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DENGEL & SON MORTUARY
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If you have lived in Franklin County for any length of time, chances are you will know or at least recognize our employees, because they all live here. They are all longtime or lifetime residents. We think that it is important for families we serve to see familiar faces at a time when they need comfort and understanding. It just seems to make a difficult situation a little easier. Our employees deserve to be in the spotlight because much of our success is due to their dedication and caring, and we want to give credit where credit is due. I appreciate the staff's dedication and loyalty and I owe them a debt of gratitude. Without them, we would not be able to enjoy the success we have today. However, their dedication and loyalty are not limited to the funeral home, these traits are also extended to our city and surrounding communities. All members of our staff are either native Franklin Counties or longtime residents. They have a vested interest in the future of this county, because their children and grandchildren are here; their roots are here. They are not only good employees; they are good neighbors and friends, who are proud to live here and who take an active part in making it a good place to live. We see a bright future for this community and the surrounding area. Our
county is growing, and we are all very excited to be a part of it.  Craig Louis &
Cindy Dengel, the president of Dengel & Son Mortuary, is the third
generation to own and manage Dengel & Son Mortuary. He follows in the footsteps of his
father, Walter, and his grandfather, Louis. As a youngster of twelve, he began his
career in the funeral business at the bottom of the ladder, washing cars and mowing the
lawn for his grandfather at the funeral home. He continued helping at the funeral home all
through high school and during the summers while in college. Craig graduated from Ottawa High School in 1978, from Kansas City Community College with an Associate Arts Degree in Mortuary Science in 1980, and from Fort Hays State University with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Administration in 1983. After college, he returned to Ottawa and joined his father in business. A few years later, he married Cynthia Lee. Cindy is employed by Solutions Bank of Ottawa where she is Assistant Vice President. They have three children: Jennifer, lives Overland Park; Christina, their second daughter, is a recent graduate of Baker University; their son, Chase, attends Ottawa High School. Craig is proud to be a third generation funeral director serving Ottawa, proud to be the owner of Ottawa’s only independent, family owned funeral home. Growing up in Ottawa, being a part of this community, having lifelong friendships and acquaintances, influence his every business decision. This is more than just business to Craig; this is a personal commitment to friends and neighbors.  Jon
Wiggins , an Ottawa native, has been with Dengel & Son Mortuary for
eighteen years. He started working part-time while he was still in high school. He is a
licensed embalmer and funeral director, but he is much more than that implies, he is part
of management. We value his opinions, and he has taken charge of several facets of the
funeral home. Jon is a key employee.A perfectionist, he is always interested in continuing his education and learning new techniques in the preparation room. "That's good enough" is not in his vocabulary. Jon isn't finished with a task until it is as good as it can possibly be. He is always looking for ways to serve our families better. For instance, he decided to put a weather-proof picture of the deceased on the temporary grave markers when a photograph is available. Families seem to appreciate this. He is always thinking of things like that, little things we don't have to do, but want to do, for the families we serve. Jon lost his mother, sister and grandmother, all in the space of a year, so he has a special empathy for families experiencing a loss. He's been there. Jon is married to the former Theresa Maes. She teaches sixth grade at the Ottawa Middle School. They have a three sons: Hayden, age thirteen, Bryce, age seven, and Drew, age four. They are members of Westminster Presbyterian Church.
Carolyn Elder, an Ottawa native, is a Pre-need
Counselor and licensed assistant funeral director. She has been a member of
Dengel & Son Mortuary’s staff since October 1, 1990. The main
focus of her job is pre-need counseling. She helps people plan funeral
services before the need arises. That may or may not include pre-funding.
One thing Carolyn will not do is pressure anyone into pre-funding a funeral,
and she would not work for anyone who asked her to do that. It is the reason
she is a salaried employee instead of working on a commission, as most other
pre-need counselors are. There is no pressure on her to do something she is
not comfortable with. Carolyn sets high standards for herself,
professionally, personally and morally. She would not compromise those
standards for anyone.Carolyn also sets aside time to speak to various groups to acquaint them with all the different facets of a funeral service. She communicates very well and is very knowledgeable. There seems to be a great deal of interest in the subject and the meetings are very lively and informative. In 1993 Carolyn began studying sign language and although she says she is still learning, has done her best to interpret funeral services when families have had that need. For about nine years she has shared music in sign for churches and groups and since late 2001 has directed a group called “Hands of Glory” that presents contemporary Christian music in sign. Carolyn is an Ottawa native. When her husband of thirty-seven years died suddenly in April of 2003, she was truly thankful that she and Bud had made their own pre-arrangements. Her personal experience has given her even more insight and compassion for those she helps as pre-need counselor. Carolyn has three married daughters and eight grandchildren. She is a member of First United Methodist Church and United Methodist Women, where she has held various offices at the local and district level.
. Dan Oglesby is a lifelong Ottawa resident and has worked at Dengel & Son Mortuary for three years now. Dan is the administrator at Ottawa Christian Academy and Pastor at the Community Revival Center Church here in Ottawa, so he keeps busy. He does a little bit of everything for the mortuary. He helps with funerals, makes first calls, and helps whenever we need him. Dan grew up in Ottawa and married an Ottawa girl, Roxie Wiederholt. They have two children Jenna ans Jacob. He really enjoys family outings with his immediate and extended families. Dan is very involved in Ottawa youth baseball program. He is the former President of Ottawa Babe Ruth League. He also announces at tournaments for Babe Ruth and other special events. He also umpires at the high school level in our area. He is a great umpire, everyone respects his ability and his manner.
Home | History | Facilities
| Services Provided dengelmortuary@sbcglobal.net 235 S.
Hickory Street
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Eric Price,
Has been with Dengel & Son Mortuary for eight years now. Eric is a
licensed embalmer and funeral director. Eric is a graduate of Kansas City
Kansas Community College where he earned his Associate Degree in Mortuary Science. He adds
this degree to a B.S. in Business Finance and Economics earned from Baker University
several years ago.
Linda
Bradley, the office secretary, has been with us since May of 1998. Before
coming to Dengel & Son Mortuary, she was employed by Jordan & Chappell Law Offices
of Ottawa.
Jean
Lowrance has been at Dengel & Son longer than any other employee,
twenty years to be exact. Jean works every other evening from five to nine and every
other Saturday afternoon. She alternates working with Jon and Joyce Boyd. Her duties
include notifying pallbearers and newspapers, helping at visitations, laminating newspaper
articles and pictures, as well as greeting people at the door and answering the telephone.
Jean has a special talent that we use to good advantage, she has beautiful handwriting.
She has been such
a dependable employee. Jean does her job and does it well. Dengel & Son Mortuary is
fortunate to have the services of this long time employee. 
Bob Redeker is a long time Ottawa resident who has been
working for Dengel & Son Mortuary for a few years. If you attend a family visitation,
it is usually Bob who greets you and makes you feel at ease.
Tony
Stottlemire began working at Dengel & Son Mortuary about four
years ago. We needed someone to do cemetery set-ups. That
involved setting the vaults in place and setting up the tents for the
committal services at the cemetery. We were looking for someone who
took pride in his work and recognized the importance of getting the job done
right. We made a good choice, Tony was just the right person to fill
that position, he has proven to be an excellent employee. Tony is a country
boy with a pleasant personality who grew up in the Rantoul area and still
lives there. He graduated in 1988 from Central Heights, where he
lettered four years in football and track. He grew up learning
old-fashioned values. He is reliable, works hard, does it right and
gets the job done. He is married to Michelle (Bien) and has a
beautiful little girl named Emma Rose. When he is not enjoying his
family, he likes to hunt deer and turkey with a bow and arrow. He also
spends quite a bit of time keeping his farm mowed and looking good. It
is no wonder he keeps the funeral home grounds looking so nice, it is in his
nature to keep things orderly and neat.