retired funeral director and owner, Nalley-Pickle & Welch Funeral Homes, Big Spring and Midland, Texas, died November 13, 2024, at age 71. Welch attended Stephen F. Austin University and, later, Dallas Institute of Funeral Service. Upon graduation, Welch’s family returned to Big Spring to serve in the family business and he began his career under his father, owning and operating Nalley-Pickle & Welch Funeral Homes. Welch served on the boards of Directors Investment Group, International Order of the Golden Rule and the West Texas Funeral Directors Association, where he was honored as Funeral Director of the Year.

In the community, Welch served on the boards of the Northside Community Center, First Church of the Nazarene, New Hope Christian School, Gideons, and was a member of the Downtown Lions Club.

Welch is survived by wife Teresa; children Kasi, also a funeral director at the firm, Kylee and Kaegan; and six grandchildren.

licensed funeral director, founder and co-owner, Good Shepherd Funeral Home, Montevallo, Alabama, died November 4, 2024, at age 68. Meadows served as president of the Alabama Funeral Directors Association (AFDA) and as past vice-chairman on the Alabama Board of Funeral Service. He was the husband of funeral director Beverly Meadows and father of funeral directors Calvin D. Meadows and Harold Bowman, all of Good Shepherd Funeral Home.

Meadows was a certified funeral service professional and certified cremation operator. He held a doctorate in divinity from St. Thomas Christian College and was also a senior pastor and a much sought-after speaker for conferences, revivals, training and instruction. Meadows served 12 years on the Alabama Board of Funeral Service, 10 as vice-chairman, helping to write funeral service laws and regulations for the state.

In 2024, Meadows became the first person of color to be sworn in as AFDA president. He also served as chaplain of the Alabama Funeral Directors and Morticians Association for more than 10 years.

He is survived by wife Beverly Jean, sons Calvin D. Meadows and Harold Bowman, two grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

retired funeral director and owner, Schneider Funeral Directors, Janesville, Wisconsin, died October 16, 2024, at age 92. Schneider volunteered and served in the U.S. Army, a veteran of the Korean War, serving in the infantry. He then graduated from Wisconsin Institute of Mortuary Science. In 1960, Schneider started Schneider Funeral Home, where he served until his retirement in 2015. He furthered the family’s five-generation legacy in funeral service that began with his grandfather and continues to this day with his grandson and namesake Neal J.

Schneider was a member of many Janesville and state organizations, including the Wisconsin DNR board, city council, local service clubs, church boards, bank boards and Farm Progress Days. He also supported fundraising efforts for United Way. He received the Lifetime Achievement Award from Forward Janesville in 2004, honoring his dedicated service in Janesville and beyond.

He is survived by children Lori, Joseph and Daniel; grandchildren Neal J., funeral director of the firm, Tasha and Andrew; and two great-grandchildren.

retired funeral director and chairman, Amigone Funeral Home & Cremation Service, Erie County, New York, and past president, New York State Funeral Directors Association (NYSFDA), died September 7, 2024, at age 92.

Amigone attended Simmons Institute of Mortuary Science and went to work in the family business, founded in 1926. In the 1950s, he designed and built the first modern funeral home in Buffalo, New York, followed by constructions and acquisitions throughout western New York. The powder-blue “Amigone Blue” hearses, limousine and service vehicles were his creation.

While serving as NYSFDA president, Amigone focused on legislation with concern for the consumer, ensuring the creation of funeral preneed laws to protect consumers.

Amigone served in the U.S. Army in the Far East during the Korean conflict with the Army Graves Registration Unit, responsible for the repatriation of Korean dead. In 1955, he helped bring American knowledge of modern-day embalming and funeral service to Hong Kong, where he was associated with the president of the International Funeral Parlors of Hong Kong and Singapore.

Amigone was awarded the Buffalonian of the Year Award for dedication and service to the Buffalo community. In addition to serving as NYSFDA president, he was also president the National Association of Approved Morticians and the Erie Niagara Funeral Directors Association. He also served as an NFDA district governor and was a member of the Order of the Golden Rule. He held membership and served in such other organizations as Rotary (he was a Paul Harris fellow), Knights of Columbus and several chambers of commerce.

He is survived by daughters Mary and Danielle, sons Anthony P. Jr. and Vincent, and by many grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Robert L. Shank Sr., of Perrysburg, Ohio, who served as NFDA president in 1990-91, died at home November 9. He was 90.

Funeral service was a lifelong calling for Shank, and he spent more than 60 years serving the families of northwest Ohio, retiring at age 85.

He was born May 27, 1934, in Toledo, Ohio, to Cuthbert (“Sandy”) Shank and Ruby (Meier) Shank. He graduated from Libbey High School in 1952, and after working with his parents in his father’s grocery store, he pursued a career in funeral service, graduating from Cincinnati College of Embalming in 1956. In 1960, he married Clara (Mercer) Shank after they were set up by his father, and they had three children together.

In 1964, the Shanks were given the opportunity to purchase the Witzler Funeral Home, which had been serving the Perrysburg community since 1859. This humble beginning led to a successful career in funeral service, with the ownership of several funeral homes and cemeteries.

Shank’s service to the profession included involvement in state and national governance. In 1980, he was elected as president of the Ohio Funeral Directors Association. A decade later, he was elected NFDA president. One of his greatest honors was being sent to the 9/11 site in New York City to assist with recovery efforts.

Shank served his country in the Army Reserves. Since 1964, he was a member of Zoar Lutheran Church in Perrysburg, where he served on several committees. He also served as a member of the Perrysburg Board of Education and on the St. Luke’s Hospital Board in Maumee.

He is survived by children Tamara, Karen and Robert L. Jr.; six grandchildren; nieces and nephew; and many extended family members.

retired funeral director and founder, Menke Funeral Home, Sun City, Arizona, died August 15, 2024, at age 82. Menke graduated from Cypress College in Cypress, California, and went to work at Lundberg Mortuary in Youngtown. He founded Menke Funeral Home in 1977, remodeling an old post office. With hard work, it became the most respected funeral home in the Sun City area.

Menke was a member of the State Board of Funeral Directors and Embalmers, charter member of Lake-view Rotary, American Legion, Glendale Sunrise Lions Club and the Fraternal Order of Police, and he was appointed to the Critical Incident Review Board by the Department of Public Safety, where he served for seven years.

Menke is survived by children Kimberly, Jennifer, Jordan and Brittany; and five grandchildren.

funeral director, Harder Funeral Home, Brookfield, Wisconsin, died July 16, 2024, at age 43. Nienstedt attended the University of Wisconsin-Madison while apprenticing at Gunderson Funeral Home. He earned his degree in mortuary science at Milwaukee Area Technical College and worked at Schmitt and Bartelt Funeral Homes in Milwaukee. He also worked in Sheboygan at Ballhorn Chapels/Westview, in Hartford at Shimon Funeral Home and in Brookfield at Harder Funeral Home. Nienstedt was involved with the Wisconsin Funeral Directors Association Lake Shore District for 10 years, where he served as district representative prior to his death. He was also a member of the Hartford Kettle Moraine and Hartford Lion’s Club, where he coordinated many successful fundraisers.

He is survived by wife Kacey, sons Mason and Liam, and brothers Andy and Matthew.

retired funeral director and past owner, Routsong Funeral Home and Cremation Services, Kettering, Ohio, died July 12, 2024, at age 96. Routsong graduated from Purdue University with a degree in mechanical engineering and began his career at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, involved in the development of numerous aircraft. He was especially proud to have been part of the team that reverse-engineered enemy aircraft at the end of World War II.

Routsong joined his father in the business as a licensed funeral director and grew the company to three facilities, the second a restored historic home in Centerville and the current location in Kettering, which he designed from the ground up.

Routsong was a recipient of the James E. West Award from Miami Valley Boy Scouts of America. He was a founding member of Kettering-Oakwood Exchange Club and Lions Club of Oakwood and was affiliated with Delta Tau Delta Fraternity, Far Hills Lodge and AASR Valley of Dayton. Routsong was a member of Antioch Shrine, Arabic Club and a founding member and past president of Far Hills High 12 Club.

He is survived by wife Marylou; daughter Jane; son Thomas A. (“TR”), now owner of the funeral home; three grandchildren, two of which, Samuel and Maxwell, are also funeral directors at Routsong; and stepson Neil.

funeral director and regional operations director for Vertin Company, died August 9, 2024, at age 50. Decker graduated from Cincinnati College of Mortuary Science and moved to Oakes, North Dakota, where he worked at Dahlstrom Funeral Home.

He decided to make a career change within funeral service and worked as a regional sales representative for Deaton-Kennedy to provide supplies to funeral homes until 2010, when Decker and his family relocated to Morris, Minnesota, where he resumed his calling as a funeral director at Pedersen and Starbuck funeral homes. In September 2019, Decker accepted the position of regional operations director for Vertin Company, parent company of the funeral homes.

Decker is survived by wife Deb, daughter Riley, son Durgin, one grandson and a grandchild on the way.

retired funeral director, founder and owner, James Crowder Funeral Home, La Marque, Texas, died August 4, 2024, at age 94. Crowder attended Landig Mortuary College in Houston and worked at Malloy & Son Funeral Home in Galveston as an ambulance driver, funeral director and assistant manager. With his first wife, Ann, they grew the business together, expanding across Galveston County with locations in La Marque and Dickinson. After Ann’s death, Crowder and three of his sons expanded once more to Webster before he retired in 2003.

Crowder received the Distinguished Service Award from the La Marque Junior Chamber of Commerce. After serving as chamber president, he was elected mayor of La Marque. His tenure as mayor led him to his next endeavor as La Marque City councilman, where he received the Outstanding Leadership Award from La Marque Chamber of Commerce and began his bid for his second term as mayor. He was again recognized for outstanding citizenship by Knights of Columbus. Crowder served as president of the Rotary Club and continued to participate in several civic organizations. In 1993, Crowder made another bid for political office and was elected mayor of Tiki Island. He has been a member of the board of directors of Gulf National Bank (now Texas First Bank) since 1983.

Crowder is survived by second wife Betty; sons John, James Jr. and Walter; stepson Erik; 15 grandchildren; 27 great-grandchildren; and three great-great-grandchildren.