About Us

About Us

Our Story

Opened in the summer of 2012, the planning for our funeral home began some time ago. With more than 32 years of experience in funeral service, it was evident to us that very often, as the wishes of those needing a funeral home were changing, funeral service was not.

At Gaylord Community Funeral Home & Cremation Service our goal is to listen, to offer suggestions and to provide the best possible service to you and your family with care, compassion and common sense. We are focused entirely on your needs, comfort and convenience and not at all on products. You have told us we are moving in the right direction, and we thank you for the opportunity to serve you.

Why We're Different

Different? Do we really want to say we’re different? Absolutely!

We’re different because our focus is on you and your needs, not the "merchandise" decisions funeral service has traditionally been focused on. This frees us to listen better, make better suggestions and recommendations and serve you better. Of course we have caskets, burial vaults, urns and other items for you to choose from. All funeral homes do.

And we’re different because providing great service and compassionate assistance in a responsible, affordable manner is all we aspire to do. The funeral you are planning is about you and your family, it's not about us. 

If you need us, call us and we'll be there. Yes, we are different, and thankful to be.

Our Staff

What makes one funeral home different from any other?...It's people do!

Joe Messenger

Funeral Director/Owner

Joe was a typical teenager, though admittedly he lacked motivation and direction for his future as his high school years drew to a close. His first jobs included delivering newspapers and bagging groceries at a local grocery store chain. A somewhat chance meeting with the owner of a funeral home in his home town led to a job offer. Little did he know at the time, but this job offer would give him that much needed direction and change his life forever. Since that time in 1982, Joe has enjoyed every minute of serving families during their most difficult moments. 

After 30 years in funeral service, in 2012 with the support of his wife and business partner, Vicky, he opened Gaylord Community Funeral Home & Cremation Service. 

Rachel (Gaynor) Smith

Funeral Director

Born and raised here, Rachel is Gaylord’s only true “native” funeral director. Through her own personal experience at a young age, she sensed her calling early on to become a funeral director and to help others during life’s most difficult moments.

A 2004 graduate of Gaylord High School, Rachel left to pursue her education in Mortuary Science. It was always her goal to return home to Gaylord with her husband Dave (also Gaylord born and raised) and their young family. Her goal became reality when she joined us here in December of 2014.

 

Rachel has four children: Kennedy, Zoe, Stella and Bo, whom keep her very busy with school, sports and activities. She loves being involved in the community where she currently is a board member of the Otsego County Commission on Aging, Otsego County Sportsplex, E-Free Church Leadership Committee, Gaylord Area Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors, Government Affairs Committee, Fellowship of Christian Athletes, and the GHS Medical Occupation Committee.

Chad Craker

Licensed Funeral Director & Pre-Arrangements

Kelly Schoch

Administrative Assistant & Cemetery memorials

Kelly has lived in Vanderbilt for 6 years now, and is very happy to call this area home. She is a teacher by trade and never dreamed she would be working in a funeral home, but God had other plans. When asked what she does at the funeral home she says, "All things paper" and designing headstones with families. She and her husband, Jeff, have 4 children and 3 grands and traveling to them keeps them very busy. Kelly is active with her church and enjoys fishing, boating and snowshoeing in her spare time.

Dennis Putman

Support Staff


Born and raised in Gaylord, Dennis graduated from Gaylord High School in 1978. 


Dennis joined the funeral home staff in 2013.  He plays an important role, helping families during their difficult times.  He also takes pride in looking after our buildings appearance and upkeep.


  In his spare time, he enjoys cooking and spending time with his family and friends.

Ryan Sanderson

Support Staff

Ryan Sanderson is a proud Michigan native, with deep family roots in Gaylord going back generations. After serving over 25 years in the U.S. Navy and retiring as a Senior Chief Petty Officer following 10 deployments—including three to Iraq and a year in Afghanistan and numerous shipboard deployments—he moved to Gaylord in 2018 from Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. Ryan holds a Bachelor of Science in Management and is currently in the Mortuary Science Program at Wayne State University. He is the Senior Vice Commander of VFW Post 1518 in Gaylord and serves on the Otsego County Veterans Affairs Board. In his free time, Ryan enjoys playing cornhole and flying RC planes, but most of all, spending time with his wife and two sons.

Chad McDonald

Support Staff

Bio coming soon.

Greg Watling

Support Staff

A native of Owosso, Michigan, Greg spent time in East Lansing, Kansas City (Missouri), and Northeast Wisconsin (De Pere and New London, both near Green Bay). He had always dreamed of living in northern Michigan and he is overjoyed that his dream of living here has become reality. 

 

Greg serves as the Pastor of First Congregational United Church of Christ in Gaylord since 2020.  He has played a key support staff role for funeral home since 2023. 

 

Greg also serves on the Gaylord Area Council for the Arts board as Vice President, and on the board of Samaritan, a mental health center in Wisconsin. He was part of the Leadership Otsego County class of 2023.  Greg loves to hike, bike, kayak and engage in other outdoor adventures. 

 

He is married to Cindy Goller, and together they have three adult children.