Who We Are

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.

When we sit down with a family, our primary goal is to help create a fitting, memorable and affordable service, one that creates the opportunity for the survivors to tell their loved one’s story. Together, we explore the wide variety of services and products available, as well as a wealth of creative ideas and suggestions to help the family begin their healing.

Together, we'll design a funeral or memorial service that suits their needs. Families who come to us know that years from now they will have deep peace-of-mind, because in coming to us, they've done their best to honor their loved one.

• One Hundredth Year in Business: A Historical Perspective of Wakeman Funeral Home, Inc.

  Funeral home founder, Balthas G. Gugel, came to Saginaw from Frankenmuth in 1909 with significant business experience.  In 1888, Mr. Gugel, along with his brothers Fred and Paul, opened a mercantile in Frankenmuth, named Gugel Brothers.  Mr. Gugel served as its bookkeeper until 1896.  He then became manager of the Frankenmuth Brewery.  In 1904, when the Village of Frankenmuth became incorporated, Mr. Gugel served as one of its first Trustees.  In 1906, he left the brewery to become manager of the Exchange Hotel, now Zehnder’s of Frankenmuth, before returning to merchandising when he opened a store and operated the post office in Gera.

  When Mr. Gugel arrived in Saginaw, he spent the first two years learning the business of undertaking from Charles L. Benjamin, one of Saginaw’s most notable undertakers.  By 1911, Mr. Gugel opened Gugel Funeral Home.  The business was originally established from his residence at 620 Ames Street in Saginaw.  In this era, the undertaker prepared many services to be held in the homes of the deceased, where the family would receive friends in the home’s parlor, the large formal gathering space.  On occasion Mr. Gugel held services out of a building owned by Carl Dubac, an in-law of the Gugel's and a bookbinder, located behind Gugel’s residence along North Harrison Street near Cleveland Street.  Also in this era, Mr. Gugel provided ambulance service to transport the sick and injured to the hospital.  In 1924, Balthas’ son, Richard F. Gugel, completed his education when he graduated from Haley Hygiene Training School in Detroit in 1924, and joined the business.  In 1927, Balthas opened a branch office at 600 State Street.  By 1938, Gugel’s business had grown to require a larger, more permanent facility.  He found one just two blocks from his original Ames Street office at 419 North Michigan Avenue.  The former lumber baron’s mansion would serve as Gugel’s new residence and permanent business address, eventually shuttering the State Street branch office.  Mr. Gugel was elected as Saginaw County Coroner in 1930 and served two two-year terms from 1931 through 1934.

  On December 1, 1941, after 40 years in business in Saginaw, Balthas Gugel died at his home at the age of 65.

  Mr. Richard F. Gugel, Sr., representing the second generation of the family business, had worked with his father for 17 years at the time of Balthas’ death, and would operate the funeral home for the next 24 years.  In this era, conducting services in the homes of the deceased gave way to families relying on the undertaker to prepare and provide services at his place of business.  Like his father, Richard Gugel was elected Saginaw County Coroner in 1938, serving nine consecutive terms, or 18 years, from 1939 through 1956.  It was the longest tenure for any Coroner in Saginaw County history.  Mr. Gugel did not seek re-election in 1956.

  In 1957, Mr. Gugel received a visit from Harold C. Wakeman, who was looking for a place to work.  Harold graduated from the Wisconsin Institute of Mortuary Science in Milwaukee in 1955, and had recently been honorably discharged from active service in the U.S. Army.  He remained in the Army Reserves until 1961.  Harold was also a resident of Frankenmuth, where he helped his father build and run the Ken Theatre, Frankenmuth’s only movie theatre.  Mr. Gugel accepted Wakeman’s request for employment.

  Though not related, Mr. Gugel and Harold worked well together.  So much so that many families using the services of the funeral home thought the two were father-and-son.  Harold continued to work for Mr. Gugel until 1965 when he purchased the 54 year-old business.  Out of respect for Mr. Gugel, Harold postponed a formal name change of the business until an appropriate time in the future.

  On August 2, 1967, after 43 years in business in Saginaw, Richard F. Gugel, Sr. died at his residence in Saginaw Township at the age of 64.

  In September 1968, nearly one year after Mr. Gugel’s death and three years after he purchased the business, Harold renamed the business, Gugel-Wakeman Funeral Home.  The name stood until 1978 when the business was incorporated and became the name it holds today, Wakeman Funeral Home, Inc.

  Harold followed his two predecessors in politics and served two terms as Saginaw County Coroner from 1969 through 1973.  His term was historical as he became Saginaw County’s last Coroner, as all future death investigations would now come under the jurisdiction of the Medical Examiner.

  While the 1800’s style building served well as a funeral home since the 1930’s, it was no longer properly serving their client’s needs.  For several years, Harold was planning to move the business – even purchasing land in the mid-1970’s along Gratiot Road.  By 1979, with drawings for a new construction completed, discussions of when to construct ensued.  However, the economy of the time included 18 to 20 percent interest rates, which made it impossible for many businesses to consider new construction.  Therefore, plans to build were shelved.

  In 1981, Harold’s oldest son, Brian, completed his education at Wayne State University School of Mortuary Science in Detroit, became licensed by the State of Michigan and formally entered the family business.

  Then in 1984, an opportunity became available to purchase the former residence of Fred W. Stork of Stork Engineering.  Stork provided engines to Defoe Shipbuilders of Bay City.  The new property would increase the firm’s parking capabilities by 800%, its floor plan was more conducive to larger gatherings, would maintain a home-like atmosphere while keeping the business along a major Saginaw professional business corridor.  In late 1984, the decision was made to purchase the property and move the business eight blocks north.  On February 15, 1985, the move to 1218 North Michigan Avenue was completed.

  In 1988, Harold’s youngest son, Rodney, graduated from Wayne State University School of Mortuary Science in Detroit and received his license from the State of Michigan and joined the firm as its newest funeral director.

  It was at this time that Harold and his wife Judy began to spend more time away from the business, moving more responsibilities to their sons.  After 42 years of funeral home ownership, Harold sold the business to his sons on January 1, 1999, marking the official date they took over all day-to-day operations, and becoming the fourth generation to run the business.

  In June 2005, Harold was honored by the Michigan Funeral Directors Association for his 50 years of licensure and dedicated service to his profession at a ceremony held at the Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island, Michigan.

  On March 17, 2008, after 53 years in funeral service, Harold died unexpectedly at his Florida home at the age of 74.

  In 2001, Wakeman Funeral Home launched the area’s first funeral home website.  In 2009, they completely redesigned their site, enabling families the opportunity to tell their loved one’s story like never before.  The foundation of this technology includes a personalized memorial webpage for the deceased.  Here, visitors can post condolence messages, share photos and videos, and for the family to build a family tree. The funeral home also offers Video Tributes, where they convert family photographs into cinematic DVD’s, which serve as memorable keepsakes for all members of the family, and Funeral Webcasting, technology that allows family members unable to travel to the funeral the opportunity to participate in the service from their computer, in real-time, through a private Internet connection – as their use of the technology was featured in national news in 2009.

  Wakeman Funeral Home is also committed to helping families understand and share the grief they are experiencing.  The Grief & Healing section of their website is the starting point for a wide array of grief support services.  This is where visitors can sign up to receive free Daily Affirmation messages by email, participate in Group Grief Support sessions, or receive professional personalized grief information through Interactive Aftercare.

  In 2010, the funeral home completed an extensive interior redecorating project and an additional technology upgrade in preparation for their 100th Anniversary, offering their families a warm and comfortable environment during their final moments with their loved one.

  Ever since funeral home founder Balthas G. Gugel began his work to provide services in the homes of the deceased in 1911, the undertaker, now funeral director, has been there to provide necessary assistance in caring for the dead while helping the family cope with the loss.  Over the past 100 years, funeral service has changed with the needs of the community.  Wakeman Funeral Home has made a commitment to continue to provide specialized personal service to help families with their loss.  Today, Brian and Rodney Wakeman continue the firm's tradition of helping consumers by participating in advanced voluntary continuing education programs.  This training gives them additional tools to help families understand death, grief, the funeral rite, and help families through a myriad of details, the majority of which were unforeseen in 1911.  They provide free seminars on funeral preplanning and at-need arrangements to further educate the consumer on necessary funeral details that must be considered, and help families through their loss by incorporating appropriate use of technology into the service that allows them to share their loved one's story like never before.

  One hundred years in business is a tremendous achievement.  In this time funeral service has seen a number of positive changes.  The cornerstone of funeral service is to help families through their loss, allowing them to share their grief and make the service personal, one that reflects the life lived.  Through lifelong, painstaking training from their father, Brian and Rodney Wakeman are proud to be carrying on the tradition of a family-run business and appreciate the responsibilities and incredible challenges of heading a 100 year-old company.

  Brian and Rodney Wakeman offer their sincerest appreciation to the families of Saginaw for allowing their company to serve your family over the past 100 years.  Their commitment to serve the community with the utmost respect and dignity has never wavered.

  You are invited to contact them today with your questions or comments about the history of the funeral home or of the services they offer.