Our History
In 1949, LaVerne and Luella Bender established the Bender Funeral Home at 354 Canisteo Street in Hornell. Mr. Bender had been an instructor at the Simmons Institute of Mortuary Science in Syracuse and was well qualified to own and manage his own funeral home. He established a tradition of caring service that is carried on today at all of their funeral home locations.
In 1981, the business was acquired by the Brown & Powers Funeral Home of Canisteo, later changing the name to Bender-Brown & Powers Funeral Home. The Canisteo Funeral Home was established in 1963 by Gerald Brown, who after 50 years in funeral service, continues to work daily, serving the needs of the entire community. Since that time, the funeral home has grown and undergone several expansion and remodeling projects. Today, it is one of the most modern and convenient facilities in the area.
In 1985, the funeral home acquired ownership of the former Landon-Beaver Funeral Home of Hornell and incorporated that business into the Canisteo Street location. In 2006, they also acquired ownership of the Robertson Funeral Home, one of the area’s oldest established funeral firms, and merged that business into the Canisteo Street Location.
In 1999, the Brown & Powers Funeral Home expanded into Allegany County, and established a funeral home in Angelica, NY. This one story, ranch style home, is proud to serve all of Allegany County.
One of the area’s largest funeral firms, Brown & Powers continues to serve their families under the guidance of Gerald R. Brown, Chester A. Gosper IV, licensed funeral directors, in the same caring tradition established By LaVerne Bender in 1949
