Sawyer Funeral Home in Council Grove and the Yazel-Megli Funeral Home location in Herington are among five funeral home properties named in a foreclosure action, but local funeral director Debbie Sawyer said Wednesday that her commitment to the families she serves has not changed.
Sawyer, who has served Council Grove and the surrounding area for about 20 years, said the most important thing the community can do right now is continue to trust her.
“I know that they believe in me,” Sawyer said. “The best way they can support me is to keep believing in me and know that I will take care of them some way. I just want them to know I’ll do everything in my power to keep this funeral home here.”
The Marion County Record reported Wednesday that ReadyCap Lending LLC has filed suit in Marion County District Court seeking foreclosure and sheriff’s sale of five Yazel- Megli funeral home properties in Marion, Hillsboro, Council Grove, Whitewater and Herington. The lawsuit involves two Small Business Administration-backed loans issued in 2019 that originally totaled $3.93 million.
The filing is a civil action seeking enforcement of loan documents. It does not, by itself, allege fraud, embezzlement or criminal wrongdoing.
Roger and Sandra Megli, now listed as sole owners, became partners with Brad Yazel in June 2019. Roger Megli said he and his wife retired in June 2022 and moved to South Carolina, leaving Yazel to manage and oversee the funeral homes.
Roger and Sandra Megli’s background is rooted not only in funeral service, but also in ministry. Megli said that foundation shaped the trust they placed in Yazel when they retired and left him to manage the business. Looking back, Megli said one lesson has been especially painful.
“You should never go into business with someone who doesn’t share your same morals,” Megli said.
Megli said he and his wife returned after becoming suspicious of mismanagement and returned April 1, 2026, two days earlier than Yazel expected.
Megli said Yazel’s access to the company was removed the first day the Meglis returned. Yazel then signed over his ownership interest to Roger and Sandra Megli. According to Megli, Yazel put his house on the market and moved to Florida within days.
Megli said records have been turned over to the Marion Police Department. He also said they discovered that payments had not been made on the funeral home real estate loans for about a year, along with other financial problems.
“It’s a day-by-day walk,” Megli said when asked what may happen next with the Council Grove and other locations.
Megli also emphasized that the Council Grove and Herington staffs have continued to serve families despite the uncertainty. He described Sawyer in Council Grove and Brandy Remmers at the Herington facility as dedicated employees who are passionate about the families and communities they serve.
Both Sawyer and Megli stressed that pre-need funeral plans sold through the funeral home are secure. Sawyer said those funds are held through an insurance company and are not available for the funeral home’s operating expenses.
Sawyer Funeral Home has changed ownership names over the years. Sawyer began working in Council Grove when the funeral home was under Penwell-Gabel ownership. It later became Zeiner Funeral Home, then Yazel-Megli-Zeiner for a period before the Council Grove location became known as Sawyer Funeral Home.
Sawyer said her name was placed on the sign because she was the managing director and because families in the area knew and counted on her.
“I’d like to have my name on there so people will know that I’m still here,” Sawyer recalled saying at the time.
For Council Grove, the foreclosure filing is not only a business matter. Funeral homes serve families during some of the most difficult days of their lives, and the uncertainty reaches beyond owners and lenders. It affects employees, families with pre-arrangements and communities that depend on local funeral care.
Sawyer said she does not yet know what the final outcome will be, but she remains determined to serve Council Grove and the surrounding area.
“I’ll do everything in my power to keep this funeral home here,” she said.