Front exterior at Stephens and Bean Funeral Chapel

Highlights

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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.

Amenities

Location

Cremation

Service

Religious & Cultural

Other Languages Spoken

Other

100% SERVICE GUARANTEE

At Dignity Memorial, we take our promises seriously. That’s why we offer a 100% service guarantee. We strive to get every detail right the first time, every time. If for some reason we don’t and you’re dissatisfied with any aspect of your service, we will remedy it quickly and fully.

Learn about our Dignity Difference benefits.

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Express your sympathy with flowers & gifts

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Bouquet of flowers on a cemetery 

Remember the one you love

Honor the memory of your loved one with cemetery flower placement. You choose the flowers. You choose the months. We do the rest.

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Floral component background

Express your sympathy with flowers & gifts

1-800-Flowers

View arrangements

Bouquet of flowers on a cemetery

Remember the one you love

Honor the memory of your loved one with cemetery flower placement. You choose the flowers. You choose the months. We do the rest.

Learn More

Express your sympathy with flowers & gifts

View arrangements
Floral component background

Express your sympathy with flowers & gifts

1-800-Flowers

View arrangements

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Floral component background

Express your sympathy with flowers & gifts

1-800-Flowers

View arrangements

Vintage photos scattered

Unable to find an obituary?

Not finding what you are looking for? Search for your loved one's obituary across any of our Washelli locations.

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A beautiful bouquet of flowers

Express your sympathy with flowers & gifts

 1-800-Flowers

View Arrangements
Bouquet of flowers on a cemetery

Remember the one you love

Honor the memory of your loved one with cemetery flower placement. You choose the flowers. You choose the months. We do the rest.

Learn More
Vintage photos scattered

Unable to find an obituary?

Not finding what you are looking for? Search for your loved one's obituary across any of our other locations.

VIEW OBITUARIES

Ratings & Reviews

Verified Customer Reviews

Since 2005, many of our customers have taken the time to tell us how we did each year via our Voice of the Customer program. Our star ratings and comments from families come directly from these surveys.

"I have used Stephen's and Bean numerous times. I return to Stephen's and Bean because in a time of grief and stress, they are consoling, responsive to specific needs, and never pressure. I have never felt like I was getting a 'sales pitch'."

jd-power-verified-checkmark Verified Burial & Memorial Service Customer

December 2020

"Unfortunately we have had several services with Dignity funeral homes. Every service we experienced has been memorable."

jd-power-verified-checkmark Verified Burial & Memorial Service Customer

December 2020

"I'm not certain about the word 'unique' in the above question. It seems out of place. The experience, however, was exceptional. Thank you"

jd-power-verified-checkmark Verified Burial & Memorial Service Customer

December 2020

"Stephens and Bean, and more specifically, Douglas L. was exceptional from beginning to end of our experience. While going through a difficult time like loss, knowing that someone was helping us with such care and thoughtfulness was very much appreciated."

jd-power-verified-checkmark Verified Burial & Memorial Service Customer

December 2020

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