Pickering Funeral Home

Always a family-owned and operated business, Pickering Funeral Home was originally Precht Funeral Home, established in 1884 by Henry A. Precht. Mr. Precht had been [Mexico MO Funeral Home Pickering] associated with funeral homes since he was 14 years old, and opened the "combination furniture store and undertaking business" at the age of 22. In 1917 M.S. Bush and Mr. Precht formed a partnership and established the M.S. Bush Undertaking Company. When Mr. Bush died on April 10, 1926, Mr. Precht bought his half of the business, and Earl Precht went to work with his father full time. In January 1927 they started the first "straight funeral business" in Mexico, named H.A. Precht and Son Funeral Home, a name it would carry for two decades. The funeral home was located in four different locations just off the square in Mexico until 1933 when Mr. Precht and his son bought an old hotel at the northeast corner of Jackson and Clark Streets and renovated it for use as the funeral home. In June 1950, H. A. Precht died at the age of 87. Earl, by then a seasoned funeral director, continued managing the firm, and on June 28, 1950, bought his father's half interest in the business from his estate. In 1956 he built a new building at 403 North Western, where the funeral home is located today. In 1967, Connie Pickering purchased a half-interest in the funeral home from Earl Precht. Connie, his wife Barbara, and their son David, moved into the apartment above the funeral home, and Connie took over the management of the funeral home. The name was changed to Precht-Pickering Funeral Home to reflect the new ownership. The building was extensively remodeled in 1969. Earl Precht remained active in the firm until his death in 1981, when Connie Pickering bought the remaining half of the business from his estate. In 1984, David Pickering joined his father in the operation of the funeral home. The funeral home was expanded and remodeled in 1995 after several years of research and planning. Approximately 1500 square feet were added to the footprint, along with an additional entrance and parking lot. At the dedication of the remodeled funeral home, David Pickering announced the change to the current name, Pickering Funeral Home, once again reflecting the family ownership of the business. In his words, " . . .when a family deals with us, they are always dealing with the boss, no matter which member of our family they are talking to.