Our History

The story of our funeral home begins in 1880, when Henry C. Pritchard moved to Junction City with his parents. Shortly thereafter, Henry's father died and he became, at the age of eleven, the head of the family. He began working at Gross Furniture Company on 711 North Washington and later became a licensed embalmer. In those days, furniture makers typically built caskets and for many, the step into funeral service was a natural fit. 



Pritchard later opened The Pritchard Furniture Company at 806 North Washington, which also served as a funeral parlor. As the community grew, he realized the need for better-equipped facilities and purchased the home of the Reverend John O'Brien at 203 North Washington to serve as the funeral home. 

Pritchard retired at the age of 71 and sold the funeral home in 1939 to Norman M. Johnson, who changed the name to Johnson Funeral Home. In the following decades, the funeral home was run by Norman and later his brothers Bob and Delbert, followed by Norman's son Robert. Purchased by Ren and Theresa Newcomer in 1990, the funeral home today is run with excellence by Manager Sam Steiner and a caring, professional staff.

We believe you deserve personal service, merchandise of the highest quality, and a price that is fair to you. In today's world of large corporations and ever-increasing prices, we are proud to be able to serve you with the highest caliber of personal service at a price that is far below what other funeral homes charge. You have our word that we will continue to work faithfully to uphold the family heritage that has served Junction City and Riley County families so well for generations.