Our Heritage
Boyer VanWormer Scott & Bersticker-Scott Funeral Homes
Caring for Toledo Families for over 80 Years
Deeply entrenched in Toledo’s history, the Boyer VanWormer Scott & Bersticker-Scott Funeral Homes truly reflect how several caring families created and carried on an important service and tradition in our community.
The original business began in 1928 as a plumbing company on Maumee Avenue, run by Herman Sr. and Albert Jr. Bertsticker. The two sons of Al Bersticker Sr. and Emma Birkenkamp of the original Birkenkamp family both started out as plumbers but became Funeral Directors and Embalmers.
Herman Sr. had worked for Will Birkenkamp located behind the H.H. Birkenkamp located on Broadway. He married Florence and had two children, Herman Jr. and Jane.
Albert Jr. had worked for Howard Eggleston. He married Lillian and they had a son, Albert III.
In 1956, they moved to the current location at Heatherdowns Boulevard and Byrne Road. This area was known as Adams Township before Toledo annexed it in the early 1970s.
The next generation…
Herman Jr. was a graduate of Libbey High School and attended the former Cleveland College of Embalming. He married Wilma (Hauser); they were longtime members of Holy Trinity Lutheran Church. Both were active in the Masons and Lady Shriners. Herman belonged to Triad Lodge, now Barton Smith Lodge, and the Zenobia Shrine. Wilma was a member of Dendarah Court serving as High Priestess.
Since Wilma’s passing, Herman became an associate member of Holy Trinity Lutheran Church and a member of Hope Lutheran Church of Toledo.
Herman Jr. joined the family business and his motto was treating every family with good service and respect.
Jackie Riffner, whose mother Mrs. Currie was a sister to Lillian Bersticker (wife of Al Bersticker Jr.), bought half of the business from her aunt. Jackie was Secretary and Treasurer of the company.
Jackie had graduated from the former DeVilbiss High in Toledo and was married to Hugh Riffner. She remains a member of Bethel Lutheran Church in Toledo.
Herman and Jackie were co-owners beginning in the early 1970s until 1985 when they sold the business to Charles and JoAnne Scott.
As the business expanded, a second building was added next door to the main building in the early 70s to include a new chapel and selection room upstairs and the preparation downstairs. More recently, the main floor of the second building has been converted into an advance funeral planning center.
