County of home: Gasconade County
Location of home: Main St. & 2nd St., Morrison
Phone:573-294-6446
"This five-generation funeral business was started by Benjamin S. Baker who established the firm in 1894. He started a small grocery and furniture store in a little town of Americus, Missouri. Benjamin was a cabinet maker and also made caskets, thus the beginning of “undertakers” in the Baker family.
"In 1904, Benjamin’s son, Barton, married Nettie Jordan and joined his father in the business. In 1918, he went to St. Louis to embalming school and received his license as an embalmer and funeral director. They purchased a horse-drawn hearse drawn by two black horses and used this until 1925 when they bought their first motor driven hearse, a gray Dodge.
"In 1959, Judith married Leon Toedtmann of Hermann, Missouri. Leon attended Westminster College, Fulton, Missouri and Dallas Institute-Gupton Jones College of Mortuary Science in Dallas, Texas, graduating and receiving his license in 1962. In 1963, Leon and Judy moved to Hermann and opened a funeral home under the name of Toedtmann Funeral Home. They have three children, Susan, Jeffrey, and Barton.
"In 1959, Barbara married Landon Grosse of Big Springs, Missouri. Landon attended University of Missouri and John A. Gupton School of Mortuary Science in Nashville, Tennessee, graduated and received his license in 1966. Landon returned to Hermann and went into the business with Leon. Landon became a full partner and the funeral home was then called Toedtmann & Grosse Funeral Home. Barbara and Landon have three children, Timothy, Michael and Benjamin.
"Leon and Landon worked in conjunction with their father-in-law and operated the Baker Funeral Home along with Toedtmann & Grosse Funeral Home.
"In 1985, Barton Toedtmann and Benjamin Grosse graduated from St. Louis Community College with an Associate of Applied Science in Funeral Service. Bart was married to Kristine Walkenbach of Hermann and served his internship at the Freeman Mortuary in Jefferson City. Ben Grosse married Melanie Strube of New Florence and served his internship at the Paul Funeral Home in Warrenton, Missouri.
"In 1986 Leon and Landon purchased the Blumer Funeral Homes, which included locations in Hermann, Morrison and New Haven. This enabled Bart and Ben to come back and work with their fathers. Currently Toedtmann & Grosse Funeral Home has four locations, Hermann, New Haven, New Florence and Morrison." ~ Toedtmann-Grosse Funeral Home