History

The H..M. White Funeral Home, located at 14 Oak Street, Winchendon, was founded in 1901 by the late Harry M. White. On July 15, 1933, Ernest P. Fletcher purchased the business and renamed it Fletcher Funeral Home. Mr. Fletcher was only twenty five years old at the time and had recently graduated from the New England Institute of Embalming and Funeral Directing in Boston. Even then, he was no stranger to funeral service. He had previously worked with his father, also a funeral director in Woodsville.

Ernest and his wife, Hazel (Bemis) Fletcher operated the funeral home for seventeen years prior to the construction of the present facility, located at 70 Pleasant Street on the corner of Oak in Winchendon. In 1946, Henry M. Goyette, a registered embalmer and funeral director, joined Mr. Fletcher in the daily operation of the funeral business.

On August 4, 1950, the new Fletcher Funeral Home was unveiled to the community. It was the first made-for-use funeral home to be built in our region, at a time when many funerals were still held from the private residence. Mr. Fletcher was a pioneer in his field, constructing the home of the most modern materials available including radiant heat through out the building and decorating the home with soft pastel shades and floral draperies, offering the utmost in comfort and accessibility.

In September, 1961, Ernest was joined in business by his son, Ernest P. "Bud" Fletcher, Jr. The seventies were a period of great change for the Fletcher Family. The goodwill and thoughtful service that they had provided for years to the families of Winchendon had certainly paid off. The community embraced them, making Fletcher Funeral Home the largest funeral home in Winchendon. In 1974, Bud Fletcher purchased the Laframboise Funeral Home in Winchendon. Many residents still remember the former business. It had previously been known as Goyette Funeral Home, owned by Henry Goyette's uncle and prior to that, it was called L'Huillier Funeral Home. Bud and his dad closed the business, realizing that it was is more cost effective to serve the Laframboise families through their own funeral home on Pleasant Street, offering them a modern facility and a level of service that until now had never been realized.

In 1976, Bud purchased the Lamoureux Funeral Home in Gardner. Originally the Alliy Funeral Home, Albert J. Lamoureux and his brother, William C. Lamoureux purchased the business in 1921, changing the name to Lamoureux Funeral Home. The business operated at 142 Nichols Street in Gardner for seventy seven years. Following Albert's untimely death in 1948 at the age of 63, William was left to operate the business alone. Again, tragedy stuck the Lamoureux Family. William Lamoureux passed away unexpectedly leaving his wife, Beatrice G. (Benoit) Lamoureux and their son, William.

Bea rose to the occasion. She went to school and received her funeral director's license becoming the very first female funeral director in the area. She and her son operated the business together until it was purchased by Bud Fletcher. In 1973, Henry Goyette, moved into the apartment above the funeral home and operated the business for the Fletcher's. He worked closely with Bea, who remained visibly active at the home until illness prevented her from doing so.

In July of 1988, Winchendon lost a true friend. Ernest P. Fletcher died and was laid to rest fifty five years to the day he had bought his funeral home - July 15, 1988. His picture hangs in the foyer of the Funeral Home in Winchendon - a permanent memorial to the legacy he created.

In November of 1989, Scott A. Hebert, a funeral director from Tewksbury, joined the staff of the Fletcher and Lamoureux Funeral Homes and has resided here ever since. Scott began working in funeral service in Lowell, Massachusetts in April of 1983. As Henry grew closer to retirement, Scott took over the day to day operations of Lamoureux Funeral Home.

In October of 1990, the Fletcher and Lamoureux families suffered a very real, personal loss; the death of Beatrice G. Lamoureux. She had been a hallmark of dignity, grace and compassion for many families in the greater Gardner area. To this day, families visiting the funeral home often comment on her picture hanging in the foyer, fondly remembering her kind smile and gentle ways.

In 1995, the tides of change were again upon us. Henry was nearing retirement and Bud knew that his children were not interested in entering the family business. He made a decision to transfer operation of the funeral home to his friend and employee, Scott Hebert.

Scott jumped at the opportunity. It had been his lifelong dream and ambition. Somehow, Scott always felt that Ernest Fletcher, Sr. had looked down on him, blessing the transaction, confident that Bud had found the perfect man to lead Fletcher Funeral Home into the next century. As fate would have it, the transaction took place on July 15, 1995; exactly sixty two years from the day that Ernest, Sr., himself, purchased the funeral home and only seven years from the day he was laid to rest.

For four years, Scott and Bud worked side by side, serving the families of both Gardner and Winchendon. Their strong partnership and friendship brought new and exciting opportunities to the funeral homes. Scott completely computerized the business, making it possible to offer more personalized service including full color photographs on prayercards and an interactive website with online memorials for each and every family they served. Now, friends across the country and across the world could share their love and suport with family members here, all from the comfort and privacy of their own home.

Henry was a close friend and ally of Fletcher and Lamoureux Funeral Homes and died in 2003. In 1998, however, history would repeat itself. Just as Ernest, Sr. had done forty eight years prior, Scott and Bud set out on a venture that would change funeral service in Gardner forever. On May 15, 1998, the new Lamoureux-Fletcher Community Funeral Home, located at 105 Central St. in Gardner was opened to the public. The new funeral home is the largest, most up-to-date funeral home anywhere in the region. It can accommodate the largest gatherings in comfort while offering smaller chapels for more intimate services. This home was unlike anything the community had ever seen. For the first time ever, families were afforded complete handicap accessibility, one level convenience, ample lighted off street parking and beautiful, comfortable and magnificently decorated amenities, all with your comfort in mind. On this day, the name of the home officially changed as well, at last bringing the legacy of Fletcher and Lamoureux together with their commitment to community. Likewise, Fletcher became Fletcher-Hebert Funeral Home, emphasizing Scott's continued dedication to Winchendon.

In December of 1999, Bud Fletcher decided it was time to retire from the daily operation of the funeral homes. He was confident that the family business was in good hands. And although he is more free to travel and volunteer with the many charitable associations he still supports, he is in daily contact with Scott, consulting with him on a regular basis and offering ideas and assistance behind the scenes all in an effort to still better serve the families of our community.

In 2007, we welcomed Elden Bjurling and the Smith Funeral Home at 69 Vernon Street in Gardner, into the Fletcher Family of Funeral Homes. It was 1897 when Henry Smith, co owner of the Smith and Esters furniture store, was asked by the governing body of Gardner to be the town "undertaker" because he was making the "coffins". In 1917, he purchased the building at 69 Vernon Street, where we are located today. The Smith Funeral Home is a proud member of numerous funeral organizations, including the International Order of the Golden Rule, which is comprised of funeral homes, by invitation only, world wide, devoted to excellence, quality, and reliability.

The bold and progressive thinking which has endured many years continues today. It is not measured just in the greater number of families we now serve, but more importantly in the greater number of ways in which we are able to serve them.