Gard Funeral Home & Cremation Services breaks ground on projects

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EATON — The Girton Schmidt Boucher Gard Funeral Home held a ground breaking ceremony on Friday, April 29, to officially announce the business’ new name, Gard Funeral Home and Cremation Services, and its future plans.

Ron Gard, along with his wife Angie, decided to purchase the business from the previous owners, Donald and Rebecca Boucher, in February, 2007, and have operated the business since that time. According to Ron Gard, the ground breaking ceremony represents two years of planning finally coming to fruition.

The new name is not the only thing changing, “The first thing we do will be redoing the parking lot,” Ron Gard explained, “and then we’ll start on additions of the building. There’ll be a new addition on the front and the back. The addition in the front will be a new chapel for funerals, and the back will be a new crematory.”

The addition of the crematory is particularly significant for the business, as now families who choose cremation over burial for their loved ones will have the comfort of knowing the cremations are held within the funeral home itself.

Pastor Greg Jackson of Camden opened the ceremony with a prayer, where he spoke a few words in recognition of the Gard family and the services they have provided to Preble County. After the prayer, Brenda Latanza, the Director of Economic Development for the Preble County Development Partnership, and a board member of the Preble County Chamber of Commerce, also took a moment to give congratulatory remarks on behalf of the chamber and the City of Eaton.

Gard addressed the gathering to give more details on the upcoming improvements, as well.

“It will include a new, larger modern chapel, which will be out in front here,” he said. “A larger redesigned parking lot, which will have many more spaces. A community room or reception area, which is where the previous chapel is now. Two separate onsite crematories, one will be for humans and one for pets. The entire existing building will be renovated, redesigned and repurposed to include such things as new bathrooms, a new audio and media system, new arrangement room, and many other improvements and updates.”

Ron and Angie Gard were abundantly grateful to all their friends, neighbors and the community itself. “We can’t thank all of you enough, we’re so proud of what we have accomplished and what we’re about to embark on. This will be a tremendous addition to our great town of Eaton. Again, I cannot thank enough the residents of Eaton, of Preble County, for believing and trusting in us. So, thank you again and let’s start digging!”

Gard Funeral Home and Cremation Services now owns Lindloff-Zimmerman Funeral Home in West Alexandria, as well. According to Gard, this is the main reason the owners decided to change the name. Gard Funeral Home can be found at any of their three locations, at 226 W. Main Street, Eaton; 113 S. Ada Doty St., Gratis, or at 67 W. Dayton St., West Alexandria.

For more information about Gard Funeral Home and Cremation Services, including services provided and the company’s lengthy history, visit www.gardfuneralhome.com.

https://www.registerherald.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/41/2022/05/web1_20220429_151519.jpg

Ron and Angie Gard (center left and right)are pictured breaking ground for the project, with city and county representatives.
https://www.registerherald.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/41/2022/05/web1_Gard.jpgRon and Angie Gard (center left and right)are pictured breaking ground for the project, with city and county representatives.

By Nathan Hoskins

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Reach Nathan Hoskins at 937-683-4057 and follow on Twitter @NathanHoskins13

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