Josie Toller
Funeral Director & Owner
Hahn-Groeber Funeral & Cremation Services
Lafayette, Linden, & Oxford, IN
Average call volume: 70 calls/year
Josie Toller wanted nothing more than to own a funeral home. But like many other young funeral professionals, she needed more than a great heart for service to make her dream of ownership a reality. She also needed funding from a trusted lending partner.
That's exactly what she found with Funeral Directors Life (FDL).
Instead of giving up on her dream, Josie worked with FDL to get the funding, advice, and support she needed to purchase three funeral homes in Indiana.
“FDL has been a godsend for me,” Josie said. “I’m still amazed that I’m finally a funeral home owner, and I could not have done it without FDL.”
Keep reading to find out how Josie found success as a new funeral home owner with FDL’s lending services.
How did you first learn about FDL?
I joined the staff at Hahn-Groeber Funeral & Cremation Services in 2023. At the time, someone else owned the business. Luckily, the funeral home was already working with FDL. They used FDL’s preneed services and even brought on a Select Producer to help with preneed families. That started a great partnership between the funeral home and FDL.
We’ve continued to partner with FDL and have had a great experience. We try to do everything we can with FDL because we believe they are the premier choice for funeral homes.
What challenges did you face when trying to purchase your funeral homes?
My biggest challenge was getting enough funding to make a down payment on the business. I felt like many other young funeral professionals who have the right heart to be owners but don’t have the funds to make it work. However, I could see that FDL shared my vision and truly wanted me to be successful. FDL believed in me, just like they do with other young funeral directors.
Was there something specific that made you realize that FDL was the right lending partner for you?
Our partnership with FDL was going so well that it was a no-brainer to check out their lending service. I was very impressed after meeting with FDL’s lending team. Still, I wanted to explore all my options. I quickly realized that absolutely nothing compares to FDL’s experience and accommodation. Other lenders serve many types of clients in many types of businesses. FDL only serves funeral homes and the funeral profession. When I came to FDL’s lending team with a question or problem, they went out of their way to come up with solutions. I don’t think many lenders have FDL’s expertise or knowledge, which was important to me.
What do you think would have happened had you not partnered with FDL’s lending team?
If I had chosen another lender, I would not be where I am today. I think partnering with a different lender would have hurt my ability to purchase my funeral home. I would have probably spent a lot of time second-guessing my choices while feeling lost and unsure about what to do. But with FDL, I’m confident in myself and my funeral home because they are always there to support and encourage us.
Is there something that sets FDL apart from other companies?
Their mission is unlike any other company out there. FDL always talks about being “the best, most-respected provider of service to the funeral profession.” They’ve always been that and more for us. FDL knows the challenges facing funeral homes today and is always looking for new ways to make life easier for funeral professionals and make funeral homes the hero of the story.