logo-image

Batavia: (585) 343-8868    Bergen: (585) 494-1210 

Burdett & Sanford: (585) 948-5325   Bohm-Calarco-Smith: (585) 343-5673

Our History

Our Story

Learn our story, from the beginning and into the future.

We understand how difficult it is to lose a loved one. Our compassionate and caring team works hard each and every day to make sure that the members of our community and beyond are taken care of during such a difficult time. For advice on what to do when a loved one is dying, making funeral arrangements, pre-arranging your own funeral, or anything else, please feel free to contact us, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.


We promise to work with you and your family in your time of need to create the perfect memorial service for your loved one. We will be here for you today, as well as tomorrow.

Why Us?

In a nutshell? Experience, professionalism, compassion, and empathy.

We've learned a lot over many years. Like how to present options without overwhelming. And how to meet the needs of many caring parties. People come to us in difficult times, and we respond kindness, calmness and expertise. Our goal is to create a beautiful occasion and make you feel welcome, always. We spend our days planning with families. We stay up to date with industry developments. And we make hard times a little easier.

Learn the Legacy.

Our story begins in January of 1910, when Harry Ernest Turner (pictured above left), a native of Clarendon, and Harry D. Bartlett of Holley, bought the Williamson Furniture and Undertaking Store. 


The furniture and funeral combination wasn’t unusual at the time. Historians believe early furniture stores carried coffins and other funeral accessories, which made them a natural link to the funeral business.


Turner, who worked 10 years in a furniture store in Holley before purchasing the Batavia store, published a weekly newspaper, The Holley Standard, as a sideline. Bartlett served as Orleans County Clerk in the early 1900’s, and the pair also had a joint interest in stores in Byron and Holley, which they sold a few years after they came to Batavia. 


H.E. Turner & Co. was operated at 111 Main St, the former Newberry Building until 1921 when it was moved to the Cary Mansion at 211 East Main St (Pictured above center). 14 years later the firm moved to the Bean Mansion at 403 East Main St, where it remains today (pictured above right).


Harry Turner served as president until his death on January 30, 1949, when James B. McCulley and Harold J. Bishop took over. The furniture line was gone by the time Bishop assumed sole ownership of the business following McCulley’s death in 1953. 


Bishop continued the business with the help of new associates, Harold Kruger and Edward Canty, for a dozen years preceding his own death in 1965, at which time, Canty became president of the funeral home. He and Kruger carried on the Turner tradition with the help of Amos Grefrath and George Patterson.


Mr. Canty retired in 1972, at which time Patterson took over as president. Kruger retired in 1975. Patterson died in December of 1976, and management became the responsibility of James F. Smith, Amos Grefrath and Ed Canty’s nephew, James Canty. 


Jim Smith worked at the former C.W. Bohm Mortuary before he came to Turner’s. He became president of the firm in 1977.


As the business grew, so did Smith’s desire to continue the Turner tradition of fine service to the community. He opened the funeral home in Bergen in July of 1988. 


Amos retired in 1986. Jim Canty retired in 1992, leaving Jim Smith the sole owner of the funeral home. 


In October of 2012, Mr. Smith transferred ownership of the firm to his two sons, Justin D. Calarco-Smith, and Joshua J. Smith along with his longtime trusted friend and employee, Randy W. McIntire.


In April of 2020, Randy W. McIntire transferred his interest in the firm to Steven L. Johnson who has been with the firm since January 2011. Together we have over 115 years of funeral service experience.

Bohm Calarco Smith Funeral Home

The Bohm Mortuary was founded in 1927 by William Bohm, and his son, Clarence. Like H.E. Turner & Co., the firm was originally a combination furniture/undertaking store located on Center Street. As trends changed within the funeral business, the firm moved in 1930, to 308 East Main Street, where it remains today. 


Clarence ran the funeral home until his death in 1953 with the help of William Glynn and Vic Powell. Tony Cecere was employed with the firm from 1940-1960. After Clarence's death, William Glynn assumed the manager's role. During this time, Richard was a student at Cornell University and Robert was serving with the Navy. Dick graduated from Cornell and received his funeral director's license and remained with the funeral home until Bob's discharge from the Navy. Bob was licensed in 1957, after which, Dick left for the Priesthood, leaving Bob manager of the business. He remained until H.E. Turner & Co., Inc. Funeral Home, owned by Jim Smith, purchased the firm in 1993, renaming it the Bohm-Calarco-Smith Funeral Home.


Bob continued to work until his death in 2004.

Bohm Calarco Smith Funeral Home

The Bohm Mortuary was founded in 1927 by William Bohm, and his son, Clarence. Like H.E. Turner & Co., the firm was originally a combination furniture/undertaking store located on Center Street. As trends changed within the funeral business, the firm moved in 1930, to 308 East Main Street, where it remains today. 


Clarence ran the funeral home until his death in 1953 with the help of William Glynn and Vic Powell. Tony Cecere was employed with the firm from 1940-1960. After Clarence's death, William Glynn assumed the manager's role. During this time, Richard was a student at Cornell University and Robert was serving with the Navy. Dick graduated from Cornell and received his funeral director's license and remained with the funeral home until Bob's discharge from the Navy. Bob was licensed in 1957, after which, Dick left for the Priesthood, leaving Bob manager of the business. He remained until H.E. Turner & Co., Inc. Funeral Home, owned by Jim Smith, purchased the firm in 1993, renaming it the Bohm-Calarco-Smith Funeral Home.



Bob continued to work until his death in 2004.

Bohm Calarco Smith Funeral Home

The Bohm Mortuary was founded in 1927 by William Bohm, and his son, Clarence. Like H.E. Turner & Co., the firm was originally a combination furniture/undertaking store located on Center Street. As trends changed within the funeral business, the firm moved in 1930, to 308 East Main Street, where it remains today. 


Clarence ran the funeral home until his death in 1953 with the help of William Glynn and Vic Powell. Tony Cecere was employed with the firm from 1940-1960. After Clarence's death, William Glynn assumed the manager's role. During this time, Richard was a student at Cornell University and Robert was serving with the Navy. Dick graduated from Cornell and received his funeral director's license and remained with the funeral home until Bob's discharge from the Navy. Bob was licensed in 1957, after which, Dick left for the Priesthood, leaving Bob manager of the business. He remained until H.E. Turner & Co., Inc. Funeral Home, owned by Jim Smith, purchased the firm in 1993, renaming it the Bohm-Calarco-Smith Funeral Home.



Bob continued to work until his death in 2004.

Burdett & Sanford Funeral Home

The original funeral home in Oakfield was located on Main Street in what is now the Village Offices. It was owned by Emmery Root. Ellis Burdett worked for Emmery and upon Root's death in 1940, Burdett tried to purchase the firm. However, an agreement was never made. With the closing of Root's firm, Ellis opened the Burdett Funeral Home on Maple Avenue, which was across the street from our current location.


Our current location was built circa 1828 and was the office of Dr. Messinger from approximately 1905-1944, when Ellis Burdett purchased the building, thus moving the funeral home to 11 Maple Avenue. In 1950, Ellis' son-in-law, LeRoy "Bud" Sanford joined the firm, renaming it Burdett & Sanford Funeral Home.


The partners sold the firm to Larry Davis in 1969 who operated the funeral home until he sold it to Michael Zakes in 1975. 


In 2009, Mike and Diane Zakes sold the funeral home to Jim Smith of H.E. Turner & Co. Funeral Home in Batavia.

Share by: