Joe Bowers, the current owner, began working for a funeral home in his hometown at the age of 14. He helped out by mowing lawns and setting headstones for the local monument business and eventually learning through years of experience more about the funeral business.
He attended Genesee Community College before attending Simmons Institute of Funeral Service and Graduating in 2000. At Simmons, Joe met his future wife, Karen, while she was also attending and graduated with a degree in 2000 as well. They have three children together, their eldest daughter Kaitlyn, their son Hayden, and their youngest daughter Kendall.
In her years prior to becoming a funeral director, Karen also worked as a licensed cosmetologist since 1995 which has assisted her in her funeral directing career. Later on, Karen decided to go to nursing school and has been a Registered Nurse with NYS, since 2011.
Joe and Karen Bowers have dedicated many years of their lives to funeral service. We are sincerely grateful for the opportunity to come and serve the community of Dryden. So far we have met many wonderful people who have helped us settle into the community. We are here to help serve your family with our dedicated staff, Gary Tyrell and Dennis Totman, who have worked in the community for many years.
--That all shall be provided with a respectable funeral, regardless of their means.
--That people of all faiths will be served.
--That all staff members should be courteous, dignified, and considerate.
--That all prices shall be shown in plain figures, and that every family be given an unrestrained freedom of choice.
--That we will constantly adhere to professional ethics and a code of unselfish service to our clients.
--That people should be encouraged to pre-plan their services.
Perkins Funeral Home, Inc. will provide a funeral service sensitive to the needs of your family. We offer traditional religious funeral services as well as contemporary services of remembrance. All types of services have the option of including viewing the deceased prior to interment or cremation. The links below further describe some of the services which we provide.
Most families find the traditional funeral service to be the most satisfying way to honor the deceased. At Perkins Funeral Home we are able to assist you in creating a customized traditional funeral service that will help you to honor the wishes of your loved one and meet the needs and desires of surviving family members.
Typically, the traditional service includes the following events:
A more detailed description of the above list includes the following:
A licensed funeral professional removes the deceased from the place of death and transports the remains by professional funeral hearse to the funeral home. The director arranges for a time to meet with the family. At this conference, biographical details necessary for the obituary and the death certificate are obtained. The family's wishes and the type of service are determined, clergy or service leaders are contacted, cemetery arrangements are made, and other necessary paperwork is reviewed. At this time the funeral counselor and the family compile and word process an appropriate obituary and death notice to be sent to the newspapers of the family's choice. Prayer cards or memorial folders, acknowledgement cards, a casket, a burial vault and/or an urn and urn vault are selected. The funeral director completes the remaining paperwork and helps coordinate events between the clergy and the cemetery.
Each family is invited to the funeral home for a private viewing. Following this, the family normally leaves and returns later to greet their friends for the public viewing or calling hours. Calling hours are traditionally held from 7-9 PM but maybe held at other times which are convenient for the family. Some families choose not to hold visitation at all.
The funeral or service of remembrance will be held the next day at the funeral home or at the families desired place of worship. If the family has chosen ground interment, a procession is organized to the cemetery, where a committal service is held, which may include military honors if the deceased is a veteran. After the burial, some families desire to hold a non-supervised reception at the place of worship, various community centers, or at a private home.
There are many variations of the traditional service. Perkins Funeral Home, Inc. prides itself in being able to provide a meaningful service for your loved one.
A popular variation of the traditional funeral service is to have the visitation or calling hours on the same day as the funeral. With our large chapel facilities, this is easily accomplished at Perkins Funeral Home, Inc. Most families find the traditional funeral service to be the most satisfying way to honor the deceased. At Perkins Funeral Home we are able to assist you in creating a customized traditional funeral service that will help you to honor the wishes of your loved one and meet the needs and desires of surviving family members. Typically, the traditional service includes the following events:
A more detailed description of the above list includes the following:
A licensed funeral professional removes the deceased from the place of death and transports the remains by professional funeral hearse to the funeral home. The director arranges for a time to meet with the family. At this conference, biographical details necessary for the obituary and the death certificate are obtained. The family's wishes and the type of service are determined, clergy or service leaders are contacted, cemetery arrangements are made, and other necessary paperwork is reviewed. At this time the funeral counselor and the family compile and word process an appropriate obituary and death notice to be sent to the newspapers of the family's choice. Prayer cards or memorial folders, acknowledgement cards, a casket, a burial vault and/or an urn and urn vault are selected. The funeral director completes the remaining paperwork and helps coordinate events between the clergy and the cemetery.
Each family is invited to the funeral home for a private viewing. Following this, the family normally leaves and returns later to greet their friends for the public viewing or calling hours. When the public visitation and funeral service are on the same day, the public visitation or calling hours occurs directly prior to the funeral.
If the family has chosen ground interment, a procession is organized to the cemetery, where a committal service is held, which may include military honors if the deceased is a veteran. After the burial, some families desire to hold a non-supervised reception at the place of worship, various community centers, or at a private home.
There are many variations of the traditional service. Perkins Funeral Home, Inc. prides itself in being able to provide a meaningful service for your loved one.
This type of service involves cremating the deceased with a limited amount of preparation. We have found that many people desire that the remains be bathed and dressed, and that a family member be able to identify their loved one prior to delivery to the crematorium. Below are the most common choices that families choose when selecting immediate cremation.
Calling Hours and Memorial Service
A licensed funeral professional removes the deceased from the place of death and transports the remains by professional funeral hearse to the funeral home. The director arranges for a time to meet with the family. At this conference, biographical details necessary for the obituary and the death certificate are obtained. The family's wishes and the type of service are determined, clergy or service leaders are contacted, cemetery arrangements are made, and other necessary paperwork is reviewed. At this time the funeral counselor and the family compile and word process an appropriate obituary and death notice to be sent to the newspapers of the family's choice. Prayer cards or memorial folders, acknowledgement cards, a cremation casket or alternative container, an urn and possibly an urn vault are selected. The funeral director completes the remaining paperwork and helps coordinate events between the clergy and the cemetery.
Some families opt not to have any calling hours and just desire to have a memorial service. Following the memorial service, a procession proceeds to the cemetery where a Committal Service and burial occur. In some cases the family chooses to take the cremated remains with them and keep them, possibly burying them at a later time.
No Services
It is the desire of some people to be immediately cremated with no services. Perkins Funeral Home, Inc. does not encourage this but is happy to offer the service to families who desire it. We feel that some type of service and viewing is needed for closure, as it is a significant part of the grieving process.
The remains of the deceased are transported to the funeral home and placed in a cremation container. Some families choose view the deceased briefly before the cremation process begins. A paid obituary is sometimes submitted to the newspapers, other times a simple unpaid notice of death is submitted. The funeral director and the family meet to complete all of the necessary paperwork, including the cremation authorization form. Some families select an urn and some select an urn vault. Burial is private and at the convenience of the family. If a Committal Service is desired, the funeral director can help the family arrange this and supervise the burial.
Of course all families choose to do things differently, Perkins Funeral Home, Inc. is devoted to helping you customize these services so that we can provide what you desire.