Wagner-Elfner & Harkins Funeral Home and Cremation Services

03/13/2026

On behalf of the family of Rev. Thomas Cowan Starnes, we invite you to share your condolences and find service details by clicking the obituary link below. Your thoughts, prayers, and kind words are greatly appreciated.

View Rev. Thomas Cowan Starnes's obituary, send flowers, find service dates, and sign the guestbook.

03/13/2026

There’s a lot of misinformation out there about funeral service.

Not everything you hear online is accurate.

Before believing a rumor or myth, it’s important to ask someone who is licensed and works in the profession every day.

Watch this video, and then tell us, what funeral myth have you heard?

Drop your questions below. We’re here to answer them.

03/12/2026

We are SO excited to finally announce what we have been keeping a big secret… ��

Our very first “As the Hearse Turns” episode will feature FIVE funeral directors from across the state of Pennsylvania. Each and every one brings a unique perspective to the table, with different years of experience, different backgrounds in funeral service, and yes… one of them is even a county coroner �

� The first episode will air right here on this page on March 12 at 6 PM Eastern Standard Time.

Get your questions ready, because we are READY to answer them.
We are excited to welcome Tim from William R. May Funeral Home, Inc., Katlyn from Coleman-Taylor Funeral Services and Michelle from Lynch-Green Funeral Home!

~ Chris and Katharine

03/12/2026

We’re going LIVE tonight.

Join us at 6:00 PM Eastern for the next episode of As the Hearse Turns. We’ll be answering your questions, having real conversations, and continuing to open up the discussion around funeral service.

Tune in right here at 6:00 PM Eastern:
https://bit.ly/4rAaLd1

Bring your questions and your curiosity. We’ll see you live.

03/12/2026

Apparently my reputation follows me everywhere… even the gym. 😅⚰️

Katharine and Nate reminded me that Model A Fitness Athletic Club is right up the street from the funeral home here in Delta… so I figured why not call Cameron, the owner, and ask a few questions about joining.

After all… summer is right around the corner.

Cameron invited me up for a tour and while we were walking through the gym something hilarious started happening…

Everywhere we went people would see me and suddenly start working out twice as hard.

I’d hear things like:

“OH NO… it’s Chris the Mortician.”

…and then someone would shout across the gym:

“NOT TODAY CHRIS.”

Safe to say this place might be the most motivated gym in Pennsylvania. 😂

Huge thank you to Cameron Ingool and everyone at Model A Fitness Athletic Club for letting me stop by and for being such good sports.

I might just have to start showing up more often… you know… for motivational purposes.

So tell me…

Should The Mortician join the gym? 💪⚰️

👇 Drop it in the comments.

03/11/2026

As funeral directors and morticians, we have dedicated our lives to helping families send off their loved ones. It's an honor and a privilege to serve our communities. ❤️

Tag a funeral director or mortician you are grateful for today!

03/11/2026

Let’s talk about something we’ve been noticing more and more in recent years.

Many families today are choosing the simplest option when someone dies — cremation with no service, no gathering, and no time set aside to recognize the life that was lived.

And there is absolutely nothing wrong with cremation. It is a very meaningful choice for many families.

But one thing we have seen over the years is that when everything happens quietly and quickly, sometimes the stories never get shared.

Funerals, memorial services, and celebrations of life were never just about tradition. They exist because people need a moment to pause… to remember… and to honor someone who was an important part of their lives.

It’s a time for stories to be told.
For memories to be shared.
For family and friends to come together and say, this life mattered.

And sometimes even a small gathering of just a few people can become one of the most meaningful moments in the healing process.

So we’re curious to hear your thoughts this morning.

Do you feel it’s important to have some kind of service or gathering to honor someone’s life?

Or do you prefer to keep things simple and private with no service at all?

We’d love to hear your perspective.

03/10/2026

Deaths in movies have people thinking the dead suddenly sit up in coffins.

As a funeral director… let’s clear that one up.

Watch this one all the way through.

03/10/2026

If you’ve learned everything about death from movies… we need to have a conversation.

Because that’s not how it actually works.

03/09/2026

Families often hesitate to ask certain questions.

But there are three important ones you absolutely should ask when planning a funeral. Clear answers bring clarity, confidence, and peace of mind.

Don’t be afraid to speak up. You deserve to understand every step.

03/08/2026

There’s something many families tell us they regret later on. Not taking the time to say goodbye.

Do you believe saying goodbye helps with healing?

We’d love to hear your thoughts.