M.B. Kilmer Funeral Home - Argyle, NY

123 Main Street, Argyle, NY 12809

www.kilmerfuneralhome.com

Photo provided by Todd Kilmer.

M.B. Kilmer Funeral Home states on their website, “Our mission is to help a family honor their loved one, ease the burden of the loss and celebrate a life well-lived by sharing the memorable moments, experiences and relationships that defined that life with those who were part of it.”

One way they ease the burden for those in the community is to be a consistent place of comfort for nearly 90 years. Argyle, New York is a small rural village at the base of the Adirondacks. Most of the 3600 residents are farmers. Funeral home director Todd Kilmer knows many of them by name. His family has been of service to three generations.

Todd’s grandfather Maurice “Mo” Bristol Kilmer founded the funeral home in Argyle in 1927. In the 1920s, wakes and funerals were still being held in residents' private homes. Kilmer was a funeral director and also a storeowner.  He had a shop where he sold furniture and coffins (because many furniture stores of the time sold coffins). He turned the storefront into a gathering place for viewing the deceased in preparation for funerals.

Tragedy struck just three years later when, in 1930, that location burned to the ground, rendering the business a total loss.  Arson was suspected, but “Mo” was undaunted and moved the business into a building that was then addressed as 6401 Main Street. In 2005, when Argyle renumbered buildings for the village’s 911 system, the funeral home got the new address of 123 Main Street.

“Mo” handed down the business to his son, George. Todd, one of George’s six children, now oversees operations at the funeral home in Argyle as well as two other locations in the area: Fort Edward and South Glen Falls. Since the funeral business operates 24/7, the family tends to live close by. Until recently, Todd’s grandmother lived above the funeral home in Argyle. Todd resided above the Fort Edward location until they found they needed more office space. Todd’s nephew Kyle recently finished school and has taken the national boards to become a funeral director. He lives next door to the Fort Edward funeral home. Kyle will be the fourth generation to run the business.

“People appreciate what we do,” says Todd Kilmer. Many residents come in to do pre-planning of their funerals. “We see all the family dynamics…Death brings out the good and bad.” He says that families feel comfortable with them and know they can rely on them for anything they need during a difficult time.

Sometimes the need can be unique. “I have one woman who has pre-planned and she’s already told me she wants a laughing box on the kneeler; anyone that comes up to kneel sets off the laugh box.” Additionally, he has had requests from people who want to be involved, even if they cannot attend the funeral. “We just video taped a funeral the other day,” Todd remarked. And, in the age of the Internet, he is also looking into providing what some families have asked for: live streaming.