History of Barnett, Demrow & FRIEND Funeral Home

In 1905, J.M. Reynolds established the J.M. Reynolds Undertaking Company, who started the business with a team of horses and a buckboard.

In 1953, W.G. Morgan and C.R. Barnett became partners in the business. In 1959, Reynolds passed away, and Barnett assumed full ownership of the funeral home by 1960. In 1970, Barnett built the new facility adjacent to the original structure.

In 1979, Barnett’s son, Dan, and Bill Demrow became partners in the business. In 1982, Barnett Funeral Home purchased Beazley, Raney, and Speaks Funeral Home in Stanford. The funeral home then became known as the Beazley, Barnett & Demrow Funeral Home. In 1983, Dan Barnett & Bill Demrow became sole owners of the business and changed the name to Barnett & Demrow Funeral Home and Monument Co, Inc. In September 1985, Barnett & Demrow Funeral Home and Monument Co, Inc. purchased Fox Funeral Home in Stanford. The decision was made to close the Beasley location (in Stanford) and operate from the Fox location in Stanford and the Barnett & Demrow location in Waynesburg.

Along with the purchase of Fox Funeral Home, the decision was made to bring Scottie Ernst (who was also an employee of Fox) a partner in the company. In August 1998, Barnett, Demrow, & Ernst sold to a corporation based in Houston, Texas.

On August 28, 2012, John David & Mary Benton Friend purchased the funeral home from the corporation. The funeral home is now locally owned and operated once again.

In April 2015, the funeral home name was changed to Barnett, Demrow & Friend Funeral Home, to reflect the funeral home owned by the Friend family.