Wise Funeral Home

Established in 1908 by Phillip Wise, Wise Funeral Home began – like most funeral homes at that time – as a furniture store that served funerary needs. Wise Funeral Home was originally located on the downtown square in Bonham; it moved to its present location at 219 West Sam Rayburn in 1935. It is now located in the beautiful Scarborough Home, which becomes a part of the history of the funeral home.

A. B. Scarborough, president of First National Bank, built the mansion in 1897. He and his wife personally supervised the construction. The massive architecture combines Gothic (characterized by high steep roofs, pointed arches, vaulted flying buttresses, and the use of large stained-glass windows), Grecian, and 17-century features in arches, balconies, cupola, turrets, and gables. The intricately carved woodwork was milled in St. Louis and shipped to Bonham by boat and railway, then assembled on the spot. The original light fixtures in the house also came from St. Louis. The parquet floor in the library is built of three types of wood-oak, mahogany, and maple, and each square is made of eight perfectly cut and fitted pieces. Other attractions of the building include four stained glass windows – one in the library, two in the old master suite, and one on the second landing of the main staircase. The home also has nine fireplaces, including a three-way fireplace opening into the foyer, library, and parlor.

There is also a two-way fireplace for the sitting room and bedroom of the master suite, one in the dining room, and three upstairs. In addition to second floor bedrooms, the house has a third floor attic room that was used by children for roller skating and other recreation, and a large basement that housed a boiler once used for heating.

Wise Funeral Home is currently owned by Stephen Murden. Richard Murden purchased the funeral home in 1993 and owned and operated it until his death in 2015. The Murden family continues the tradition of family operation of the Funeral Home – a tradition begun by Phillip Wise over 100 years ago. The Murden family has recently undertaken renovations of different rooms inside the old home interior, as well as a complete refurbishment of the exterior, including a new roof on the three-story mansion. Mr. Murden says, “Although we own the funeral home, it is now as it has always been – a part of Bonham and Fannin County history. I intend to keep it that way.”