THE HISTORY OF

Unger-Horner Funeral Home & Cremation Service

The Unger-Horner Funeral Home came into existence in Rochelle in 1861, when Peter Unger

immigrated from Prussia and started manufacturing furniture. He recognized a need for

coffins and caskets and funeral services and a family tradition began.


Peter operated the business until his death in 1890. His son, George W. Unger, joined the firm in 1859 until 1908. Charles P. Unger, son of George W., began in 1908 until his death in 1957. Fred F. Horner, married Charles’ daughter, Elizabeth and operated Unger-Horner from 1957 until his death in 1965.


Peter’s great great grandson, Don M. Horner, served his apprentice with his father, Fred, starting in 1965 and has continued in the business for the last 41 years. Chad Unger Horner joined the family’s funeral home in September of 1995, and now Don’s youngest son: Derek Don Horner, has joined the Unger Horner Funeral Home in March of 2006. Both Chad and Derek will be the 6th generation to serve this community.

Resources We Provide

Online Memorials

We can create a customized, online memorial for you to share with family and friends. The memorial includes the obituary and any photographs you wish to provide. It will serve as a place for visitors to post condolences, share memories, upload photos, and light candles in honor of your loved one.

Tribute Videos

We can produce a personal tribute video that can be played at the service and online. Simply provide us with the photographs you want to include and we will transform them into a video celebration of your treasured memories. DVDs or digital files of the video are also available.

Ordering Flowers

We make it easy for friends and family to send flowers to your home or service to honor your loved one. We have partnered with local florists to offer the convenience of ordering directly from the obituary page of our website. You can also use this feature to select the flowers you would like at the service. This is a secure way to choose beautiful arrangements from the privacy and comfort of your home.

Grief Emails

Sign up for one year of weekly grief messages designed to provide strength and comfort during this challenging time.

SINCE 1861

Proudly providing funeral services in Ogle County, Lee County, DeKalb County, Winnebago County and the surrounding areas in Illinois state and southern Wisconsin.