Fayette Memorial Celebrating 20 Years of Community Ownership This Week

We all celebrate life’s biggest milestones, from birthdays, graduations, weddings, and so many other special moments, but an often overlooked or unwelcome celebration is the passing of life.

At Fayette Memorial Funeral Home, a celebration of life is not only what they do on a day-to-day basis, but they have been a community milestone 20 years in the making.

On Thursday, September 18, join Fayette Memorial Funeral Home at 967 E. Colorado St. in La Grange for its 20th anniversary celebration with an open house and ribbon cutting from 11 a.m. - 1 p.m.

Enjoy light snacks, free fingerprinting for memorial jewelry, and great, unique gift options for the upcoming holiday season.

Fayette Memorial Funeral Home may seem like your average funeral home in our community, but what sets it apart is its connection to the community.

Director in Charge/Preneed Specialist and Monument Sales, Jennifer Bernshausen, said, “Our funeral home is community-owned, unlike any other funeral home near us. We are held accountable by local shareholders and the Board of Directors, who expect high levels of integrity. We are very thankful for our families and other funeral homes that support us. The community not only supports us; they share in our successes as shareholders.”

In 2005, a group of people came together and decided to sell shares to the community to create the now Fayette Memorial Funeral Home. This idea came into fruition after selling 500 shares to local interested persons.

Currently, Fayette Memorial has 61 shareholders. And if there are any Interested persons, they can contact the office for more information at (979) 968-9595.

Just as in life the death must keep up with changes. Over the course of 20 years, Fayette Memorial Funeral Home has also had to keep up with the ever-changing times and services.

“Throughout the years, Fayette Memorial has grown to a full-service funeral home & on-site crematorium, specializing in compassion, honesty, and professionalism,” said Bernshausen. “Within the last 20 years, many expansions have been made, including the addition of the garage and onsite crematorium, side parking lot, vehicle fleet, and repaving the existing parking lot. We also offer prearrangement services that have grown tremendously over the years, with now five certified specialists on staff.”

Of course, it did not come without its challenges. Bernshausen said, “A lot of hard work and dedication were put into cleaning and renovating. Most currently, working through the pandemic was a big challenge. An astonishing increase in business, along with embalming for other funeral homes, became the norm. Embalmers were leery of the unknown, and Fayette Memorial took on some of their clients in order to serve families and honor their loved ones as they wished.”

Something new they are excited to introduce for their families is a community outreach program to help even more during those difficult times.

“We are very excited to have an in-house celebrant to assist in services for families needing that option. We are working on a community outreach program that would involve our staff checking on individuals who have lost a loved one, leaving them alone without close family, which we hope to implement in the near future,” said Bernshausen.

To add even more of a personal touch, the funeral home offers keepsakes that go beyond traditional funeral services. “We will not only offer funeral services, but will also offer keepsakes such as blankets, fingerprint jewelry, memorial books, videos, etc., to honor loved ones, deceased and living, for holidays, weddings, graduations, etc. Our business plan includes many exciting things. We strive to seek new innovations to make things easier, more memorable, and as customizable as possible.”

The ultimate goal, though, for Fayette Memorial Funeral Home has always stayed the same: the feeling of love for the families that choose them. “This is the most important goal of our funeral home. We want all families to feel welcome, comforted, and trusting of us,” said Bernshausen.

“They are guided through the process by a professional and compassionate staff. Many of our families become our friends and often come to visit, stopping in to say hello. We often hear that our comforting manner eased the pain of the loss for the family. This is our goal. We truly care about those that we take care of. Our reputation is our biggest accomplishment. Our staff is the strongest that we have had in a long time. We pride ourselves on being professional, ethical, and compassionate.”

In today’s society, many ideologies may sit us apart, but one thing that doesn’t is the passing of life. We are all just walking each other home, and I hope you can find it at Fayette Memorial Funeral Home. May we all rest in peace, hope, love, and celebration.