History

Walker Funeral Home - Sylvania

Today

In 1933, Alvin W. Walker, after working for a number of years at the former Zanley & Schramm Mortuary in North Toledo, established his own funeral home. The Alvin W. Walker Mortuary was located in the heart of the west side of the growing Toledo community at 2749 Monroe Street between Lawrence and Bancroft Streets. Al served the city well, becoming involved in numerous organizations and his funeral home became the choice for many Toledo families who had faced a loss.

Through the years, both Charlie Wenner and Ray Feilbach became his partners and then retired. The former Flagler-Lehmann and Saul Mortuaries also joined with Al. In the early 1950's, the writing was on the wall that Toledo was rapidly growing further west of town. In 1955, Al opened the new "Talmadge Park Chapel" of Walker Funeral Homes on Talmadge Road across the street from the Franklin Air Field that would, in 1971, become Franklin Park Mall (Now Westfield Shoppingtown-Franklin Park). 

Al's son, Gary, joined the business in 1965, extersively remodeled the funeral home in 1976 and as traffic became more congested on Talmadge, chose to relocate the funeral home to its current Sylvania Avenue address in 1995. Al's grandson and Gary's son, Keith joined the firm in 1993, and in 1998 Gary and Keith purchased Maison-Dardenne Funeral Home in Maumee, renaming the business Maison-Dardenne-Walker Funeral Home. Then in 2004, Gary and Keith purchased the three Ottawa County Funeral Homes (Robinson-Henn-Brossia Funeral Homes in Oak Harbor & Genoa and Gerner-Wolf-Brossia Funeral Home in Port Clinton), renaming the businesses as Robinson-Walker Funeral Home in Oak Harbor & Genoa and Gerner-Wolf-Walker Funeral Home in Port Clinton. 

Today's Walker Family Funeral Homes now comprises these five funeral homes. Each home has its own full time staff as well as part time staffs that are locals to each community and are very involved in serving their cities and towns at the funeral home and also in their respective community groups and organizations.  Walker Family Funeral Homes is proud to be a third generation family owned and operated and continue a proud tradition of funeral service.

Learn more about Walker Funeral Home - Sylvania.

 Maison-Dardenne-Walker Funeral Home - Maumee

Today

In 1926, Julian Maison, built the first building in Maumee that was designed from the ground up to be a funeral home, the Julian Maison Funeral Home. That building at 501 Conant Street, after major renovations, still serves the families of Maumee and the surrounding communities when they have faced a loss. 

In 1948, Julian's brother-in-law, Rudolph "Rudy" Dardenne joined him in the operation of the business, forming the Maison-Dardenne Funeral Home. Julian and Rudy were well known in Maumee for many years.

In 1965, Rudy's son, Richard "Dick" joined the firm. Dick continued to serve the commuity up until his retirement in 1999. In 1998, Dick joined his funeral home with the Walker Funeral Home of Sylvania Township and the current name of Maison-Dardenne-Walker came into being. Dick and his wife Ardis still live and remain active in Maumee.

Learn more about Maison-Dardenne-Walker Funeral Home - Maumee.

Robinson-Walker Funeral Home - Oak Harbor

Established in 1920 (Picture circa: 1946)

Today

Funeral service in Oak Harbor was originally established in the early 1920's by the W.H. Hetrick family which operated their family funriture store, Hetrick & Son Furniture in downtown Oak Harbor. 

During those early years, caskets were made from wood and fabricated at the  furniture store, which lead to them "undertaking" in helping people purchase a casket ad care for their deceased loved one. 

In the late 1920's the Hetrick family established the W.H. Hetrick & Son Funeral Home as Oak Harbor's first funeral home specific location by purchasing the large Victorian style home that was built in the late 1800's by the Roose family located at 165 East Water Street on Oak Harbor's main thoroughfare. 

In 1946, Glenn & Mary Robinson purchased the funeral home from Lloyd Hetrick, changing the name to Robinson Funeral Home. Glenn and Mary also provided ambulance service and answered the fire department phones and sounded the fire alarms for many years. 

In 1963, the Robinson's purchased the Cecil Welch Funeral Home in Genoa, which served as a branch of the Oak Harbor business. After Glenn Robinson's death in 1973, Mary Robinson continued to operate both locations until her retirement in 1985. The business was continued by long time emplyees Donald P. Henn and James W. Brossia who purchased the funeral homes, which were then named, Robinson-Henn-Brossia Funeral Homes. 

Mr. Henn retired in 1989, Mr. Brossia retied in 2004 and sold the business to Gary walker, 2nd generation, and Keith Walker, 3rd generation funeral directors of the Walker Family Funeral Homes of Sylvania and Maumee. The funeral home is now named, Robinson-Walker Funeral Home and continues a long tradition of locally owned community service.

Learn more about Robinson-Walker Funeral Home - Oak Harbor.

Robinson-Walker Funeral Home - Genoa

Established in 1914 (Picture circa: 1967)

Today

In 1901, Mr. George H. Burman began funeral services from his Main Street funriture store. During those early years, caskets were made from wood and fabricated at the furniture store, which lead to them "undertaking" in helping people purchase a casket and care for their deceased loved one.

Visitation for the deceased was conducted at the deceased's residence while the embalimg and prepartion of the body was done at either the residence or the furniture store as requested by the family. The current West Street location was built in 1914, serving as a home to Mr. Burman. 

In the late 1930's the home was remodled, providing funeral and visitation accomodations while remaining the Burman family residence. In 1932, Mr. Cecil Welch began working with Mr. Burman. With the death of Mr. Burman in 1952, Mr. Welch purchased the funeral business changing the name to Cecil Welch Funeral Home in 1953. Mr. Welch died in 1962. 

In 1963, Mary and Glen Robinson, local funeral home operators from Oak Harbor, purchased the funeral home, changing the name to Robinson Funeral Home. after Glenn Robinson's death in 1973, Mary Robinson continued to operate both locations until her retirement in 1985. 

At the time of her retirement, the business was continued by long time employees Donald P. Henn and James W. Brossia who purchased the funeral homes, which were then named, Robinson-Henn-Brossia Funeral Homes. Mr. Henn retired in 1989. Mr. Brossia retired in 2004 and sold the business to Gary Walker, 2nd generation, and Keith Walker, 3rd generation funeral directors of the Walker Family Funeral Homes of Sylvania and Maumee. The funeral home is now named, Robinson-Wlaker Funeral Home and continues a long traditon of locally owned community service.

Learn more about Robinson-Walker Funeral Home - Genoa.

Gerner-Wolf-Walker Funeral Home - Port Clinton

Established in 1885 (Picture circa: 1948)

Today

Richard and Julia Gerner founded the Port Clinton funeral home in 1885. The couple operated a funriture store and undertaking business. In 1917, with Richard's health failing, Julia invited her nephew, William F. Wolf, to join the firm. 

When Richard died, the firm was left to Julia and William. William's sons, Richard and James Wolf, later Joined Julia and William. Upon the deaths of Julia Gerner in 1961 and William Wolf in 1964, the partnership was dissolved and the business divided with Richard asssuming operation of the funeral home and James the furniture store. 

Richard's son, David, joined the firm in 1969 and worked with his father until Richard's retirement in 1982. David continued to operate the funeral home until his death in 1997. 

In the spring of 1999 the funeral home was purchased by Jim and Stephania Brossia of the Robinson-Henn-Brossia Funeral Homes of Oak Harbor and Genoa, re-naming the business, Gerner-Wolf-Brossia Funeral Home. 

The Brossia’s added a 10,000 square foot state of the art addition onto the current funeral home making it not only Port Clinton’s largest funeral home facility, but one of the largest in Northwest Ohio with exquisite décor and yet home-like quality feel to it. The Brossia's retired in 2004 and sold the business to Gary Walker, 2nd generation, and Keith Walker, 3rd generation funeral directors of the Walker Family Funeral Homes of Sylvania and Maumee. The funeral home is now named, Gerner-Wolf-Walker Funeral Home and continues a long tradition of localy owned community service.

Learn more about Gerner-Wolf-Walker Funeral Home - Port Clinton.