Operating a funeral home takes hard work and a lot of dedication – Tri-State Cremation Center in East Dubuque, Illinois, embodies that passion every day. Their motto says it all: “Where Honesty, Value, and Service meet.” Owner, Jason Schumacher, says his love for the job fuels his passion to serve the community’s families – always keeping their services in alignment with the funeral home’s values.
“My family was not in the funeral business prior to me – this was a venture I felt driven to follow after not really finding much satisfaction in my work life prior,” Schumacher said. “I have never looked back and love my job and its mission.”
In his 23 years as a funeral director, Schumacher worked in the traditional funeral home setting for many years, and as a trade service support system for funeral homes in Wisconsin, Iowa and Illinois. Jason transitioned to ownership of Tri-State three years ago to have a better work-life balance, while still pursuing his love of serving his community through funeral service.
As the owner, Schumacher saw a need for increased cremation service needs in his area, opening Tri-State Cremation Center to fill that need.
“It was becoming very apparent that we were not going to be able to avoid the increase in cremation rates even around here in midwestern small-town life,” Schumacher said, continuing, “almost all of our preneed was moving to cremation, and the at-need was close behind.”
To best serve families with more personalized, cost-effective options, Schumacher envisioned a model where overhead costs like a large funeral home, vehicles and staff could all be reduced while working with local venues and churches to accommodate memorial services as needed. He understands that there will always be a need for the traditional funeral home model with many families, but for some, another option for them to access can be a welcomed choice.
“This was a groundbreaking idea for me and I can’t believe how well it has worked,” Schumacher said. “I meet with most families right at their own kitchen table. We arrange all the details just as I did in the funeral home, but in a much more relaxed environment and at a fraction of the cost for them."
Along with their personalized approach to arranging, Tri-State implemented technology into their business and puts dollars on a quarterly basis towards advertising, working with local TV, radio, and print media to advertise their services and their eFuneral online planning tool. Schumacher said they’ve seen tremendous growth since adding the online option to their existing business model.
Still, with the online planning tool, Tri-State still values the importance of an in-person experience. "Some families just have me walk through the eFuneral part with them, in person, while we were together,” Schumacher said.
Even with their willingness to innovate and embrace technology within the field, Tri-State holds its duty to care for and serve its community above all else. As Schumacher put it: “We have no secrets or tricks to what we do – we are simply here to help as many folks as we can and be a positive force and influence on the world around us.”
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