Our History

In 1891 Robert Beard founded the Beard Memorial Home. The tradition of caring community service was continued by Robert's sons Karl and Ward Beard. In 1940 Donald and Marjorie Beard joined the staff. In 1898, the Wright Funeral Home was founded by Elwyn R. Wright, and carried by his son, Earle Wright. In 1941 Earle Wright built the funeral home at its current location at 9 Lincoln Avenue, Cortland New York.

In 1949, Earle's son, Lawrence joined his father's funeral home. Bruce Zeches joined the Earle W.Wright Funeral home in 1963, and in December 1967, the two firms merged to becomeThe Wright Beard Funeral Home.

Today, Timothy A. Zeches, Harold A. Pallone II, Sean P. Whittin, Nicholas M. Lundberg, Rachel L. Mauzy, and Todd Zeches are committed to serving Cortland County with sensitivity and dignity. We are proud to be a locally owned and operated, independent, full service funeral home.

Whether you are considering the arrangements for a loved one, or thinking about pre-planning for your own services, please feel comfortable in contacting us with any questions or concerns. We take pride in being able to offer you trust and peace of mind.

We invite you to stop by and visit our facilities in person at your convenience.