About Us

Both Chet and King Sutton remained deeply involved in the Paris community throughout their careers, serving as leaders in many civic organizations as well as their church. The funeral home quickly earned a reputation for hard work, quality of service, and economy. The growing business prompted a desire to give back to the community, and in 1988, the Suttons designed and built the current facility on East Court Street.

In the spring of 2003, Chester P. Sutton Sr. passed away at the age of 91. Although retired for many years, Chet was still a frequent presence here, and a valued part of our team. We still miss him. King Sutton continued his own career for another three years, until spring of 2006, when after a career of over 40 years of service to the families of Edgar County, he made the decision to retire. King still keeps in touch, and enjoys spending most of his time traveling, helping others, and spending time with his children and grandchildren. We thank both King and Chet for their example and their encouragement to those around them.

The funeral home in Kansas, Illinois started in a storefront location, now the site of the Kansas Masonic Lodge. The Kansas community was well-served by funeral director William “Bill” Forbes for many years, and later by Hayes Hutchens. Hutchens moved the funeral home to its current location in the historic Juntgen home on Buena Vista Street in the 1950’s. The Sutton’s purchased the firm in 1968. We are grateful for the deep friendships formed in serving the families of the Kansas area throughout these last four decades.

W. Peter Templeton joined the Sutton & Son Funeral Home in 1991 at the age of sixteen. What started as a summer job developed over the years into a lifelong calling. Pete earned his funeral director’s license in 1996.

The roots of our firm trace back to the James Cook Undertaking Company in 1889. That firm changed hands several times through the years, and in the 1940s, a partner in the firm, L. Ferrell Ward, purchased the former Morrison Chapel at 112 East Washington Street in Paris. In 1954, Chester P. Sutton moved his family from Blue Island, Illinois to Paris to become a partner in the Ward Funeral Home, and the name was changed to Ward & Sutton. After the sudden passing of Ward in 1963, Chet’s oldest son, King, joined his father in business, and the firm was then called Sutton & Son.

		Both Chet and King Sutton remained deeply involved in the Paris community throughout their careers, serving as leaders in many civic organizations as well as their church. The funeral home quickly earned a reputation for hard work, quality of service, and economy. The growing business prompted a desire to give back to the community, and in 1988, the Suttons designed and built the current facility on East Court Street. In the spring of 2003, Chester P. Sutton Sr. passed away at the age of 91. Although retired for many years, Chet was still a frequent presence here, and a valued part of our team. We still miss him. King Sutton continued his own career for another three years, until spring of 2006, when after a career of over 40 years of service to the families of Edgar County, he made the decision to retire. King still keeps in touch, and enjoys spending most of his time traveling, helping others, and spending time with his children and grandchildren. We thank both King and Chet for their example and their encouragement to those around them. The funeral home in Kansas, Illinois started in a storefront location, now the site of the Kansas Masonic Lodge. The Kansas community was well-served by funeral director William “Bill” Forbes for many years, and later by Hayes Hutchens. Hutchens moved the funeral home to its current location in the historic Juntgen home on Buena Vista Street in the 1950’s. The Sutton’s purchased the firm in 1968. We are grateful for the deep friendships formed in serving the families of the Kansas area throughout these last four decades. W. Peter Templeton joined the Sutton & Son Funeral Home in 1991 at the age of sixteen. What started as a summer job developed over the years into a lifelong calling. Pete earned his funeral director’s license in 1996.

In the spring of 2003, Chester P. Sutton Sr. passed away at the age of 91. Although retired for many years, Chet was still a frequent presence here, and a valued part of our team. We still miss him. King Sutton continued his own career for another three years, until spring of 2006, when after a career of over 40 years of service to the families of Edgar County, he made the decision to retire. King still keeps in touch, and enjoys spending most of his time traveling, helping others, and spending time with his children and grandchildren. We thank both King and Chet for their example and their encouragement to those around them. The funeral home in Kansas, Illinois started in a storefront location, now the site of the Kansas Masonic Lodge. The Kansas community was well-served by funeral director William “Bill” Forbes for many years, and later by Forbes' step-son, Hayes Hutchins. Hutchins moved the funeral home to its current location in the historic Juntgen home on Buena Vista Street in 1949. The Suttons purchased the firm in 1968. We are grateful for the deep friendships formed in serving the families of the Kansas area throughout these last four decades.

		Pete Templeton purchased both funeral homes at King’s retirement, after fifteen years of working with the Suttons. The funeral homes became known as Templeton Funeral Homes. Today, we are proud to carry on the century-old tradition of quality, excellence, and hard work in funeral service that families have come to expect from us, as well as the example of community involvement and leadership set by our predecessors. Yet we continue to do so at competitive costs to meet any family’s budget. We consider it a blessing to be of service to those around us, and we thank God for the opportunity to be a comfort to those we serve. - Templeton Funeral Homes, 2006