In one of the most emotional and unforgettable episodes of Home Town to date, Erin Napier and her husband Ben helped Kendall Simoneau find her dream home in Laurel, Mississippi. Kendall, who works at Laurel Mercantile Co., was seeking a fresh start after the tragic loss of her husband, Kurt Simoneau, just two years after their wedding. Keep scrolling to uncover what happened to Kendall after the show aired and how she’s continued to honor Kurt's memory.
A Fresh Start After Heartbreak: Kendall’s Journey on ‘Home Town’
Erin and Ben Napier are no strangers to helping their community during its toughest moments. Kendall shared her deeply personal love story with Kurt, which made her episode all the more poignant. The couple met in college and tied the knot in 2017. Kurt, an ICU nurse at Anderson Regional Medical Center in Mississippi, was not only a dedicated healthcare professional but also a loving partner. Together, they built a home in the countryside after their wedding. Tragically, Kurt passed away on December 18, 2019, at the young age of 29, in a car accident while returning home from work.
In a heartfelt January 2021 blog post on the Laurel Mercantile website, Kendall opened up about the devastating loss of her beloved Kurt. "He was the most caring, kind-hearted person I've ever known," she wrote. "His loss was absolutely devastating to me, and I honestly didn’t know what to do or where to even begin picking up the pieces." Kendall leaned on Erin, Ben, and the entire Laurel Mercantile team during her darkest days.
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"On the day of his accident, my Mercantile family were some of the first people at my house," Kendall recalled. "They dropped everything just to be there with me. Even now, over a year later, they are still there, helping me navigate this new chapter of life. It was because of their unwavering support that I decided to buy a house in Laurel. They showed me how a city and a community can truly change your life for the better."
Kendall was featured in a January 2021 episode of Home Town titled "A Laurel Hug." She fell in love with the McCraney house, a historic home filled with '70s charm. Erin and Ben transformed the space into a beautiful, modern home with neutral tones and contemporary design elements. One particularly touching moment came when Erin added a special quilt to the master bedroom that left everyone in tears.
"Erin surprised me with this quilt for the master bedroom, and it truly stirred up so many emotions," Kendall wrote. "It reminded me of all those cozy moments Kurt and I spent curled up on the couch under a quilt, perfectly content. The quilt features Kurt’s handwriting and includes words that have meant so much to me during my healing journey. It’s the sweetest gift I’ve ever received, and something I will cherish forever."
Kendall Simoneau Today: Building a New Life in Laurel
Kendall has continued to share snippets of her life in Laurel on her Instagram page. One year after her Home Town episode aired, she reflected on the profound impact the show had on her life. "I am still in awe of how sharing my story touched so many people and their own grief journeys," she wrote on Instagram in January 2022. "I know my episode was emotional, but it was a very emotional time in my life. I bought my house six months after Kurt’s accident, started filming eight months after, and the reveal was 10 months after. My emotions and pain were still raw, but I wouldn’t change a thing."
In March 2023, Kendall returned to Home Town to assist Erin and Ben in finding a dream home for her friend Marissa. "It was such a blast being back with Ben and Erin and the entire crew," she wrote on Instagram. "This time, I wasn’t the homeowner but the tagalong sidekick — way less pressure! Marissa’s home turned out absolutely stunning, and I’m so glad I got to be a part of her journey."
