ERIE AND GIRARD - Key Persons
Brian May is a licensed funeral director and embalmer and is the manager of the funeral home in Girard. He has three adult children, Ryan, Aaron and Molly. He grew up in Altamont and is a graduate of Labette County High School and Labette Community College. He received his funeral service education at the Kansas City, Kansas Community College and has been with our funeral home full time since 1986.
Job Titles:
- Funeral Director
- Owner
- Funeral Director in Parsons
Gary Wall has been a funeral director in Parsons since 1966. He and the late Jack Burris established the Burris-Wall Funeral Home in late 1965 and opened for business in January 1966. He is a Parsons native and graduated from Parsons High School, Parsons Junior College and Pittsburg State University. He received training in funeral service at the Department of Mortuary Science at the University of Kansas Medical Center. He is a member of the First Baptist Church, the Rotary Club, has been a director of Commercial Bank since 1971 and is active in several other organizations.
Job Titles:
- Arrangement Counselor
- Pre - Arrangement Counselor
Hal Redford has lived in Parsons since 1976 and retired from Ray Products in 2012 after thirty-eight years. He is active in the First Baptist Church and the Parsons Rotary Club. His wife, Judy, is a former teacher at Parsons High School. They are the parents of three sons, Richard, Brent and Kevin and have six grandchildren.
Justin Brown is a licensed funeral director and embalmer. He is a graduate of Parsons High School and earned a bachelor's degree in Mortuary Science from the University of Central Oklahoma at Edmond, Oklahoma. He has three children, two sons, Brady and Cade, and a daughter, Allison. He attends the Parsons Foursquare Church and is a member of the Parsons Kiwanis Club. He has been a member of the staff since 2000 and has been a licensed funeral director since 2002.
Martin "Marty" Mendicki is a licensed funeral director and embalmer. He is a graduate of Parsons High School and Labette Community College. He earned a bachelor's degree in Mortuary Science from Central State University in Edmond, Oklahoma and has also attained the designation of Certified Funeral Service Practitioner. He is a member of First Baptist Church and the Parsons Lions Club. He serves as a board member of several other organizations. Marty worked at our funeral home during his high school and community college days and returned to work full time in 1997.
Ned Wall is a licensed funeral director and has worked at the funeral home from an early age. He graduated from Parsons High School, Labette Community College and Pittsburg State University. He has two children, a son Owen and a daughter Scout. Ned is a member of the First Baptist Church and of the Rotary Club. He serves on the board of trustees of Labette Health.
Job Titles:
- Assistant
- Funeral Director
Rick Prideaux works part time at the funeral home in Girard and is a licensed assistant funeral director. He is retired from the Craw-Kan Telephone Company and is an ordained minister in the Nazarene Church. He serves as associate pastor of the Living Faith of the Nazarene Church in Girard. Rick is a Girard native and his wife is Diane. They have two children and five grandchildren and two great grandchildren.
Shirley Wall is present at many funerals and visitations in Parsons. She was a kindergarten teacher at Washington School in Parsons from 1965 to 1973. She and Gary were married in 1970 and have three children, Katherine Eitel, Emily Brown, Ned Wall and 7 grandchildren. She is a member of the First Baptist Church and of P.E.O.
Taylor Blackburn is a lifelong Parsons resident and graduated from Parsons High School in 2007. He started with the funeral home on a part time basis while in school and has been full time for several years. He has three children, Jase, Dirk and Abrienne. Taylor is in charge of maintaining several of our facilities, grounds and automobiles.