Our History

Ten years after Judge and Mrs. J. A. Lynch founded Mineral Wells in 1882, Benjamin Holland and Bettie Clements Lattner opened their furniture store and funeral home. The following article was printed in “The (Mineral Wells) Daily Index”, on March 28, 1905:

FURNITURE AND UNDERTAKING

B. H. Lattner was born in Franklin County, Georgia, March 7, 1854, and came to Mineral Wells in 1892, where he married Miss Bettie Clements. Both are licensed embalmers and members of the (Texas) State Undertaker’s Association. Mr. Lattner has been in the furniture and undertaking business all his life and therefore he is thoroughly posted in all of its branches. He has an immense stock of furniture constantly in stock in his two story stone business house, and cordially invites the visitors to call and see him.

The first business location is pictured to the right with the caption from the book, Time Was in Mineral Wells a Crazy Story but True… by A. F. Weaver: "B. H. Lattner was an undertaker by trade, but dabbled in other businesses as read on the signs in front of his establishment." (The signs read "B. H. Lattner, Furniture, Light Running Sewing Machines and Coffins.)


This building was located at the corner of S. E. 1st Street and South Oak Avenue and is now a parking lot. Records show that Bettie was the first Texas licensed female embalmer with license #15. The best records available indicate the Lattner’s started their business there in 1892 and continued at this original location for about 15 years.

In September 1905, Mr. Lattner purchased the lot at 116 South Oak Avenue and built a three-and-a-half story brick building in 1906. The first elevator in the town of Mineral Wells installed to facilitate the movement of caskets from the second floor where the chapel was located. It is reported that visitors would assemble for the opportunity to ride up and down the new contraption.


The business continued there until September 11, 1936, when it was moved to 302 West Hubbard, the present home of Baum-Carlock-Bumgardner Funeral Home. A close examination of the five corner windows on the second row from the top will reveal the stained glass windows currently in the present facility at 302 West Hubbard Street.


The building currently houses Mineral Wells Office Supply. Mrs. Lattner had purchased this property on October 30, 1932, four years after her husband passed away.

The Rev. Clyde Campbell, who was the pastor of Calvary Baptist Church from 1930-1936, was the construction foreman on the brick and native rock structure. They started building in the spring of 1936, when Mrs. Lattner was 64 years old.


Rev. Campbell gave the following account of the construction: "Mrs. Lattner and I drove many miles inspecting funeral homes before we started the building. We bought, wrecked, and hauled four residences from Thurber for the woodwork, and gathered the rock from the mountains. Many persons worked out funeral bills they owed Mrs. Lattner. Times were hard and money hard to come by, I never charged her a dime for my work. She was a good woman caught in a hard condition and I helped her out. I had to beg clothing, caskets and even graves for poor people during that depression and she never turned me down."


Mrs. Lattner operated the business for only about a year in the "almost completed" new building.

An article in the Mineral Wells Daily Index dated May 30, 1948, tells how Drew Baum and Neil Carlock became owners of the funeral home: "Drew Baum and Neil Carlock were living in Stamford when they attended the Texas Funeral Directors convention in Mineral Wells in May 1937. The B. H. Lattner Funeral Home was for sale and they found it out while they were here, made plans to buy it and moved their families here June 1 of that same year."


When World War II started, Neal Carlock joined the armed forces and left Drew Baum to operate the business. Mr. Carlock returned from the war with the rank of Lt. Colonel, and the two men resumed their partnership.

On May 2, 1960, the Baum and Carlock Funeral Home became the Baum Carlock Bumgardner Funeral Home. Mitchell O. Bumgardner, his wife Alice Jeanette, and their son John Bumgardner, moved to Mineral Wells from Colfax, Iowa, having purchased sole ownership of the firm.


Mr. Bumgardner owned the funeral home during the height of the Ft. Wolters activity and population influx. He died on September 27, 1972. His wife attended the Dallas Institute of Mortuary Science, received her funeral directors license in 1979, and continued to actively operate the business. She was the first lady to serve on the board of directors of the Mineral Wells Savings and Loan Association and served one term on the Mineral Wells City Council. She passed away on March 20, 2004.

Rual Perkins, his devoted wife Donna, and their two children, Mary Christene and Benjamin Delcamp, moved to Mineral Wells on March 4, 1974, and joined the staff of Baum Carlock Bumgardner. He became the Funeral-Director-in-Charge shortly thereafter.


Donna went to work in the laboratory of Palo Pinto General Hospital where she was a registered, licensed medical technologist. She graduated from the University of Texas at Arlington with a degree in medical technology. In her spare time, she taught piano, an activity she dearly loved.


Rual and Donna purchased the funeral home on April 1, 2005. Mrs. Perkins has since gone to her resting place. She is dearly missed by her family and all that knew her.

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