History & Staff

We have years of experience caring for families, from all walks of life. Each family comes to us because they know we are leaders in our profession, dedicated to excellence in service, and have the highest integrity.

When we sit down with a family, we have just one goal: to create a fitting, memorable and affordable service for their loved one. Together, we explore the wide variety of services and products available, as well as a wealth of creative ideas and suggestions.

Together, we'll design a memorial or funeral service that suits their needs now, and in the future. Families who come to us know that years from now, they will have deep peace-of-mind because in coming to us, they've done their best to honor their loved one.

Our History

We were founded in 1909 by Fred Beshear and D. M. Clark as a furniture store and undertaking business. The furniture store was on the main floor while the funeral home occupied the space on the upper floor. During the early years, many of the visitations were held at the homes of the loved ones with the services conducted in neighborhood churches or homes with burials in neighborhood cemeteries.

Eddie Beshear recounted during the 1940's that a trip to the Piney grove area was an all day trip over mostly dirt roads. "When we had to go to Piney Grove, Bird Smith would meet me at Cadiz Hill (Hwy 672) and hook onto the hearse with a team of mules to pull the hearse over the steep rock hill."

Russell Beshear and Ligon Beshear bought Clark-Beshear Furniture from Uncle Fred sometime in the mid-1940s. Eddie Beshear bought out Ligon in the late 1940s. On August 1, 1953 Russell and Eddie sold Clark-Beshear Furniture to Louis Franklin and Charles Simons. Russell and Eddie moved the funeral home to a house which is its current location.

In 1958 Russell and Eddie added a new chapel for those desiring to have visitations and services at the funeral home. In 1975, what was known as the "blue chapel" was added expanding the facility to 6,000 sq. feet. Again in the 1990's this beautiful addition was repaired and in 2010 this space was renovated and redecorated. Russell, his wife Mary Elizabeth, Eddie and his wife Virginia continued to own and operate the funeral home as partners. Upon the retirement of Russell and Mary Elizabeth, Eddie and Virginia purchased the remaining half of the business.

Upon the deaths of Eddie and Virginia, their daughter, Jenny Sewell, became the owner of Beshear Funeral Home. Jenny serves as funeral director and her husband David is the embalmer and funeral director. They are the third generation to continue in the funeral business.

The vision of Beshear Funeral Home has always been and continues to be dedicated to working with each family to develop a service that best memorializes the significance of their loved ones.

Our Valued Staff

We Care! We are a complimentary blend of individuals who understand and care for you and the loss of your loved ones by exercising our unique gifts, skills and talents to care for you and to create a meaningful and respectful memorialization of your loved one. Our staff consists of local people who know our community personally.

Every staff member of Beshear Funeral Home is prepared, experienced, dedicated and educated to offer a caring and quality experience for you and your family. We offer years of experience in embalming, restorative arts and funeral directing. Our professionals have spent years studying traditional service planning, and are currently studying a more contemporary style of service planning.

Jenny Beshear Sewell, Funeral Director, Owner & President, Pre-arrangement Specialist

Jenny Beshear Sewell is the daughter of the late Elder Eddie and Virginia Beshear who owned and operated Beshear Funeral Home together for many years. Jenny, the third generation of the Beshear Family to operate the funeral home, grew up in this firm and always knew continuing and growing the caring vision of taking care of families at Beshear Funeral Home was her calling. Working full-time at the firm since 1991 she has extensive experience and continues to work every area of the business. Presently she works directly with each family to help them create quality “after life ceremonies” depicting the essence of the personalities of their loved ones. Additionally she assists our families with their pre-need planning. Jenny and David Sewell have been married for 38 years and have 2 sons, Gavin and Trevor Sewell. Jenny holds a BME and a Masters in education from Murray State University.

David C. Sewell, Embalmer, Funeral Director & Insurance Specialist

David Sewell has 40 years of experience and expertise in embalming and restorative arts offering the utmost care for your loved ones. Additionally, having worked professionally in life insurance much of his life, David helps to relieve stress from our families at a time when there is so much to handle by processing all the insurance paperwork to recoup the costs of the services. He will handle your claim with honesty and with integrity. David is a graduate of the Kentucky School of Mortuary Science.

Marsha Hall, Facility Caretaker, Greeter, Receptionist & Floral Arranger

Marsha Hall is also a third generation caregiver at Beshear Funeral Home. Marsha, her mother, Rowena Townsend, and sister, Carole Grisham, have all three passionately and compassionately striven to care for the premises and facilities to create a clean, homey, comfortable, and hospitable environment for all our families. Marsha has two sons and one grandson.

Leatrice McNeily, Business & Office Specialist

Leatrice McNeily has worked all of her life as a bookkeeper for accounting firms in Madisonville, Kentucky. Most recently she worked for Hoskins & Francis and York, Neal and Associates. After retiring from full-time employment she began working at Beshear Funeral Home in 1996. Leatrice is married and has 4 sons and ten grandchildren.

Jimmy Mathews, Removals & Service Assistant

Jimmy brings experience of compassionately helping families from his many years of service with the Dawson Springs Emergency Squad. He presently serves as a Hopkins County Deputy Coroner and he assists with many needed services at Beshear Funeral Home. Jimmy is a retired coal miner and is married and has two daughters and five grandchildren.

Janet Webb, Organist, Pianist & Vocalist

Janet offers a wealth of musical experience to the families of Beshear Funeral Home. Having played for funerals for 59 years, served as church organist and choir director for over 40 years and having played for evening meals at DeVanti’s Restaurant for several years, Janet offers a tremendous treasury of knowledge, skill and a vast repertoire in which to make each service unique and personally special. She presently serves as assistant organist at First Christian Church in Dawson Springs. Janet has one daughter and one granddaughter.

Melissa 'Missy' McDaniel, Stationary & DVD Producer, Program Specialist & Musician/Vocalist

Missy grew up in Princeton, Kentucky. A graduate of Belmont University in Nashville, TN with a degree in church music, she has served as music director in churches in Kentucky, Tennessee, New Jersey & Florida. Having studied funeral directing at John A. Gupton College, also in Nashville, Missy brings a tremendous wealth of knowledge, resource and talent to assist our families in creating a very special after-life celebration. She creates DVDs, personalized stationary, special services such as our Annual Christmas Service of Remembrance & Hope, and she assists in creating a loving and compassionate atmosphere by organizing and preparing picture displays and seasonal décor throughout the funeral home. Missy has been with Beshear Funeral Home since 2008 and a resident of Dawson Springs since 2009.

Steve Smiley, Service Assistant

Steve Smiley brings years of experience in working compassionately with families at Beshear Funeral Home as a Service Assistant. Steve, who is actively and daily involved with his church’s work at the First Baptist Church cares for each family from a genuine Christian perspective. For 32 years previously, he worked with Lewis Bakeries, Inc. (Bunny Bread). Steve and his recently deceased wife of 50 years, Nancy, have two children and two grandchildren.