Chris and Tracy Mercer are proud to continue the family business as 3rd Generation owners of the Mercer Funeral Home.
In 1934, Wendell L. Mercer moved to Holton with a vision for dignified and caring funeral service. Wendell and his wife, Wilma Horner Mercer, bought a home at the corner of 6th & New York Street in Holton.
Together, they restored each room to reflect the beauty they desired for the families who came to depend on them. Through additions and renovations over the next 50 years, they had built a beautiful funeral home. Their caring and compassion for the thousands of families they served over the years are still remembered by many.
The original building that served as Mercer Funeral Home for 54 years changed several times through various renovations.
Wendell and Wilma lived in the upstairs apartment of this building until they were able to build their own home, which was located across the alley to the west of the funeral home.
Bill Mercer, Sr., graduated from Holton High School in 1959. Bill joined the Mercer Funeral Home in 1964 after graduating from the University of Kansas Mortuary Science School.
Over the next 12 years, Bill was fortunate to be able to work alongside his parents, Wendell and Wilma. He had witnessed first hand how their caring and compassion for the families they served helped ease the pain caused by the loss of their loved ones. He took great pride in helping people through one of the most difficult times in their lives.
When Wendell passed away in 1976, Bill took over the operation of the funeral home and continued to work alongside his mother until his retirement in 1991.
Chris Mercer was born in Holton in 1965 and graduated from Holton High School in 1983. He attended Kansas University and Washburn University before receiving his Mortuary Science Degree in Kansas City. Chris has worked at the family funeral home in some capacity for most of his life. He worked at the funeral home as a licensed insurance agent beginning in 1986 at the facility on New York Street.
He later received his Funeral Director/Embalmer licenses and took over the operation of the funeral home with the retirement of his father in 1991. Chris and his wife, Tracy, who has been an assistant funeral director since 2004, purchased the funeral home several years ago, and both work full-time there now. They have 3 children, Kaleb, Grant, and Megan. They are all members of the Evangel United Methodist Church in Holton. Chris has been president of the Holton Cemetery Board since 1992. He has been on the Jackson County Friends of Hospice Advisory Board since 1992 and is a member and past president of the Holton Lions Club. Tracy has been a member of Holton Business Women, Holton Optimist Club, and Jackson County Friends of Hospice. Chris and Tracy work closely together to comfort the many loyal families Mercer Funeral Home has served for the past 89 years.
