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About

Stephens and Bean Funeral Chapel offers compassionate funeral and cremation services to Fresno-area families in a tradition dating back to 1885. For more than a century, our commitment to service has remained unchanged as we adapt to the changing funeral needs of our community.

Caring for you

We pride ourselves on listening carefully to what is meaningful to our clients in their time of need. Through support and creativity, we enable them to create a service that commemorates a well-lived life. Count on Stephens and Bean to bring an inspired and unforgettable memorial service to life.

We serve greater Fresno as a member of the Dignity Memorial® network of funeral, cremation and cemetery service providers. Our clients receive sincere service from a locally based team that knows Fresno firsthand, coupled with the value and service enabled by the most trusted network of funeral, cremation and memorial services.

Please contact us if you need immediate assistance or if you would like more information about our services.

History

Stephens and Bean Funeral Chapel celebrates a history intertwined with the growth and promise of the American West.

In 1885, L.O. Stephens started the very first funeral home in the Central Valley—only the 11th funeral establishment in California. Mr. Stephens expanded his furniture and funeral business to include his brother-in-law Billy Bean in 1895, thus forming Stephens and Bean Funeral Chapel.

Mr. Bean served as the Fresno county coroner, and Mr. Stephens was elected the first mayor of Fresno. In 1911, Mr. Stephens built the first state-of-the-art funeral chapel and mortuary in Fresno, located at the corner of Tuolumne and Broadway. This chapel had many new features, including a pipe organ and the first motorized funeral coach on the West Coast.

Family roots

In the early 1920s, J.D. Stephens joined his father, and as their funeral home grew along with the population boom, they purchased additional equipment, including a new ambulance with features such as a lung motor to assist in cases of gas poisoning, electric shock, drowning and asphyxiation. In the 1930s, Stephens and Bean put a new air ambulance into service—the first of its kind. In 1945, J.D. Stephens Jr. returned from World War II. Instead of pursuing his planned career as a mining engineer, he joined his father’s firm along with another funeral director and World War II veteran named Manford Morton.

In 1950, the close-working duo relocated their funeral home to 202 N. Teilman, constructing a modern facility in a prime location near the local cemeteries, thus eliminating funeral processions through town. By the middle of the decade, the younger Stephens served on Fresno City Council and considered a run for mayor. Mr. Morton continued to build the best-known funeral service in the area. In 1968, Mr. Morton partnered with the Whitehurst family, with Mr. Manford continuing to manage and operate Stephens and Bean.

Century of service

In 1985, Stephens and Bean celebrated its 100th anniversary by purchasing and relocating a 15th-century Elizabethan-period oak room, with priceless Elizabethan figures painstakingly hand-carved in Belgium placed over the fireplace. Originally, the room was taken to England and assembled in a mansion on Trafalgar Square, near Westminster Abbey. In 1930, it was disassembled and brought by boat to San Francisco. It remained there, where it was often referred to as one of San Francisco’s most beautiful rooms. Relocated to Stephens and Bean in 1985, it is now a warm and inviting reception area for the families we serve.

Expanding the business

In 2002, a crematory was added, giving Fresno-area residents a full-service facility all in one location. We are committed to exceeding expectations and delivering a standard of service that is 100% guaranteed.

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Amenities

Location

Chapel
Piano or organ on-site
Floral shop on-site
Pet friendly

Cremation

On-site cremation
Cremation remembrance jewelry
Option for home delivery of ashes
Option for mail delivery of ashes
Sent through postal mail service, signature required.
Scattering assistance

Service

Arrangements by phone or email
Complete funeral planning, including electronic signature, without needing a funeral home visit
Catered events
Funeral service video production
Services available to create a tribute video for the service or obituary from photos and videos.
Audio and video equipment
Live music available
Intimate gatherings
Overnight visitations
White limousines

Religious & Cultural

Multicultural funerals
Incense burning
Ritual washing

Other Languages Spoken

Spanish/Español

Other

100% service guarantee
Livestreaming of services

How may we help you?

Plan Ahead

A Death Is Near

A Death Has Occurred

GET CUSTOM QUOTE

INCLUDES THE FOLLOWING SERVICES:

Filing for death certificates
Securing burial permits
Helping with insurance claims
Giving guidance on Social Security survivors benefits

Every detail remembered

100% SERVICE GUARANTEE
If for some reason you’re dissatisfied with any aspect of your service, we’ll refund that portion of the service.
LIFETIME FLEXIBILITY
If you want to make changes to a prepaid plan, we are always available to discuss your options.
RELOCATION PROTECTION
Our prepaid plans are transferable to any of the qualifying Dignity Memorial providers in North America.