Losing someone is heavy. Honestly, the last thing anyone wants to do when they’re grieving is navigate a clunky website or hunt through old newspapers just to find a service time. In Athens, Ohio, Jagers & Sons Funeral Home has been the go-to for families since the 1920s. But even with a century of history, finding jagers and sons funeral home obituaries online can be a little confusing if you don’t know exactly where to look.
Maybe you’re looking for a childhood friend’s service or trying to piece together some family history. Whatever it is, the digital trail for these memorials is spread across a few different places. It's not just one big list on a single site.
Where the Obituaries Actually Live
You’d think every funeral home just has a giant "Obituaries" button on their homepage, right? Well, sort of. For Jagers and Sons, they definitely maintain their own digital register, but they also syndicate out to bigger platforms.
If you're searching today, you'll likely find the most detailed info on Legacy or the Athens Messenger website. For example, recent 2026 memorials for local residents like Sandra "Sandy" J. Scott or Margaret Ellen Shields appeared there first. These aren't just names and dates; they are full life stories. Sandy was a South Bend native who became a fixture in Athens, while Margaret spent over 40 years working at Ohio University in Chubb Hall.
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That’s the thing about a small-town funeral home—everyone has a connection to the university or a local business.
Quick Ways to Search
- The Official Site: Head to jagersfuneralhome.com. They have an online register where you can sign a guestbook.
- The Local Paper: The Athens Messenger is the primary source for print and digital archives in the county.
- Legacy.com: This is usually the fastest way to find 2025 and 2026 records because it aggregates from multiple sources.
Why This Place is an Athens Staple
John Jagers started this whole thing back in 1923. Back then, things were way different. Funeral directors actually used to go to people’s houses to do the embalming and hold the services. It sounds wild now, but that was the norm.
The business moved around a bit—from West State Street to North Congress—before landing at its current spot on Morris Avenue in 1967. It’s been family-run for generations. Jerry Jagers, who passed away in early 2023, was a fixture there for over 66 years. He literally spent his whole life serving Athens. When you read through jagers and sons funeral home obituaries, you’re basically reading a history book of Athens County.
You'll see names like Donna Jean Hunter Brown, who worked at OU for 34 years, or Randy Mark Gunter, a U.S. Army vet and broadcaster. These are the people who built the community.
Navigating the Costs and Services
Funerals aren't cheap, and transparency is kinda rare in this industry. Jagers & Sons is pretty straightforward about their pricing compared to some of the bigger corporate-owned chains.
A basic service generally starts around $1,700 for the director's time and overhead. If you’re looking at a full traditional burial, you have to factor in the viewing ($385), the ceremony ($370), and the casket (usually starts around $1,500). Direct cremation is another route many families take now, which usually lands around $1,795.
It’s a lot of math during a time when your brain is probably fried.
What’s Included in a Standard Listing?
When a family works with the Jagers team, the obituary usually covers:
- Full Biographical Details: Where they went to school (usually Athens High or OU), where they worked, and their military service.
- Family Connections: Not just who they left behind, but who they’re reuniting with.
- Service Logistics: Visitation hours at 24 Morris Ave and burial details at places like Alexander Cemetery or West Union Street.
Avoiding Common Mistakes
One thing people get wrong is waiting for the Sunday paper. In 2026, most jagers and sons funeral home obituaries hit the web 24 to 48 hours before they ever see a printing press. If you wait for the physical paper, you might miss the visitation.
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Also, don't just "Google" the name and assume the first link is correct. There are a lot of "obituary scraper" sites that use AI to pull partial info and then try to sell you flowers. Always verify the details on the funeral home’s direct site or a trusted partner like Legacy.
If you’re trying to find an older obituary—say, from the 80s or 90s—you might need to visit the Athens County Public Library. They have the Athens Messenger on microfilm, which is a bit of a project but totally worth it for genealogy.
Practical Steps for Finding a Specific Record
If you are looking for someone right now, here is exactly what you should do:
- Check the Live Register: Go to the "Obituaries" section on the Jagers & Sons website first. This is the "source of truth."
- Use Specific Keywords: Instead of just searching the name, search "[Name] + Athens Ohio + Jagers." This bypasses the junk sites.
- Look for the Guestbook: Even if the service has passed, the guestbooks often stay online for years. It’s a great way to see photos or stories shared by old coworkers.
- Contact the Office: If you’re a relative and can't find a record, just call them at 740-593-3567. They are actual humans who answer the phone.
The reality is that these obituaries are more than just announcements. They are a way for the Athens community to stay connected. Whether it’s a 19-year-old student or a 92-year-old retiree, every entry represents a life that shaped this corner of Ohio.
If you need to send flowers or share a memory, do it sooner rather than later. Most digital guestbooks see the most activity in the first week, and that's when the family needs those notes the most.