The history of Frain Mortuary began in 1926 when Mr. Frank E. Keller purchased the funeral businesses in Winamac and Star City owned by Mr. W.N. Watt.  Later that year, Mr. Russell F. Fry (a Star City native employed by the W.N. Watt Funeral Homes) joined Mr. Keller in partnership in the Keller & Fry Funeral Home & Furniture Store.  The business was located at 103 North Market Street in Winamac.

In September of 1929, Mr. Walter G. Lange (a Denham native) terminated his employment at the Flanner & Buchanan Funeral Home in Indianapolis after purchasing Mr. Keller’s interested in the Keller & Fry Funeral Home & Furniture Store.  The new partnership was called Fry & Lange Funeral Home & Furniture Store.  The business remained at 103 North Market Street.

In 1935, Mr. Fry and Mr. Lange purchased the William S. Huddleston home, located at 305 East Main Street in Winamac.  Later that year, a room was added to the house to serve as a embalming and preparation room.  The building served as the first structural funeral home in Winamac.  Additions were made to the building in 1945 and 1957 to provide an area for casket display and a garage facility to accommodate funeral vehicles as well as the ambulance.  Today, the business remains at 305 East Main Street.

In 1950, Mr. Kenneth Seidel and Mr. Joseph Blastic purchased the furniture store from Fry and Lange.

In 1951, Mr. Maxwell C. Frain (son of Clyde Harold “Bud” and Eithel [Wilson] Frain) began working at the funeral home and running the ambulance.  Mr. Frain became a licensed funeral director in 1953.  Max and his wife Jean [Clark] Frain purchased Mr. Fry's interest in the business in 1961.  In 1969, Mr. and Mrs. Frain became sole owners of the business after purchasing Mr. Lange’s interest. For many years, the couple ran the firm together before their two sons joined them.

In 1971, Mr. Daniel C. Frain (eldest son of Max and Jean [Clark] Frain) began working at the funeral home and running the ambulance. Dan became a licensed funeral director in 1972.  Dan attended Purdue University and graduated from the Indiana College of Mortuary Science.

The funeral home received extensive renovation and modernization in 1973.  In 1976, the funeral home name (which had remained Fry & Lange Funeral Home) was changed to Frain Mortuary.  It was around this time period that the Frain’s (like many other funeral homes) got out of the ambulance service. 

In 1980, Mr. Samuel J. Frain (youngest son of Max and Jean [Clark] Frain) joined the funeral business.  Sam became a licensed funeral director in 1981.   He attended Ball State University and gradated from Mid-America College of Funeral Service.

In 1989, brothers Dan and Sam Frain purchased the business from their parents Max and Jean Frain following Max’s retirement.  The facility was renovated in 1992 to allow complete handicap accessibility.  In 2001, a state of the art embalming and preparation room was installed.

In January 2005, Dan and Sam purchased the Querry-Ulbricht Funeral Homes located in Francesville and Medaryville from Mr. Bob Ulbricht and his wife Barb. In that same year, the Frains did extensive remodeling of the facilities in Francesville.

The history of the Querry-Ulbricht Funeral Homes begins with Mr. Harry Querry.  Mr. Querry started the Querry Funeral Home in Medaryville in June of 1935.  He then purchased the Burson Funeral Home in Francesville from Claude Burson in 1946. The two funeral homes were operated by Harry and his wife Rachel until 1969.  In 1964, Bob and Barb Ulbricht moved to Francesville from southern Indiana to form a partnership with Harry Querry. In 1969, the Ulbricht’s purchased the business from Mr. Querry and the business became known as the Querry-Ulbricht Funeral Home.  In 2005, Mr. Ulbricht retired from the funeral business. Today, Dan and Sam Frain operate all three funeral homes under the Frain Mortuary name.  In Francesville and Medaryville, the funeral homes are referred to as the Frain Mortuary Querry-Ulbricht Chapels. 

In 2006, Mr. Jon Maxwell Frain (son of Dan and Jacki [Gordon] Frain) began working at the funeral home.    Jon became a licensed funeral director in 2009.  He received a Bachelor’s Degree from Indiana University and an Associates degree from Worsham College of Mortuary Science.
The Frains constructed a new funeral chapel in Medaryville in the fall of 2007 to replace the aging home that had served the community for many decades.  

For over 80 years, Frain Mortuary has served the many families of Pulaski County and the surrounding communities.  The Frains are truly sensitive to the needs of everyone they serve. They continue to assist families in any way possible and to relieve the burdens felt by those who have experienced the death of a loved one. The Frains have always provided compassionate and professional services as well as well-maintained facilities and automotive equipment.