Rev. Douglas J. House, M.Div.
Beecher and Bennett Funeral Home opened its doors to serve the public in the summer of 1894. The location was at 280 Elm St. in New Haven, as two brothers-in-law, Henry Beecher and James Bennett, joined efforts to serve families of all faiths in their times of need. In the past 130 years, Beecher and Bennett Funeral Home has served hundreds, if not thousands of families throughout the greater New Haven area and beyond. While they have moved from downtown New Haven to Hamden and Meriden, today the same professional and compassionate service continues to be offered which defined the work of Henry Beecher and James Bennett 130 years ago.
My Own Experience
In January of 1989, I arrived in Hamden to assume the position of Pastor of the Mt. Carmel Congregational Church. Within a few short weeks, my first call came from the Beecher and Bennett Funeral Home. An elderly woman had died who had not been affiliated with any church. Her family was hoping that the funeral home could provide a member of the clergy to preside at her service. Carleton Erickson, then President of Beecher and Bennett, reached out to me and together we ministered to the family in its time of need. That was the first Beecher and Bennett funeral I presided over. I have now worked with the Beecher and Bennett staff in over 300 funerals in 35 years.
Serving the Community
Over the years, I have come to see that the call to ministry isn’t limited to church work. Ministry entails serving people in their times of need. Beecher and Bennett Funeral Home has a rich history of doing just that. I’ll never forget a call I received at 11:30 one night from Charlie Roderick, one of the former Beecher and Bennett funeral directors. The funeral home had received a call that a member of my congregation had died. Charlie was at the home where the death had occurred and, despite the late hour, the family was beginning to gather. Charlie was reaching out to me in that moment, suggesting that I might want to drop by and be of support to the family. I thanked him for the call, and I headed out the door.
Clergy and funeral homes work together all the time, but things have changed over the years. Today memorial services can take place anywhere, anytime. When I was first ordained to the ministry, most funeral services seemed to take place in church, generally within a few days of a death. In my latter years of parish ministry, most funerals seemed to take place in a funeral home rather than in a church. Besides churches, over the years I’ve presided at services in group homes, on riverbanks, on the stages of auditoriums, and at country clubs, as well as at funeral homes. At times, funerals have simply taken place at gravesides where families and friends have gathered. I’ve discovered that there is no “right” or “wrong” way when it comes to funerals. It all centers around what is “permitted” and what is “helpful” for those left behind.
I remember one unique graveside funeral at Beaverdale Cemetery where Erin Hastings (a Beecher and Bennett funeral director) and I led the singing of “Amazing Grace” as family and friends chimed in. As that was the favorite hymn of the deceased, it was asked to be sung at his service. To this day, I have no idea who was supposed to lead the singing, but it fell to us. As each funeral is personal, clergy and funeral directors work closely to make certain that the experience brings comfort to families and friends to the best of our ability.
After 130 years, Beecher and Bennett Continues to be a Family Business
Today, Beecher and Bennett Funeral Home has neither “Beechers” nor “Bennetts” involved with the organization. Henry Beecher died in 1926, leaving the funeral home to James Bennett. Upon James’s death, ownership of the funeral home was passed on to Iver Erickson. He and his son Carleton managed the funeral home together, and in time introduced the next generation of Ericksons – Todd and Arthur. Today, a new generation has arrived at the funeral home in the person of Jonathan Erickson – one of Arthur and Wendy’s sons. Four generations of Ericksons have been involved now in the management of Beecher and Bennett.
From the perspective of a member of the clergy, working with the staff of Beecher and Bennett over the years has always been a wonderful experience. Arthur Erickson, President of Beecher and Bennett, leads a team of funeral directors and staff which seeks only to serve the public with dignity and compassion when deaths occur. Funeral directors Arthur Erickson, Richard Aszklar, Erin Hastings, and Jonathan Erickson each provide comfort and a professional demeaner in their work. They are supported by Office Manager Karen Eighmy and Administrative Assistant Catherine Marinuzzi. The commitment of Beecher and Bennett Funeral Home is no different today from the vision of Henry Beecher and James Bennett of 130 years ago. Today we congratulate Beecher and Bennett as they celebrate a milestone of service to the greater New Haven area. We wish them well as they continue to serve the needs of families in our time.
