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Payson Funeral Home was founded by Lyle and Helen Ferguson in 1970, the first full service funeral home in the Payson area. Lyle was a graduate of Arizona State University and the San Francisco College of Mortuary Science. He later established Mountain Meadows Memorial Park, Inc., Northern Gila County's only perpetual care cemetery, in 1973. Lyle owned and managed the funeral home and cemetery until 1987, at which time he sold both businesses to Doug and Becky Waldrop and Doug's daughter and husband Debbie and Dennis Pownall. In 1996, the Mountain Meadows Crematory was built at Mountain Meadows Memorial Park. Doug's brother and wife, Mark and Diane Waldrop, and Doug's niece and husband, Byron and Janet Morgan, purchased the business in 1997. In the year 2000, Mr. Paul Messinger and family in Scottsdale purchased both the Payson Funeral Home and Mountain Meadows Memorial Park. Mr. Ken Messinger is president of the newly acquired Messinger Payson Funeral Home and Mountain Meadows Memorial Park.

Mark and Diane remained with the funeral home as manager and office manager for the funeral home and cemetery. Doug Waldrop is in charge of Advanced Funeral Planning. Doug, Mark and Diane have all been with the funeral home and cemetery since 1987. Today the staff has grown to include Scott Dyer, embalming and funeral director intern and Dennis Johnson, manager of Mountain Meadows Memorial Park. The Messinger Family is well known in Arizona, having been located in Scottsdale for over sixty years. Today there are four mortuaries, two in Scottsdale, one each in Fountain Hills and Payson, Arizona.

Today, those services include local interment in all cemeteries, transportation worldwide, cremation, memorial services and the providing of such items as caskets, urns, clothing, vaults, memorial estates, memorial, and more.

Messinger Mortuaries are recognized nationally for excellence throughout its selection by the International Order of the Golden Rule and Selected Independent Funeral Homes. These honors are the result of our fine staff of people and their continued training to provide ever improving professional care to our clientele.

Ken Messinger
Ken is the President of Messinger Payson Funeral Home. He graduated from San Francisco School of Mortuary Science in 1980 and is a licensed funeral director and embalmer. Ken grew up working in the family business.
Mark Waldrop
Mark graduated from Kentucky School of Mortuary Science in 1968. He became a licensed funeral director and embalmer in 1969. Mark has been with Payson Funeral Home since 1986. He serves on the local Hospice Advisory Board and is a Commissioner on the Town of Payson Planning and Zoning Commission. Mark is currently serving as Manager of the funeral home and as designated broker of Mountain Meadows Memorial Park.
Diane Waldrop
Diane has been with Payson Funeral Home since 1986. She is a member of Rim Country Literacy and a board member of Rim Country Optimist. She is currently working as Office Manager for the funeral home and Associate Broker for Mountain Meadows Memorial Park.
Doug Waldrop
Doug joined the Messinger Payson Funeral Home staff in 2000. He graduated with a Master's Degree in Science from Western Kentucky State University. He taught high school science for 28 years, most of which was in Scottsdale, Arizona. Doug was ordained as a minister, became a cemetery broker, and began pre-need funeral insurance 20 years ago. Doug has been married to Becky since 1956, and they have three children, four grandchildren and one great-grandchild.
Dennis Johnson
Dennis is a native Arizonan and joined the staff of Messinger's in 1996. Dennis is the manager for Mountain Meadows Memorial Park Cemetery and Crematory. He is a licensed cremationist for Mountain Meadows Crematory. He is married to Robin, and they have two sons.
Scott Dyer
Scott is a 2007 graduate of the Mortuary Science program at Mesa Community College, where he earned his Associate degree in Applied Science (A.A.S.). He joined the Messinger family in December of 2006, and just recently relocated to Payson in May of 2007. He is currently working on his embalming and funeral director internships. Scott has been married over 14 years to his wife Colleen, and has two daughters, Courtney and Brandi.