For over a century, Ebensberger-Fisher Funeral Home has served Boerne families. This is their story of compassion and care.
Story by Jenny Webster Jurica | Courtesy photographs
Founded in 1849 by German colonists, Boerne has developed a reputation for being a haven for health and strong sense of community pride.
Indeed, the town was often referred to as a “health resort” — thanks to luminaries like Dr. Ferdinand Ludwig Herff, a pioneering surgeon and doctor.
Even today, family-owned businesses work to foster compassionate care alongside community pride.
And chief among them is the Ebensberger-Fisher Funeral Home, which has comforted Boerne families for over a century.
Ebensberger-Fisher: A history
In operation since 1882, today Ebensberger-Fisher Funeral Home is the oldest continuous business in Boerne.
The company’s founder, Carl Oscar (C.O.) Ebensberger, arrived in the United States as a Prussian immigrant. He landed on Texas soil at Indianola in 1865. He was just 20 years old. Ebensberger found his way to Boerne, where he established a family with his wife, Julia Schwope, and raised four children.
Ebensberger constructed a building in Boerne in 1882 to house his undertaking business. His family lived upstairs.
Ebensberger was a cabinet maker by trade. At the time, cabinet makers often served as undertakers, too. This was due to the fact that they were the ones most capable of constructing wooden coffins.
From the Ebensberger building, C.O. Ebensberger operated the funeral home as well as a nearby hardware store and lumber company. In 1907, his son, Edmund (“Ed”) Ebensberger, took over the business.
All in the family, for more than a century
In 1937, Ed and his wife, Ella (who obtained her own funeral director’s license), built the structure that houses the current Ebensberger-Fisher Funeral Home.
The eye-catching Art Deco style building is one of only two Art Deco buildings in Boerne. It remains the subject of photography and literature focused on this architectural design.
Ed’s son, George Ebensberger took over the family business in 1947. This was at a time when the funeral industry was in flux. Remarkably, even as recently as the 1950s in Boerne, most funerals were held in homes and, later, churches.
George Ebensberger was quoted as once saying, “My father was an undertaker; I am a funeral director.” His remark reflected this shift in the funeral industry’s culture.
George Ebensberger’s son, George Jr. (Sonny), joined the family business in 1977. He ran the funeral home until his retirement in 2008.
That’s when, for the first time since 1882, Ebensberger Funeral Home was left in the care of someone other than an Ebensberger family member.
A time of transition
Shortly after the dawn of a new century, Dustin (“Dusty”) Fisher and his wife, Jo Lynn, took over operation of the funeral home.
The business’s current name, Ebensberger-Fisher Funeral Home, reflects the shift in ownership while continuing to honor the Ebensberger family’s legacy and impact on Boerne.
In the 12 years since the Fishers have been at the helm of the business, they’ve seen quite a few changes in Boerne. And they remain excited to grow alongside it.
“Because our beautiful current building was built in 1937, our business has outgrown it. We are in the beginning stages of building a new facility that will quadruple our size so that we can better serve our community,” explained Jo Lynn.
Two World Wars. Two global pandemics a century apart. The funeral home has, over time, demonstrated a solid commitment to stand alongside area residents in ways that reassure, comfort and tend to grieving families.
The Fisher intend to continue this tradition of excellence and care, even as their business grows to accommodate the funeral needs of new generations.
That’s because, for Jolynn, Boerne still feels the same to her as it did when she and her husband purchased the funeral home, over a decade ago.
“[Boerne] has not lost its small-town quaintness,” she said. “We still see someone we know everywhere we go.”
Explore more: Ebensberger-Fisher
To learn more about Ebensberger-Fisher Funeral Home and its important history, visit their website or follow them on Facebook.
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