About Us

First Generation

In the early 1900s, it was common in smaller communities for the local “undertaker” to operate another business. After carrying the U.S. mail by horseback, in 1913, N. S. “Sam” and Maude M. Redinger opened Redinger Hardware on the west side of Seiling’s Main Street. Around that time, Sam also traveled to Kansas City to attend embalming school. Upon completing the required courses, Sam returned to Seiling where he and Maude opened Redinger Funeral Home in the spring of 1914. They raised four children, Naomi, Reah, Willard and James, and operated both the funeral home and hardware businesses. Sam was somewhat of an entrepreneur, as he also owned and operated a service station and had a John Deere Implement dealership in connection with the hardware business.

Second Generation

In the early 1940’s Sam & Maude’s son Willard attended Williams Institute of Mortuary Science in Kansas City, KS, and their son James entered the U.S. Army, serving in Europe during WWII. When James was honorably discharged, he returned to Seiling and successfully completed his mortuary studies and became licensed as well. Due to their father’s failing health, Willard and James entered into a partnership and took over both the hardware and funeral home businesses. They also owned and operated the ambulance service. James and his wife, Ramona, had two children: Saundra and Ronnie. 

Third and Fourth Generations

Following high school, Ronnie attended Central State University in Edmond, OK where he earned his degree in Mortuary Science. After graduation, he joined the US Army Reserves and was honorably discharged in 1977. Ronnie purchased his uncle’s half of the business and became the third generation of the Redinger Funeral Home. James sold his interest in the Redinger Hardware to his brother Willard and continued working with his son Ronnie at the funeral home until his health failed. Ronnie and his wife Linda have two sons, Dustin and Darrin. Dustin also graduated from UCO with a BS degree in Mortuary Science making four generations in the family business, however, Dustin later pursued another career. During their time in the funeral profession, Ronnie and Linda created an interesting funeral museum on Seiling’s Main Street, honoring their grandparents and parents. In 2014, they decided to donate all of their priceless artifacts to the National Museum of Funeral History in Houston, TX where they could be appreciated and viewed by many throughout the years. 

Redinger Retirement and Watkins Purchase

Following the deaths of James and Ramona in 2008 and 2013, respectively, Ronnie and Linda began to discuss their retirement. Realizing retirement meant selling the 100-year old family business to someone outside the Redinger Family was both difficult and emotional. Yet, while change can be difficult, Ronnie and Linda believed, “Change is inevitable to all of us. We need to be willing to adapt to it.” Ronnie contacted neighboring funeral directors of his intention. After several months of discussions and meetings, the Redinger’s reached an agreement with Bart and Kimberly Watkins, owners of the Shaw Funeral Homes. The date of the sale would be January 1, 2015. This would allow the Redinger’s the privilege of celebrating 100 years of service to the Seiling community and surrounding areas, from 1914 - 2015. “It was our desire to sell our family business to someone who would share the same values our family had – to be loving, compassionate and caring, while being sympathetic and having the gift of empathy. We felt Bart and Kimberly Watkins shared those ideals, moral values and ethics.”   –Ronnie Redinger

Faires Family Purchase

In 2024, long-time funeral director, embalmer and general manager Luke Faires and his wife Rachel purchased the funeral home from Bart and Kimberly Watkins. Luke had been the lead funeral director for Seiling for nearly a decade, and was already a part of the Seiling Community. Luke and Rachel have five children: twins Arya and Ava, Archer, and twins Logan and Layla. Luke graduated from U.C.O. with a Bachelor's degree in Funeral Science in 2008.