Our Heritage

The history of Pate Funeral Home dates back to August 1928, when W.W. Drake purchased the Browning-Threewitt Undertaking Business, located at 106 East Washington Street in Benton, Illinois. Renamed Drake Funeral Home, the business quickly earned a reputation for providing compassionate, professional service to families throughout the community.

In 1938, Lowell Hobbs joined Drake Funeral Home after obtaining his funeral directing and embalming licenses. Following his service during World War II, Lowell returned home and became a partner in the business, which was subsequently renamed Drake-Hobbs Funeral Home.

In 1963, Benton native Charles M. Johnson Jr. purchased the Drake family's interest in the funeral home from Ronald and Ruby Drake. The business was then renamed Hobbs-Johnson Funeral Home. For nearly two decades, Lowell Hobbs and Charles Johnson faithfully served families throughout the Benton area with dignity, professionalism, and compassion.  Upon Mr. Hobbs' retirement in 1982, he sold his remaining interest in the funeral home to Mr. Johnson, who continued as sole owner until his passing on October 11, 1990.

The funeral home's legacy remained in the Johnson family when Charles Johnson's youngest son, Derek Johnson, purchased the business from his mother in October 1992. With a vision for growth and enhanced service, construction began in October 1995 on a new, state-of-the-art 10,000-square-foot facility at 301 South Main Street in Benton. The new funeral home opened its doors in 1996 and continues to serve families from that location today.

November 2011, the funeral home expanded its services with the addition of an on-site crematory, becoming the first and only crematory in Franklin County at that time. Following this expansion, the business became known as Hobbs-Johnson Funeral Home & Crematory.

November 2013, Steven A. Pate, a licensed funeral director and embalmer, became a business partner with Derek Johnson and assumed responsibility for the funeral home's day-to-day operations. December 2015, Steven became the President of the business, and the name was officially changed to Pate Funeral Home.

Today, Pate Funeral Home proudly continues a tradition of compassionate, family-centered care that has served the families of Southern Illinois for nearly a century. Guided by a commitment to dignity, respect, and personal service, we remain honored to help families celebrate life, preserve memories, and find comfort during life's most difficult moments.

Awards

Illinois Award of Funeral Home Distinction

Pate Funeral Home of Benton was recently recognized by the Illinois Funeral Directors Association (IFDA) as a recipient of the Illinois Award of Funeral Service Distinction. Only ten funeral homes across the state earned this prestigious honor for their efforts during 2019–2020.

The Illinois Award of Funeral Service Distinction was established to recognize IFDA members for outstanding achievements in key areas of funeral service while promoting leadership in community involvement, family outreach, social responsibility, and professional development. These honored firms serve as an inspiration to future generations of funeral service professionals.

Recipients were selected following a careful review process conducted by the IFDA Award of Funeral Service Distinction Committee. Pate Funeral Home successfully met stringent criteria in the areas of Community Outreach, Family Outreach, and Professional Development.

The Illinois Funeral Directors Association represents 478 funeral homes and more than 1,100 licensed Illinois Funeral Directors and Embalmers who are committed to upholding the IFDA Constitution, Code of Professional Conduct, and the Funeral Directors and Embalmers Licensing Code.

Benton/West City Area Chamber of Commerce 2018 Business of the Year