06/06/2026
Behner Funeral Home has been in this location since 1936, and Scott and Rachel purchased it from the third owner, making their family the fourth owners of Behner Funeral Home and Crematory.
In 2003, Fred Behner expanded the property by adding a four-car garage and crematory and an upper-level space (construction pictured here). Today, that upper level serves as the Life Event Center at Behner Funeral Home (east side of the building pictured here). While the main level was originally dedicated to offices and showrooms, we have reimagined it into a dynamic, multiuse area to better serve our community.
With that said, we want to reiterate our gratitude for Main Street America for all of the opportunities offered to small businesses such as ours. “At Main Street America, we believe that supporting entrepreneurs and small businesses builds community wealth and a culture of innovation…” said Erin Barnes, President and CEO, Main Street America. “This is why we are so proud to partner with American Express on a program that provides meaningful support to small business owners working to strengthen their livelihoods and their communities.”
After the application cycle closed, we were thrilled to be notified of our selection for grant funding in March. All recipients are allocated a six-month window to execute their proposed projects.
Our timeline includes the following milestones:
February: Preliminary demolition work begins.
April: Grant-funded project work officially commences.
June: Construction continues, with the final behind-the-scenes components of Phase 1 wrapping up this month.
September 2026: All proposed grant projects must be fully completed.
Note on Eligibility: All Main Street business owners, including Board members, were eligible (and encouraged) to apply. Transparent policies were strictly enforced throughout the process to prevent any conflicts of interest.