Hawker Funeral Home
132 South Shilling Ave.
Blackfoot, ID 83221
208.785-1320

as a tabernacle for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. After fifty-seven years as a place of worship, it was sold to Bingham County as an annex to the courthouse. The lower floor was used for various offices, while the large upper sanctuary was converted to a civic center. With the addition of a stage, the space was perfect for plays, pageants, and graduations. The county used the site until 2002., when the cost of it’s repairs became prohibitive. With plans to build a new auditorium elsewhere, the county offered the building and large adjoining parking lot for sale to the highest bidder. Unfortunately, due to the structure’s asbestos content, and its subsequent removal, no one was willing to meet the minimum bid of $150,000.00. Officials then offered the property at auction again–this time with no minimum.

Enter Perry Hawker, owner of the neighboring Hawker Funeral Home. Perry had enjoyed the generosity of both the church and county for the use of their parking lot, since the funeral home did not have one of its own. He stated, "I was very concerned about who might purchase the building and what would become of the parking lot we so freely used. I was told if I wanted a parking lot, I would have to take the building with it." He decided that buying the property and reselling the tabernacle would be the best solution.

Knowing he would be out of town at the time of the auction, Perry sent his younger brother, Tracy, to bid on his behalf, with the instructions: Do not bid over $100,000.00. The price climbed as the bidding went back and forth, but when it reached $97,000.00, Tracy just wanted to get it over with and shouted" $100,000.00!" A hush came over the room, the gavel dropped, and the building was suddenly sold– to everyone’s surprise...including Tracy’s!

Perry recalled, "When I returned home to Blackfoot ten days after the sale, I couldn’t believe how many people stopped me and thanked me for saving the landmark. Perry had been baptized at the tabernacle and graduated from high school at the civic center, but never realized how important it had become to other member of the community, too. Much more than a historic building, it is an indelible part of their lives with profound spiritual meaning and reselling it was now out of the question.

Perry was undaunted by the turn of events; he learned years ago that life often unfolds differently than planned. In the early 1980's, he was studying architecture at Idaho State University. He and his wife, Margo, took an apartment over Downard Funeral Home in Pocatello simply because the rent was so low. Much to his surprise, he was absolutely drawn to funeral service and after four years of college, change his major to become a mortician. With a positive outlook, Perry believes that the years he spent in architecture classes paved the way for the enormous task of transforming the annex into a beautiful funeral home.

The design and intricate brickwork were restored to their original states, but the interior was entirely gutted and revamped. The basement was deepened; the main floor was lowered by more than seven feet; and an upper floor was added.

Today, the construction phase is merely a memory. Natural light streams in through large windows, casting a warm glow on the textured millet walls of the foyer. Spindled balconies and brass chandeliers add to the room’s grandeur while airbrushed angels dance in a swirl of clouds on the 30-foot vaulted ceiling. Panels of Pakistan marble are engraved with scriptures and depictions of religious figures, central of which is an image of Christ with open arms, enveloping visitors in comfort. The main floor has four viewing rooms and a soundproof, 300 seat chapel that can be combined to accommodate up to 600 guests. The funeral home has a state-of-the-art audio and visual system with a large retractable screen for video tributes. The offices feature three workstations and sole access to a hidden mid-deck with a cry room and private loft.

The upper floor , accessible by stairs or elevator, houses everything necessary to make funeral arrangements including conference rooms, casket room, and cremation room. The family room, library and embalming room are also located on this level. Perry says that the benefits to having s separate location for making arrangements are immeasurable. "It has been wonderful to have a funeral or viewing happening and still be able to take family members upstairs and have them feel like they are the only ones we have to serve."

The basement is primarily used for storage. When one of its walls was removed, what remained of the tabernacle’s baptismal font was exposed. Perry states, "A great number of the townspeople had been baptized in the font and we decided it was worth refurbishing. During every viewing and funeral we have, there are people who ask to go downstairs and see the font where they were baptized. We had an abundance of original tiles from the font that we have allowed people to take as memories."