Our Valued 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.
David Pryor is a lifelong resident of the St. Marys community. He attended Kansas City Kansas Community College where he graduated with a Mortuary Science degree in 2011. Since then, he has worked for multiple funeral homes in Kansas City, Topeka, and the surrounding areas.
David is the guiding force behind Piper Funeral Home and brings compassionate leadership and expertise to every aspect of the business. With over 10 years of experience in the funeral industry, he has cultivated a deep understanding of the needs of grieving families and the importance of providing personalized, dignified services. David is dedicated to upholding the values of Piper Funeral Home, ensuring that every family receives the highest level of care and support during their time of need.
David enjoys traveling and spending time with his wife, Jackie and their daughter, Penny, sitting down and reading a good book and watching college football.
Beyond his work at the funeral home, David and his family are involved in the local community and are committed to making a positive impact in the lives of others. He is a licensed Funeral Director and Embalmer and is an active member of the National Funeral Directors Association, the Kansas Funeral Directors Association, and the Kaw Valley Chamber of Commerce.
Dean graduated from Texas A&M University with a bachelor's degree in marketing. After many years focused on Human Resources in large companies such as Hallmark Marketing Corporation, Limited Brands, and Payless Shoesource, he was in a car accident that drastically altered his outlook on life and how much he wanted to actually contribute to the community instead of focusing on the profits of retail giants.
He learned many important lessons during his volunteer work with hospice during the years of rehabilitation following the accident. Sitting with many families as their loved ones transitioned from life to death, thinking the person dying needed support, it quickly became apparent that it was always the family that needed the support to move through the grief and focus on the great memories of the life that was passing.
Dean felt what an incredible gift it would be to offer a family a meaningful farewell to their loved one through a positive viewing, a memorable service, or just a shoulder of support through a difficult time. After studying with Commonwealth Institute of Funeral Service, he earned licenses in both funeral directing and embalming.
Dean feels called to this work and is looking forward to helping others see death as the next step in life… as he believes life continues from what we leave behind.
Mike became the owner of Verschelden Funeral Home in September 1994. The funeral home had been in the Verschelden family for 100 years when the transaction was made. The Mike continues to this day giving the service and care that the community came to know from the Verschelden Family. Mike and his family moved to St. Marys from the Eskridge community where Mike managed the funeral home and his wife, Jami, worked in her family's cabinet business. They remain active in the community and enjoy living here.
