years of mortuary college and a year of internship. His parents, Larry and Trudy, had been in funeral service since 1972 and Larry retired in 1998, when Grant and his wife Karen took over full time. The mortuary has five full-time staff members and one part-time funeral director.

What makes Harris-Hanlon so successful, Preston believes, is hard work and compassion.

"Every family is different," Preston said. "Everyone has personal needs and requests and we try our best to make that happen. Some requests may seem silly to some, but it's important and we try hard to honor those wishes."