‘I felt called to do this my entire life’: First-generation mortician opens funeral home in St. Anthony

Do you want to know what’s happening in the eastern Idaho business scene? We’ve got you covered. Here is a rundown of this week’s business news across the valley.

BIZ BUZZ

ST. ANTHONY

New funeral home opens in St. Anthony

ST. ANTHONY – Jade Owens says he’s wanted to be a mortician since he was a kid, but until recently, the timing wasn’t right.

The 43-year-old man opened Fall River Funeral Home on April 14 at 230 Industrial Park Road in St. Anthony. Owens tells EastIdahoNews.com it’s the first funeral home to open in eastern Idaho in at least 20 years, and he’s thrilled to give locals another option for taking care of their deceased loved ones.

“This is where I grew up … and I just felt there was a need here (for another funeral home),” Owens says.

He and his wife, Claire, are planning to hold an open house in June.

Although it offers the same services as other funeral homes, Owens says what sets him apart from others in the area is that he’s a first-generation mortician and funeral home owner.

For example, Flamm Funeral Home at 61 North 1st East in Rexburg has been in operation since 1888, according to its website. Jacob Henry Flamm was its founder and his descendants run it today. And sometime in the 1990s, some of Jacob’s great-grandsons opened Bert Flamm Mortuary at 581 East 1st North in St. Anthony. In 2001, Bruce Baxter, nephew of Bert Flamm Mortuary owner Garth Flamm, opened Baxter Funeral Home at 717 Main Street in Ashton.

Owens says he respects the families behind these businesses and wants to contribute to the industry in his own way. His goal is to provide a more personalized approach in helping families remember their loved ones.

“I’ve learned to be open to helping families do what they want to do, whether it’s a traditional or non-traditional funeral service,” says Owens. “My biggest thing is making it about their loved one, bringing items they want and celebrating their life without making (their death) so sad and depressing.”

Opening a funeral home in his hometown has been a project five years in the making. Owens says he bought the property in 2021. After years of delays due to construction or economic turbulence, the project finally fell into place in 2025 and started moving forward.

Contractors broke ground on the 4,400-square-foot building last May and construction lasted nine months. It was completed in February, two months before he opened.

Owens got his start working for a funeral home in Utah years ago. He says his interest in pursuing a career as a mortician started when he was a little kid.

“My step-grandpa died when I was 7, and my cousin was killed in an accident when I was 8,” Owens recalls. “It was an experience that just stuck with me.”

In high school, he says two of his friends’ dads worked as morticians, and it increased his curiosity.

After high school, he served a mission in Arizona and in one of the areas where he served, there were numerous people who worked at a funeral home.

“I’d ask them questions … and I decided I’m going to go to mortuary school,” says Owens.

When he got married 21 years ago, Owens says he told his wife there were three things he wanted to do: become an eye doctor, jeweler and a mortician. At the time, Claire was freaked out with the idea of her husband being a mortician.

He started college with the goal of becoming an eye doctor and quickly learned it wasn’t his thing. They moved to Vernal, Utah, where he went to trade school to become a jeweler. After a few years, he learned that wasn’t what he loved either.

He later got a job working at a funeral home in Utah.

Gary Bidwell, who passed away in 2016 at age 69, owned a funeral home in St. Anthony for many years. It was open from the 1970s until 2015.

Owens says the Bidwell family was instrumental in his decision to move back to St. Anthony and open his own funeral home.

“He was a pillar of the community, and I bought a lot of my equipment (for the funeral home) from them,” says Owens.

He says he’s excited to be back in the community where he grew up and is looking forward to serving clients with this new venture.

“The community is growing, and there’s a need for another funeral home to be here. Being able to be here, serve families and meet their needs (is something I’m excited about),” he says.

BIZ BITS

New branch manager hired at Alliance Title in Idaho Falls and Rigby

IDAHO FALLS – Alliance Title welcomes Emily Geisler back to the industry as Branch Manager of the Idaho Falls and Rigby locations.

With more than 20 years of experience, Geisler brings deep industry knowledge, strong leadership, and a quality reputation to the Alliance Title team.

In her new role, Geisler says she looks forward to making connections with co-workers and clients. She takes pride in fostering a team where diverse personalities come together, collaborate, and support one another to create something special in the title and escrow industry.

Geisler enjoys doing pilates, yardwork, paddleboarding, and golfing. She also enjoys relaxing with a good book.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT…

Rigby bakery to trade sourdough for food pantry donations

Fundraiser underway to replace ‘well-loved’ but deteriorating Iona playground

Idaho gas prices in a holding pattern — for now

100 years strong: Iona farm and RV supply company celebrate a century in operation