Our History

The above photograph was contributed by Carolyn Lasky who indicates that it was taken about 1905 and belonged to her Uncle Damon Ringer who was a grandson of Joab Benton Ringer.  In a note, her Uncle Damon had written that John S. Boyer was his uncle which would make him Carolyn's great-uncle. Carolyn states that her mother, Alberta Ringer Sawyer, has always said that Burt Boyer was her cousin. Carolyn advises that she also has a horseshoe and horseshoe nails from J. S. Boyer Blacksmith Shop, Leadwood Missouri.

This historic photograph from the early 1900s, preserved through members of the Ringer family, captures the original blacksmith shop where the Boyer story first began. Long before modern funeral homes existed in rural Missouri, John S. Boyer was already serving local families during difficult times while building a reputation for hard work, honesty, and compassion.

In those early years, funeral service was very different from today. Visitations and wakes were commonly held in family homes, and funeral directors often handled multiple trades within the community. The Boyer business prepared loved ones with dignity and care while also serving area residents through the blacksmith trade.

John’s sons, Bert L. Boyer and C. Z. “Zeno” Boyer, learned the profession while working alongside their father, beginning a multi-generational family tradition that would continue for more than a century.





The Early Leadwood Years

As the business grew, the Boyer family purchased a two-story home on Bank Street in Leadwood, a property that had previously served as the home and office of Dr. D. H. McKenzie. Around 1941, the family opened a funeral parlor within the home, allowing them to better accommodate families during services and visitations.

During this time, the Boyer family operated multiple businesses within the community, including a hardware store and an embalming shop. Even as funeral service evolved, many families still chose to hold wakes and visitations in their homes, with the Boyer family handling preparation and transportation personally.

Following the passing of John S. Boyer in 1949, Bert L. Boyer assumed complete management of the Leadwood business. He later worked alongside his sons, William “Bill” Boyer and Bert R. Boyer, continuing the family tradition into another generation. Bert R. Boyer would eventually modernize and remodel the Leadwood funeral home into the facility recognized by the community today.

C. Z. “Zeno” Boyer Establishes the Desloge Funeral Home

In 1919, C. Z. “Zeno” Boyer moved from Leadwood to Desloge, Missouri, where he officially established the business that would become known throughout the region as C.Z. Boyer & Son Funeral Home.

A 1941 article published in The Lead Belt News described Zeno Boyer as a “tall gawky fellow” who arrived in Desloge and began building a reputation for compassionate, dependable service. Previous undertakers had operated in the community before him, but the newspaper credited Boyer’s personal care and professionalism as reasons families increasingly turned to his funeral home.

eno first operated from the building that would later become the Desloge post office before relocating to the Giessing building. Eventually, he purchased the Joe Thurman property, where he later demolished an older frame structure to construct what was considered a modern funeral home and service station for its era.

he evolution of funeral transportation mirrored the growth of the business itself. Zeno’s first hearse was a Ford Model T, considered modern transportation at the time. As the profession advanced, the business upgraded to Packard funeral cars, a Packard ambulance, and a Packard sedan, reflecting the Boyer family’s continued investment in serving families with professionalism and dignity.

Compassion During the Great Depression

Throughout the Great Depression, the Boyer family became widely known for helping families regardless of their financial situation. Historical writings and family recollections tell numerous stories of compassion shown during some of the hardest years in American history.

Families often paid with handwritten IOUs, livestock, or whatever they were able to provide. One remembered story involved a grieving family who brought their child to the funeral home on a Sunday afternoon accompanied by a neighbor carrying two chickens as payment toward funeral expenses. Those moments reflected the values that would define the Boyer family for generations: serving people first and trusting that compassion would always matter more than profit.

The Second and Third Generations

Zeno’s son, Burlin Boyer, joined the family business in 1932 and soon became a partner in the growing funeral home operation. Alongside his wife, Izzy, and his parents, Zeno and Lottie Boyer, Burlin helped establish the funeral home as one of the most respected funeral service providers in southeast Missouri.

Burlin became known not only for funeral service, but also for community leadership and professional involvement. He was an active member of the Rotary Club and a longtime participant in the Missouri Funeral Directors Association. His commitment to both the profession and the community reflected the values that had been passed down through generations of the Boyer family.

Burlin and Izzy raised four children: Ted, Richard, June, and Charles.

Ted Boyer joined the family business in 1959 and quickly became a leader within both the profession and the Bonne Terre community. He served on numerous boards and organizations, including the Bonne Terre Chamber of Commerce, First State Community Bank, and statewide funeral service associations. Ted was also one of the founding members of MFT and later served as president of the Missouri Funeral Directors and Embalmers Association.

Charles Boyer joined the family business in 1975 and made his home in Desloge with his wife Jeanne. Charles became deeply involved in the community through organizations such as Kiwanis, youth baseball programs, the chamber of commerce, and local tournament housing coordination efforts.

Expansion Into Bonne Terre

In June of 1955, the Boyer family acquired the Benham Undertaking Company in Bonne Terre, Missouri. The Benham business had originally been established in the late 1800s and had served the Bonne Terre community for generations before becoming part of the Boyer family tradition.

Among the historical items preserved from the Benham family was a horse-drawn funeral carriage, representing the early days of funeral service in Missouri and the heritage that both families shared.

The Bonne Terre location was later enlarged and modernized as Ted Boyer assumed leadership of operations there, continuing the family’s commitment to combining tradition with progress.

A New Era in Desloge

In November of 1970, the Boyer family opened a completely new funeral home facility at 1116 North Desloge Drive. At the time, it was recognized as one of the largest, most modern, and most respected funeral homes in southeast Missouri.

The facility reflected decades of growth and represented the Boyer family’s continued investment in the communities they served.

Leadwood Becomes Part of the C.Z. Boyer Family of Locations

When Bert R. and Bea Boyer retired from funeral service in 1992, the Leadwood funeral home officially began operating under the C.Z. Boyer & Son Funeral Homes & Crematory name.

The addition of the Leadwood location expanded the organization’s ability to serve families throughout St. Francois County and surrounding communities while preserving the Boyer family legacy that had originally begun there in 1906.

Burlin Boyer once remarked that the family had never viewed itself as serving only a handful of small towns. Instead, the organization viewed its responsibility as serving the entire surrounding region, including families who had moved away but still returned home to the Boyer family during times of loss because of relationships formed decades earlier.

The Fifth Generation of the Boyer Family

In 1995, Brian Boyer began working in the family business, becoming the fifth generation of the Boyer family to continue the funeral service tradition. He started with everyday responsibilities such as mowing grass and washing vehicles before later attending mortuary school in 1999.

As Brian grew into leadership within the organization, he became heavily involved in the communities served by the funeral homes, following the example set by previous generations of the Boyer family. He served on numerous local boards and organizations and remained committed to the community spirit that had long defined the family business.

Brian later made his home in Bonne Terre with his wife, Paula, where they raised their family together while continuing the Boyer tradition of service and community involvement.

Today, Brian Boyer continues to play an active role in daily operations as Southeast Area Manager.

Additional Growth and New Services

Good Earth Monuments

In 2009, Brian Boyer partnered with Dave Bahr to co-found Good Earth Monuments. The business allowed families to coordinate monument and memorial needs through the same trusted professionals assisting them with funeral arrangements. Families appreciated the convenience and continuity of care during difficult times.

Caldwell Funeral Home Acquisition

In 2010, the Boyer family acquired Caldwell Funeral Home in Park Hills, Missouri, from David and Rae Ann Caldwell. Significant investments were made into the facility to ensure it would continue serving Park Hills families for generations to come.

Hillview Memorial Gardens and Crematory

In 2013, the Boyer family acquired Hillview Memorial Gardens and Hillview Memorial Crematory. This important expansion allowed the organization to provide cemetery services while also operating its own crematory, ensuring loved ones remained in the care of the Boyer team throughout the cremation process. The acquisition also further established the organization within the Farmington community.

Taylor Funeral Service

In 2018, the Boyer family acquired Taylor Funeral Service in Farmington, Missouri. Extensive renovations and modernization efforts transformed the location into a beautiful and highly functional funeral home. Families throughout Farmington and surrounding communities continued to embrace the Boyer family’s commitment to compassionate care and personalized servic

Continuing the Legacy

One of the defining strengths of the Boyer organization has always been its people. Across generations, the funeral homes have been built not only by family leadership, but also by dedicated staff members who have served families with compassion, professionalism, and care.

After more than a century of Boyer family leadership spanning five generations, the family carefully chose to partner with McKague Millard to continue the tradition of compassionate funeral service throughout southeast Missouri. Brian Boyer recognized shared values of community involvement, family-centered care, and long-term commitment to the people served by the organization.

Today, the legacy established by John S. Boyer in 1906 continues through the dedicated team at C.Z. Boyer & Son Funeral Homes & Crematory. More than a century later, the organization remains committed to the same principles that guided the Boyer family from the very beginning: compassion, integrity, community involvement, and caring for families with dignity during life’s most difficult moments.