John M. Oakey & Son Funeral Home was the former residence of Theophilus J. Shickel who was the president of the Bank of Salem, an industrial executive, and one of the wealthiest men of the area. The home was built in 1901.
In 1936 the home was conveyed to John M. Oakey & Son Funeral Home which is one of the oldest funeral establishments in the South West. In November of 1936, John M. Oakey & Son observed it's 70th anniversary when its handsome new funeral home was opened to the public on the Boulevard and College Ave. Henry A. Oakey, who was head of John M. Oakey & Son when it opened in Salem, was born in Salem on April 25, 1880, and had always lived and served in the community. The property has been passed down through the years to relatives of Henry A. Oakey and was last conveyed to the Meador family which still owns the business today.