Meet Our Staff

Mark was born and raised in Galesburg, the third generation of his family to live there. After graduating from Galesburg High School, he attended Carl Sandburg College and graduated from Southern Illinois University School of Mortuary Science and Funeral Service in 1994. Mark received his BA from Western Illinois University in 2007. 

Mark worked at Beck Memorial Home in Bloomington for 3½ years prior to moving back to Galesburg in 1998 when he started working at Watson Funeral Home. He was elected Knox County Coroner in 2004, a position he held for 20 years before retiring in late 2024. In late 2009, he and his wife Tricia purchased Watson Funeral Home from John and Peg. 

Mark and his wife Tricia have two sons, Andrew and Luke, and are members of St. Patrick Catholic Church.

Mark is active in many community service organizations, member and past President of the Galesburg Hospitals Ambulance Service Board of Directors, past president of the Galesburg Area Crimestoppers, past Parish Council member at Corpus Christi Church, is on the St. Joseph Cemetery Association Board, and a member and past president of the Galesburg Noon Lion's Club, as well as being past Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Galesburg Area Chamber of Commerce and is a member of Soangetaha Country Club.  Mark also served on the West Central Illinois Adult Fatality Review Team as well as the State Board of the FRT and is a member of the Elks Lodge #894. Mark sits on the advisory board for the Mortuary Science Program at Carl Sandburg College as well as the Knox County YMCA. Mark is a life member of the Original Trocars Motorcycle Group (funeral director motorcycle enthusiasts) and a 3rd Degree member of the Father J.O. Hunt Knights of Columbus Council 556. He graduated from Leadership Greater Galesburg in 2005. Mark is a past board member of the Discovery Depot Board of Directors and actively coached area youth sports for many years while his sons were growing up. 

In his free time, Mark enjoys traveling and spending time with his family at their cabin on the banks of the Mississippi River in Oquawka, Illinois.

Tricia was born and raised in Carthage, IL. After graduating from Carthage High School (1987), she attended Illinois College and graduated from Western Illinois University in 1991 with a Bachelor of Business in Accounting. Upon moving to the Quad Cities, she worked for Knox-Larson Funeral Home in Rock Island and Milan for 9 years. She attended Mortuary School at Carl Sandburg College and received her associate degree in 2000.

She moved to Galesburg in 2000. In late 2009, Tricia and her husband, Mark, purchased Watson Funeral Home from John and Peg Watson. At that time, she was working as a Controller; she joined the staff of Watson Thomas Funeral Home in January 2014. In March 2014, they opened the Thomas Legacy Center, which added a crematory and community room on site.

Tricia and Mark have two sons: Andrew, 22, who recently graduated with his degree in finance at Illinois College, Jacksonville, and has returned to work in Galesburg with Ron Koehler at Charter Point Wealth Strategies, and Luke, 17, who is a senior at Galesburg High School. They are members of St. Patrick Catholic Church in Galesburg.

Tricia stays very active and involved in local activities. She is an Administrative Official for the YMCA Swim. She previously served on the Costa Community Association Board and was treasurer for many years. She is a member of the Galesburg Athletic Booster Club and served as Treasurer for 6 years; she served on the Walk for Baby Feet Board and has most recently joined efforts with Give Back, Galesburg to raise funds for the Mark and Jeannette Kleine Pediatric Wellness Center at OSF St. Mary Medical Center. Tricia is also a member of PEO Chapter HO of Galesburg. She enjoys cheering on her son during swim, track, and cross country, as well as volunteering for many fundraisers for local sporting teams.

Haley was born and raised in Galesburg, Illinois. She graduated early from Galesburg High School and continued her education at Carl Sandburg College in 2018. While in school, Haley joined the team at Watson-Thomas Funeral Home in February 2019. She graduated from Sandburg with an associate degree in Mortuary Science in 2020. 

She enjoys cooking, being outdoors, and spending time with her family and friends. 

Lexi has been a Licensed Prearrangement Specialist since 2012. She has worked with funeral homes in Wisconsin, Illinois, and Iowa over the years and has met with thousands to help them make advance funeral plans. She is an expert in her field at helping families make end-of-life plans, including funeral services, monuments, cemetery spaces, and Medicaid burial assistance.

Lexi graduated from Illinois State University with a major in Communication Education and double minors in Psychology and English. She is a certified teacher and teaches Public Speaking and Art at Illinois Central College in the summer youth program. Lexi has always had a passion for theater and is a director and choreographer in central Illinois. Her most recent productions were Singin’ in the Rain, Chicago, and Mamma Mia.

In her free time, she is involved with CASA, which helps place foster children in homes. As a former host family to children in the system, Lexi is passionate about the cause and competes in the Dancing with the Local Stars competition. She holds the 2021 winning title. She lives with her husband, John, and their sons, Henry, Addison, and Bradley.

Roxanne has lived in Galesburg, IL, since 1996. She was born in Iowa, where she eventually started a family with her husband, with whom she had eight children and 25 grandchildren.

Roxanne has spent her life serving others. She has homeschooled her children and tutored those who weren’t her own, worked in many churches, and taken crucial roles in helping local Christian organizations like the Galesburg Rescue Mission, the Peoria Great Banquet, and The Weekend. She is also a licensed chaplain. She cares deeply about caring for both the physical and spiritual needs of those around her.

Roxanne loves to read, embroider quilts for her grandchildren, and drink two cups of coffee before anyone talks to her in the morning.

Rick was raised in Rio, IL, and is a retired Galesburg Firefighter. He is married to Deanna, and they have one grown daughter.  

In his free time, Rick enjoys playing golf.

Darrell Grimm has been the pastor of New Life Baptist Church in Galesburg since 2009 and is currently serving as the Director of the Galesburg Rescue Mission.

Darrell began working at Watson-Thomas Funeral Home and Crematory in 2011. Pastor Grimm has the heart to serve others and enjoys helping people in their time of need. Having personally experienced the loss of his son, Darrell understands firsthand the grief that goes along with such a loss. He and his wife Sandy have been married for 37 years and have 3 children.