Ferguson-Lee Chapel of Thorne Family Funeral Homes

Ferguson-Lee Chapel of Thorne Family Funeral Homes In the mid 1940’s, a third partner was taken in by the name of Roy Speer. Upon the death of Raymond Sherwood, the name changed to Ferguson-Speer Funeral Home.
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Ferguson-Lee Chapel of Thorne Family Funeral Homes has been providing funeral services for the community at the corner of "18th" and "I" Streets in Bedford since 1937. The current Ferguson-Lee Chapel of Thorne Family Funeral Homes was started in 1937 by Raymond Sherwood and Claude Ferguson, known as Sherwood–Ferguson Funeral Home, located at the current corner of 18th and “I” Streets in Bedford, Indiana. Roy Speer took control of Mr. Ferguson’s share in the business and became the sole owner. The business operated with Mr. Ferguson as an employee only until 1959. On June 1, 1959, Paul Branson and Robert Lee purchased the assets and business of Ferguson-Speer Funeral Home, and the name was changed to Ferguson-Branson Funeral Home. In 1962, Paul Branson had a series of coronaries and Robert Lee assumed the debt of the funeral home and became the sole owner. Claude Ferguson stayed on as a senior employee and advisor and the name became Ferguson-Lee Funeral Home, at the same location. In 1973, Mr. Ferguson died. In 1971, Lee constructed a new funeral home on the same location’s parking lot and proceeded to tear down the house on “I” Street in order to make a complete parking lot. In 2004, a substantial addition was made to the parking lot by eliminating other residences. These homes were the homes of current owner Phil Thorne's great-grandparents, William J. and Louisa Kathryn (Schaefer) Thorne
and great-great-grandparents, Casper and Rosina (Gerhart) Schaefer. In the late 1980’s, Robert E. Lee II, son of Robert Lee, joined Ferguson-Lee Funeral Home as a Funeral Director and later Manager, until his death on January 14, 2001. Robert Lee continued to operate the funeral home until December 1, 2016, when the newly formed corporation of Thorne Family Funeral Homes purchased the business and Philip and Amelia Thorne became the owners of the funeral home. We look forward to continuing the tradition and excellence provided by the Lee family for many years to come.

Barbara F. York, 78, of Bedford, passed away on Thursday, November 6, 2025, at her residence. Born on September 13, 1947...
11/08/2025

Barbara F. York, 78, of Bedford, passed away on Thursday, November 6, 2025, at her residence. Born on September 13, 1947 in Bedford, she was the daughter of Kenneth Richardson and Zora Jones Kimbrel.

Barbara married Cecil York on March 26, 1966, and he survives. She was a homemaker and deepl...

View Barbara F York's obituary, contribute to their memorial, see their funeral service details, and more.

11/07/2025
Debra Ann Sanders, 63, of Bedford, IN, passed away peacefully on Thursday, October 6, 2025, surrounded by her loving fam...
11/07/2025

Debra Ann Sanders, 63, of Bedford, IN, passed away peacefully on Thursday, October 6, 2025, surrounded by her loving family.

Born March16, 1962, in Bedford, IN, she was the daughter of John Franklin and Myrna Lloyd (Owens) Jewell. Debra was a 1980 graduate of Bedford Noth Lawrence High Schoo...

View Debra Ann Sanders's obituary, contribute to their memorial, see their funeral service details, and more.

Larry Ray Lyons, 87, passed away on Sunday, November 2, 2025, peacefully at home following a 3-year illness. Born on Feb...
11/03/2025

Larry Ray Lyons, 87, passed away on Sunday, November 2, 2025, peacefully at home following a 3-year illness. Born on February 15, 1938, he was the son of Hovey and Mildred (Maick) Lyons. Larry married Patricia Louise Cummings on October 19, 1957, at the Bedford Free Methodist Church, and she precede...

View Larry Ray Lyons's obituary, contribute to their memorial, see their funeral service details, and more.

November is Hospice & Palliative Care Month — a time to honor the professionals and volunteers who bring comfort, dignit...
11/03/2025

November is Hospice & Palliative Care Month — a time to honor the professionals and volunteers who bring comfort, dignity, and compassion to families facing life’s hardest moments. 💜
We’re deeply grateful for every nurse, doctor, social worker, chaplain, volunteer, and caregiver who helps make the journey a little gentler.

Today we are honored to be at Calvary Lutheran Church remembering the life of Mr. John Rope and caring for his family. P...
11/01/2025

Today we are honored to be at Calvary Lutheran Church remembering the life of Mr. John Rope and caring for his family. Please remember them in prayer as they travel through this season of loss.

Many religious traditions recognize their loved ones at this time of year through All Saint's Day, All Soul's Day, or ot...
11/01/2025

Many religious traditions recognize their loved ones at this time of year through All Saint's Day, All Soul's Day, or other remembrance events. Although our traditions may vary, we can all agree that our loved ones deserve to be remembered and cherished.

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818 18th Street
Bedford, IN
47421

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