Plymouth Company Helps Clients Navigate the Funeral Planning Process
Writer / Lois Tomaszewski
Photographer / Tony Straw
Family defines Johnson-Danielson Funeral Home. The services provided by this family-owned company provide comfort to those who have lost cherished loved ones. It is about the cycle of life that families find themselves in, and a family coming together to serve the community in these vulnerable moments.
We pride ourselves on providing care that goes beyond the expectation, says Jamie Beckwith, strategic planning manager for the business. She is also the daughter of Owners Jim and Terri Weldy. 
Through the years, names, faces and buildings have changed, she says. What has not changed is our commitment to providing all families a means of recognizing a life with a tribute service that is not only meaningful, but affordable to all.
Johnson-Danielson Funeral home has been a part of the Plymouth community since 1879. Through the past 143 years, seven families have been stewards of what has become a part of the community landscape, Beckwith says.
Jim and Terri Weldy are at the helm of the funeral home and Remembrance Centre. Beckwith and her husband Ryan are also involved with operations in various capacities.
Natives of Central Illinois, the Weldys assumed ownership in 2017 and the Beckwiths moved to Plymouth in 2020. The Weldy family, however, has roots in Wakarusa, Beckwith says.
My father Jim spent a great deal of time growing up with his grandparents in the Goshen and Elkhart areas, Beckwith says.
Jim has more than 40 years of experience in funeral services. He attended Worsham College of Mortuary Science in Wheeling, Illinois, graduating in 1978. Beckwith is currently attending the same school.
I take great pride in carrying on the legacy that he and the preceding families of Johnson-Danielson Funeral Home have created over the years, she says.
Johnson-Danielson Funeral Home offers traditional visitation and graveside services, as well as cremation options and funeral pre-planning. They can help a family navigate the decisions that come about from the death of a loved one, and even alternative ways to express grief and pay tribute to those who have passed. Staff is available 24 hours a day.
The Remembrance Centre is considered a sister company, and opened in 2009. It is a retail store with a variety of life-event gifts for anniversaries, birthdays, memorials and more. Beckwith says it is also the place to find something just because. Gift items offered in the Remembrance Centre include Carson wind chimes, stepping stones, rain gauges, various yard stakes and shepherds hooks. Home decor items and clothing, scarves, jewelry and handbags are also on hand.
We might be known best for our granite monuments or our line of urn and memorial items, but we have so much more to offer in addition to that, Beckwith says.
Terri oversees the Remembrance Centre, supported by staff members Vicky Rich and Elaine Guzak.
While the store features a variety of products in addition to memorial items, one of the most common reasons someone shops in our store is for a memorial gift, Beckwith explains. It may be the reason you initially came to the store, but we hope that youll be back to see us again for other special occasions in your life.
Besides being locally owned, another important aspect of Johnson-Danielson Funeral Home and the Remembrance Centre is making sure the staff is committed to helping families, Beckwith says. The staff includes three full-time funeral directors, Jim Weldy, Caryn Durski and Jordan Mayfield. Jim Smart is the life celebrant and is joined by the support staff of Patty Welch, Betty Yoder, Donna Girten, Ruth Weist and Ryan Beckwith.
We acknowledge that the level of service that is provided by our funeral home could not be achieved if it were not for the efforts of our dedicated staff, Beckwith says.
The Remembrance Centre is located at 1218 South Michigan Street in Plymouth. Shop online at theremembrancecentre.com.
Johnson-Danielson Funeral Home is located at 1100 North Michigan Street in Plymouth. For more information on funeral services, call 574-936-2829, email info@johnson-danielson.com, or visit johnson-danielson.com.
Johnson-Danielson Funeral Home has been established in the community of Plymouth, Indiana since 1879 and its staff is committed to providing care that goes beyond the expected in serving today’s families who call Marshall County their home. Jim & Terri Weldy, along with a professionally caring staff, are available to assist your family 24 hours a day simply by calling 574-936-2829.
