Funeral Homes

Horine Funeral Home in Cassville 1935

From The First 150 Years in Cassville by Emory Melton (1995)

One of the early funeral homes in Cassville (and it was not really used to conduct service) was owned by P.E. (Pete) Horine in the 1000 block on the west side of Main Street. Horine, a descendant of one of the Barry County's oldest families, began a furniture business on the south side of the square in the early 1890's, where he continued in business until he sold to Carey Hill and W.D. Koon on March 19, 1921.During the time Horine was in the furniture business, he also engaged in the funeral service business. In the month of April, 1914, he purchased a new horse drawn hearse which had solid glass sides, platform springs and a "high seat." The "high seat" was where the driver of the horses was seated above the top of the hearse. The practice was to equip the driver with a black suit, gloves and a tall beaver hat.Later, Horine purchased a motor driven hearse which doubled as an ambulance. As he speculated on who would be the first to ride in the new machine , he suffered an attack of appendicitis and was rushed to Springfield in the vehicle.

Koon Funeral Home in Cassville 1939

From The First 150 Years in Cassville by Emory Melton (1995)

After W. D. Koon entered the furniture business in January of 1924, he began a career in undertaking which would extend over more than two decades. His first site of operating a "funeral parlor" was in the old Frost building, upstairs, which was a frame business building standing on the southwest corner of Main and Seventh Streets. The upstairs was connected to a ground floor office fronting Main Street at the rear of the Frost building. Several years later Mr. and Mrs. Koon opened a funeral home at 1303 Main Street at the present Williamson Funeral Home is located. In the mid-1940's their son, Carter Koon, took over the business.

Davis-Williamson Chapel

Doyle Williamson purchases the funeral home from Mr. Koon and operated it for more than 30 years. The business was then sold toMr. and Mrs. Skip White. The present owners are Jim and Janice Fohn.

Culver's Funeral Home in Cassville 1964

From The First 150 Years in Cassville by Emory Melton (1995)

Two months after Koon opened the "funeral parlor", he was jointed by "Pete" Horine, who later quit and established a funeral business in which he was joined by G.E. Culver under the firm name of Horine-Culver Funeral Home in 1931. Culver would succeed to the Horine interest and he continued to operate the Culver Funeral Home until his death in 1971. The business was continued by his daughter and son-in-law Paul and Margaret Henbest who later sold the business to Mr. and Mrs. Art Axley who in tum conveyed to the present owners Jim and Janice Fohn.

Callaway Funeral Home in Monett 1937

From Early Barry County (1964)

For years after the county had its beginning people in the county were emphatic in the defense of the custom and tradluon of their dead remaining in the home until time for funeral and burial. Therefore you do not talk in months, but years when you introduce funeral homes and their uses. And here and now seems a good place to mention Barry County's first funeral home record, which dates 1918. The home was located in Monett and operated by R. M. Callaway, a pioneer mortician and furniture dealer. For a long time, Mr. Callaway had felt the urgent need for a home-like resting place for the bodies brought to Monett from a distance, to lie in state until the appointed time for burial. And for use in such a time he set aside an upstairs room in his business establishment suitable for this purpose. Among other things to mention, is that this comfortable and helpful homelike room, proved so satisfactory that in 1921 Mr. Callaway purchased the old Mills dwelling at the comer of Central and Dunn streets and converted the big house into a spacious, attractive funeral home building, which stands today as a living monument to Mr. Callaway's memory. Meanwhile, because of the comfort and convenient service the funeral home afforded, it sOon became a place used by local bereaved families for loved ones to lie in state, pending funeral arrangements and many times the last ceremonial rites of the deceased. Mr. Callaway and sons, Earl and Floyd, assisted by Dee Buchanan and Gus Doenig served the public through this funeral home until the Callaway's retirement in 1947. At this time David Dillon, from Joplin, bought and continued to manage the funeral home business with the same efficient service until 1950 when he sold to Roy Mercer, Sr.

Mercer Funeral Home in Monett

From Early Barry County (1964)

Mr. Mercer hales from Springfield and is assisted by his son "Bud," a licensed mortician. The Mercers continue to give efficient service to the sorrowing public and have a large business. In September 1957 the Mercers had sorrow come into the home, when Mrs. Roy Mercer, Sr. was severed from the business by death. Mrs. Mercer had served through the years, since they purchased the business, as funeral attendant.

Pogue's Funeral Home in Wheaton 1937

From Wheaton Echos (2007)

During the mid 1920's George Pogue & Sons Funeral Home of Stella, Missouri moved to Wheaton. They had operated out of Stella serving the Wheaton arca for several years before the move from Stella. As far as we have been able to de term inc this was the first official funeral home in Wheaton. They operated the Funeral Home out of houses at the corner of S. Duncan and Highway W. Over the years they were called Pogue's Funeral Home, Pogue Undertakers, and even for awhile Wheaton Funeral Home. They ran an ambulance outof the funeral home for many years and In t h e 30's always advertised that they had a women attendant on duty. Members of the family continued to operate the Funeral Home until 1967 when McQueen Funeral Home bought them out and combined the two businesses.

McQueen Funeral Home in Wheaton

In 1938 the funeral home was basically used for an office, family residence ppand base for dispatching the ambulance. Embalming in those days was mosty done In the deceased home. Visitation was conducted in the home with funerals in the church or some other large building like the school gym. Graves were dug by family and friends and since Wheaton did not Wheaton did not have a cemetery burials took place in Rocky Comfort Cemetery, Muncie Cemetery of small family cemeteries on family farms. Times were changing however and in 1940 Boone and Edith bought the Bowers house on Highway W across from the school so they would have more room to serve their customers. For a short time in 1952 McQueen's closed the funeral home and moved to a farm North of Wheaton. But due to so many funerals they soon returned to town and reopened the funeral home on Highway W. In 1960 an addition and chapel was added to the home. They once again ran the ambulance from this location.

Some years later the McQueen's felt they needed to semi-retire and they leased the funeral home to their grand daughter Joy and her husband Lonnie Plnmlee. Lonnie had been employed by the McQueens since 1962. It was during this period of time that the State of Missouri placed new regulations on private ambulances. Members of the community, in order to keep the ambulance In Wheaton, took first aid courses and five men earned their EMT license in order to help run the ambulance when needed. The ambulane continued to serve the community for several more years. Lonnie Plumlee purchased McQueen Funeral home on March 1, 1969 and Boone and Edith retired. Boone passed away in 1981 and Edith In 1993. Fred and Linda Stevens purchased the funeral home from Lonnie Plumlee in 1977 and they continued to run the ambulance service with Mr. Plurnlee assisting when needed. In February of 1986 the funeral home was once again sold, this time to Larry Wilson and Bill Hedges of Cassvilie, MO. Fred Stevens remained as manager until August of that year when George and Linda Wood took over management of the facility. An extensive remodeling project was completed In Feb. of 1987 and Edith McQueen was the guest of honor for the Grand Opening event. Steve Heeter then was manager of the ambulance. Over the next several years the ambulance was discontinued andWheaton was forced to call Cassville for any ambulance service. In July of 1991 now owners Ken and Pam Rapelje and Skip and Kathy White contracted to buy McQueen along with the Cassville facillitles from Bill Hedges. Ken and Pam lived upstairs at the funeral home in Wheaton and Skip and Kathy lived in Cassville. The present owners Janice and Jim Fohn bought the funeral home from Rapelje's and Whites in 1995 along with the locations at Cassville and Shell Knob. Mr. Fohn owned the Fohn Funeral home at that time in Cassville. The funeral home still goes by the McQueen name as it has since 1938.

Blankenship Funeral Home in Purdy