Our Story
Dedicated to families since day one.
Since the first Ford and Young Funeral Home opened in 1949, we have approached life—and death—differently. We see every funeral service as a time for reflection, appreciation, and celebration. We offer families more than a burial ground—we offer them an extraordinary and passionate team of funeral professionals who are dedicated to honoring, sharing, and preserving the memory of their loved ones.
Learn the legacy.

1949
On November 1, 1949, Walter H. "Doc" Ford and Ross Young opened the doors to Ford-Young Funeral Home on Sprigg Street in Cape Girardeau, Missouri.

1953
In 1953, Walter J. Ford, Walter H.’s son, bought out the Young family interests and the name changed to Ford and Sons Funeral Home.

1957
Four years later, in 1957, Walter J. Ford and his wife Iris took over as acting managers of the funeral home and also opened a branch in Benton, Missouri.

1980
In 1980 Cliff Ford joined his parents in the family business to be followed in 1983 by his brother Kevin.

1986
In order to better serve the community, many additions have been made to the Sprigg Street location over the years. In 1986 Ford and Sons purchased the Cape County Memorial Park Cemetery.

1988
In 1988 purchased Walther's and Brinkopf-Howell Funeral Homes in Cape Girardeau. Shortly after the purchase, the firm was merged into the Ford and Sons corporation.

1990
The Mt. Auburn Road location was established.

2009
Kevin's son, Josh joined the staff in 2009 and currently serves as Vice President and oversees daily operations at all four locations.

2010
After 30 years of dedicated service Cliff retired in 2010 and now resides with his family in Mississippi.

2015
In March of 2015 Cracraft-Miller Funeral Home in Jackson, Missouri was purchased and renamed, Ford & Sons Funeral Home- Jackson. We are excited about serving the needs of the Jackson community.

2019
In May of 2019, Young and Sons Funeral Home in Perryville and Altenburg was purchased and renamed Ford & Young
Funeral Home. We are excited about serving the needs of the Perry county community.
Who We Are
Meet our staff. Members of the local community make everything that happens possible.
Together, we make this place amazing.

Walter J. Ford
Past President/Funeral Director/Embalmer
Walter "Doc" Ford began his career in July of 1957 along with his wife Iris who was Secretary/Treasurer and licensed Funeral Director of the firm for over 50 years. He currently is a member of the Elk's Lodge, Masonic Lodge, Moolah Shrine and the Eagle's Lodge. Lifetime active member of Centenary United Methodist Church.
He has been active in many other boards in the community.

Kevin Ford
President/Funeral Director/Embalmer
Kevin was a 1979 graduate of Cape Central High School. He then graduated from Louisiana Tech.
He and his wife Cindy have two children, Josh (Julianna) and Kristen (Brad LaBruyere). He has three grandsons, Montgomery, Fisher and Hampton and one granddaughter, Engram. He is a member of Centenary United Methodist Church in Cape and is on the board of SoutheastHEALTH. Kevin is an avid golfer and enjoys spending time with his grandsons.

Josh Ford
Vice President/ Funeral Director
Josh was a 2003 graduate of Cape Central High School and 2008 graduate of Arkansas State University with a degree in Business Management. While at ASU he was a member of the Red Wolves baseball team. A lifelong member of Centenary United Methodist Church, Josh serves as an Ambassador Board Member for Southeast Health, and is a member of St. Marks Masonic Lodge and the Lions Club of Cape Girardeau. He and his wife, Julianna, reside in Cape Girardeau with their sons, Montgomery and Fisher and daughter, Engram.

Kristen Ford LaBruyere
Administrative Assistant
Kristen was a 2007 graduate of Cape Central Senior High School, a 2012 graduate of the University of Missouri-Columbia and a 2015 graduate of the University of Missouri-Kansas City with her Master’s degree in Art History. Kristen is a lifelong member of Centenary United Methodist Church. Kristen and her husband Brad reside in Cape Girardeau and have two sons, Hampton and Ford.

Dana Townsend
Mt. Auburn Location Manager/Funeral Director & Embalmer
Dana was raised in central Indiana and attended Ivy Tech where she earned her Mortuary Science degree in 2010. While in Indiana she had worked in the funeral industry for 7 years. She joined the Ford & Sons staff in 2011. She is a member of the Jackson Rotary Club where she currently serves as President and attends LaCroix Church in Cape Girardeau.
She and her husband Deius live in Jackson, have a daughter Marlee and son, Jaylen.
Dana enjoys any activity outdoors and spending as much time with her family as she can.

Josh Liley
Jackson Location Manager and Funeral Director
Josh graduated from Jackson High School in Jackson, MO, then attended John A. Gupton College of Mortuary Science in Nashville. Josh is now a Missouri Licensed Funeral Director, Preneed Agent, and Crematory Operator. He lives in Cape Girardeau with his wife and three children. Josh is a third generation Funeral Director serving the surrounding Southeast Missouri Area. He finds great fulfillment in helping families during their times in need. Josh feels this service is a God-given gift and is humbled to help his community in this way. In his free time, Josh enjoys being with his family and serving those who put their trust in him.

Joe L. Lowes
Funeral Director/Embalmer
Joe was a graduate of Jackson High School in 1969 and graduate of Kentucky School of Mortuary Science in 1972. He has been in the funeral industry since 1970. He was married to the late Janet M. (Steeg) Lowes of Jackson, MO for 42 years. They have 2 children, 4 grandchildren, 5 great-grandchildren and one on the way. Member of Hanover Lutheran Church. Hobbies include, sports, horses, dogs and walking.

Alan J. Essner
Funeral Director
Alan has been a Funeral Director with Ford and Sons since 1988. He is married to Denise and they have 5 children. He is active at St. Vincent DePaul Catholic Church in Cape Girardeau. Graduate of Notre Dame High School in 1978, Southest Missouri State University in 1982.

Rick Wieser
Funeral Director
Rick came to Cape Girardeau in 1974 and graduated from Southeast Missouri State University. Rick and his wife Judy spend most of their spare time with their children’s athletic events. They attend Trinity Lutheran Church in Cape.
Rick joined Ford & Sons Funeral Home in 1997 and believes in helping families in the community during their time of need.

Saylor Hardesty
Administrative Support Manager
Saylor was a 2011 graduate of Jackson High School and a 2015 graduate of Southeast Missouri State University. Saylor is a lifelong member of LaCroix Church and also volunteers her time in the children’s ministry. Saylor and her husband, Clayton enjoy spending time with their family and being outdoors. They have a daughter, Laney and a son, Bo.

Tiffany Davis
Administrative Assistant
Tiffany graduated from Jackson Senior High School in 2010 and went on to Southeast Missouri State University majoring in Business Administration. She lives in Jackson with her husband Rob, son Hogan and daughter, Marielle. She is ordained through Universal Life Church and a member of LaCroix Church. She values family, friendship and helping others above all else. In her free time, you can find her with loved ones, being active and enjoying the outdoors.

Jessica Kooyer
Administrative Assistant
Jessica was born and raised in Southeast Missouri. She and her husband Brendon live in Jackson, where they raised their children, Dylan and Alyssa. She, along with her family, are members of The Bridge Church in Cape Girardeau.

Florence Marshall Harold
Pre-Need Consultant/Monument Sales
Florence is a graduate of Notre Dame High School, earned a Bachelor of Science in Mass Communication and Journalism from Southeast Missouri State University and a Master of Arts, Pastoral Theology from St. Mary of the Woods College, St. Mary of the Woods, Indiana. She is a licensed pre-need agent, advising families in pre-arranging their own funeral or the funeral of a loved one, which helps relieve the burden for those left behind. She works with families after a funeral is complete, obtaining death certificates, designing cemetery markers or monuments and offering assistance as needed.

Mary Emmenderfer
Administrative Assistant
Often the first person you see, Mary (Lappe) Emmenderfer, a Cape native formerly married to Gary Emmenderfer until his untimely death in 1994.
She is a lifelong member of St. Mary's Cathedral having served in many capacities including the school board. Mary's primary interests are her large family and cooking.

Terrell Weaver
Funeral Home Assistant
Terrell was born and raised in Cape Girardeau, Missouri and a graduate of Cape Central High School. He is married to Jane (Ponder) Weaver. Together they have a blended family of four children and four grandchildren. Terrell is a member of St. Vincent DePaul Parish in Perryville.
He enjoys spending time with family and friends. His hobbies include flower gardening, landscaping, traveling, and cemetery repair projects.

Jeff Long
Funeral Home Assistant
Jeff is a native of western Pennsylvania and has lived in Missouri since 1989.
He is married to his college sweetheart, Lois, and the couple has two adult daughters.
He is a retired United Methodist clergyman and has served as an adjunct instructor in religion at Southeast Missouri State University since 2012.
Currently, the business editor for the Southeast Missourian newspaper, he is the 2021 DeRose-Hinkhouse Award winner for best religious commentary series from the Religion Communicators Council.

Bob Osborn
Funeral Home Assistant
Bob has lived in Cape Girardeau since 1959. He was owner and operator of The Meat Shop.
He began working at Ford and Sons in 2006.
Bob enjoys greeting everyone with a smile and is passionate about serving others.

Mark Cook
Funeral Home Assistant
Mark graduated from Meadow Heights High School. He finished his undergraduate degree in Education at Illinois State University.
He received his Masters and Specialist degrees from Southeast Missouri State and retired after 32 years in education. He and his wife, Lana, have two sons, Casey (Sarah) and Noland (Rachel) and three beautiful granddaughters. He is a member of Crossroads Church. He enjoys spending time with family, traveling, playing music, and reading.

Jim Rudolph
Funeral Home Assistant
Jim was raised in southern Indiana and attended Oakland City University where he earned his Bachelor of Arts in Religious Studies (1992) and his Masters of Divinity (1996). While in Indiana he worked as a General Baptist pastor as well as a Business Analyst for a regional bank and an international plastics company. Jim moved to southeast Missouri in 2013 and joined the Ford & Sons staff in 2019.
He and his wife Candace have two children, Jessica and Landon. Jim enjoys reading, working with Boy Scout troop 210, and spending time with his family.

Steven Lee
Funeral Home Assistant
Steve was born and raised in Cape Girardeau where he attended Cape Public Schools. He is a veteran of the United States Navy. Upon his return to Cape he attended Southeast Missouri State University. Steve was employed by Proctor and Gamble for twenty-five years. He is a long standing member of St. James A.M.E. Church. He and his wife Yvonne have two children and two beautiful grandchildren. Steve enjoys spending time with his family and friends, helping others and fishing.

Clark Daniels
Office Manager/Grounds Supervisor
Clark was born and raised in Missouri. He graduated from Illmo-Scott City High School in 1978. He has lived in Cape Girardeau since 1979.
Clark is married to Vicki who is Director of Nursing at Doctors Park Surgery. They have four sons and 12 grandchildren.
They enjoy spending time with family, going to the gym and participating in various 5K events.
Clark has been employed at Cape County Memorial Park Cemetery since 1981.

Richard Schreiner
Grounds Maintenance
Richard was born in Cape Girardeau and has lived in Jackson his whole life.
Richard enjoys spending time with family and friends but especially riding his Harley Davidson motorcycle.

Matthew Daniels
Grounds Maintenance
Matthew was born and raised in Cape Girardeau. He attended Cape Public Schools and graduated from Cape Central in 2003. Matt joined the Marine Corp from 2003-2006. He then returned to the area to work alongside his dad at Cape County Memorial Park Cemetery. Matt has four children, Makenzie, Austen, Jorden and Kiyla. He enjoyes spending time with family and riding motorcycles.

Ruby Voshage
Administrative Assistant
Ruby serves as an administrative assistant at both the funeral home and cemetery, Cape County Memorial Park. She has worked in the office part-time for 10 years and developed an electronic database for the records. Ruby brings years of customer service experience to her new position. She has managed her own hair stylist shop, and also is a stylist at the funeral home. Ruby is a life-long resident of the Cape Girardeau/Jackson area and currently resides in the Fruitland area with her husband, Joe. She has two sons and four beautiful grandchildren.

Explore Our Locations
See where we are and find the place that best meet your needs.
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Ford & Sons Mt. Auburn Funeral Home
Ford & Sons Mt. Auburn Funeral Home
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1001 N. Mt. Auburn Rd.
- Cape Girardeau, MO 63701
- Telephone: (573) 334-1313
- Fax: (573) 335-2323
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: https://www.fordandsonsfuneralhome.com/
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1001 N. Mt. Auburn Rd.
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Ford & Sons Sprigg St. Funeral Home
Ford & Sons Sprigg St. Funeral Home
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118 S. Sprigg St.
- Cape Girardeau, MO 63703
- Telephone: (573) 334-1211
- Fax: (573) 335-2323
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: https://www.fordandsonsfuneralhome.com/
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118 S. Sprigg St.
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Ford & Sons Funeral Home - Jackson
Ford & Sons Funeral Home - Jackson
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708 W. Main Street
- Jackson, MO 63755
- Telephone: (573) 243-2541
- Fax: (573) 243-5934
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: https://www.fordandsonsfuneralhome.com
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708 W. Main Street
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Cape County Memorial Park Cemetery
2315 Highway 61 North, Cape Girardeau, MO 63701
(573) 334-1909
Office Hours:
Cape County Memorial Park Cemetery
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2315 Highway 61 North
- Cape Girardeau, MO 63701
- Telephone: (573) 334-1909
- Website: https://www.fordandsonsfuneralhome.com/
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2315 Highway 61 North
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Ford & Sons Benton Funeral Home
Ford & Sons Benton Funeral Home
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142 S. Winchester
- Benton, MO 63736
- Telephone: (573) 545-3529
- Fax: (573) 335-2323
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: https://www.fordandsonsfuneralhome.com/
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142 S. Winchester
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Ford & Young Perryville Funeral Home
110 S. West Street, Perryville, MO 63775
(573) 547-2566
Ford & Young Perryville Funeral Home
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110 S. West Street
- Perryville, MO 63775
- Telephone: (573) 547-2566
- Website: https://www.fordandyoungfuneralhome.com
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110 S. West Street
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Ford and Young East Perry Chapel
7961 Main Street, Altenburg, MO 63732
(573) 824-5240
Ford and Young East Perry Chapel
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7961 Main Street
- Altenburg, MO 63732
- Telephone: (573) 824-5240
- Website: https://www.fordandyoungfuneralhome.com/
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7961 Main Street