Dawson & Wikoff meets families' changing needs

Since the Blue Mound location off Illinois 48 opened on July 17, Childers has heard nothing but positive feedback.

"Both communities are genuinely excited, and it's great for us," Childers said. "They know they are going to have a nice place to go for their needs, and they don't have to go out of town."

Dennis Ruot, mayor of Macon, said the funeral home's new location along U.S. 51 on the less-developed south end of town will be good for the area. It is scheduled to open this month.

"The old funeral home has been here for a lot of years, and I'm very happy to see them build a new one and make the commitment to stay with the city and the surrounding area," Ruot said.

Although the company considered remodeling its existing facilities, the cost of getting the buildings to code was high enough that starting over made more sense. And the new locations on major roads have proven more convenient, as well.

Dawson & Wikoff also has renewed its commitment to Mount Zion, extensively remodeling the location with the addition of 5,200 square feet of space. Mount Zion funeral home director Ron Johnson was pleased to show the building's serene spaces, including a spacious entry hall and 200-person chapel.

Impressive as the new facilities are, it's apparent from talking to the company's five funeral directors - who also co-own Dawson & Wikoff - that the changes are about far more than paint and wallpaper.

Dawson & Wikoff manager Dennis Davison, who is also funeral director for the company's central location on Wood Street in Decatur, explained that he, Childers, Johnson, Bob Daily of the Colonial North location and John Stork of the West Wood Street location carefully considered how to better meet their customers' changing needs.

Hence, all three new locations feature not only more space but also a casket selection room, a lounge with a television for viewing the proceedings, a patio area for those needing a private moment and a children's room, of which the partners are especially proud.

"We have a lot of young families, and this gives kids a place to go that's a little more kid-friendly," Johnson explained. "They can watch cartoons or play games, and a lot of families appreciate that that's there."

Denison said that along with the new facilities, Dawson & Wikoff has adjusted to the changing times in other ways.

"People are personalizing their funeral services more than they used to," he said. "We are now doing tributes on a regular basis."

For example, during the visitation, people can view a DVD of pictures of their loved one, and larger visitation rooms allow them to sit and reminisce as they watch. Contemporary songs, chosen by families, are also played to remind them of the one who has passed on.

For Denison, it's simply about helping people get through a tremendously difficult time. He became interested in the profession in high school and has never done anything else.

"I felt that I could help people and feel good about what I was doing," he said.

Childers agrees that in this emotion-ridden profession, people's needs must come first.

"What we are focusing on is service, what we can do for these families to go above and beyond," he said.