Lienkaemper-Thomason Funeral Centers and Crematory

Lienkaemper Chapels

From 1907 The Ontario area deaths were originally handled by the Peterson family who owned the Peterson Furniture Store. Caskets were kept in the basement of their establishment. In 1935-36 they built a new �modern� funeral home on Northwest First Avenue. Soon after the Peterson family sold the funeral home to George Beechler. On February 15, 1961 Bertelson and Lienkaemper purchased the business. Burt & Joyce Lienkaemper started Nyssa Lienkaemper Funeral Home in 1933. Their son, John and his wife Norma later ran the businesses, buying out the partners. In 1971 the High Funeral Home was built in Vale, Oregon. In 1985 the Lienkaempers purchased the High Funeral Home. In October 1989 Malletta-Vertin partnership purchased the 3 businesses and sold them to the Corporation in August 1993. In June 2007 Gary & Debby Trick purchased the 3 businesses Ontario, Nyssa and Vale Chapels back from the corporation to return them back to being family owned and operated. Gary while in High School at Fruitland back in 1969 was hired by John Lienkaemper to help around the funeral home and later served his apprenticeship under John.

Thomason Funeral Home

Thomason Funeral Home was started by Lloyd Northam in 1910 and was originally located at the current site of the Weiser Elks Lodge. Sometime during the 1940�s, Billy Jones purchased the operation from Mr. Northam, whereupon it was renamed Northam-Jones. Dale Thomason began working for Mr. Jones in the mid-1940s, and the business was moved from the Idaho Street location to the newly built facility (the current one) at East Court and Second streets in 1949 or 1950. Dale Thomason purchased Northam-Jones from Bill and Evelyn Jones in 1966. In the late 1970�s Dale asked his son Bob if he�d prefer moving back to Weiser and eventually taking over the family business. Even though Bob had spent a greater slice of his youth haying at an uncle�s ranch than he had in helping out at the funeral home, the father�s offer to him seemed timely and he felt the proposed career would actually be a good fit. Bob Thomason took over the reigns in the mid 1980s, held them through the �90s and for half of the current decade. Bob Thomason in 2005 decided to sell the funeral home to Gary and Debby Trick.

Lienkamper-Thomason

Both Gary & Debby Trick grew up in the local area. Gary in Fruitland, where he graduated from Fruitland High School in 1972, and Debby in nearby Payette. Debby, a 1973 Payette High School Grad, was actually born in Weiser, a member of the well-known Hemenway family. The combining of two great Funeral Homes began with Gary and Debby�s purchase of Thomason Funeral Home and most recent acquisition of Lienkaemper Chapels has fulfilled a desire to return to the area they consider home. Gary & Debby bring many years of experience and understanding when working with families at a difficult time. Being family owned and operated gives the control of making decisions locally and immediate. At Lienkaemper-Thomson Funeral Centers and Crematory it is our desire to never lose sight of our heritage, nor to lose the quality of service associated with that heritage.