1 POWER OF ATTORNEY The undersigned director of ROTO-ROOTER, INC. ("Company") hereby appoints EDWARD L. HUTTON, WILLIAM R. GRIFFIN and NAOMI C. DALLOB as his true and lawful attorneys-in-fact for the purpose of signing the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 1995, and all amendments thereto, to be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Each of such attorneys-in-fact is appointed with full power to act without the other. Dated: March 6, 1996 /s/ James A. Cunningham -------------------------- James A. Cunningham 2 POWER OF ATTORNEY The undersigned director of ROTO-ROOTER, INC. ("Company") hereby appoints EDWARD L. HUTTON, WILLIAM R. GRIFFIN and NAOMI C. DALLOB as his true and lawful attorneys-in-fact for the purpose of signing the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 1995, and all amendments thereto, to be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Each of such attorneys-in-fact is appointed with full power to act without the other. Dated: March 7, 1996 /s/ Charles H. Erhart, Jr. -------------------------- Charles H. Erhart, Jr. 3 POWER OF ATTORNEY The undersigned director of ROTO-ROOTER, INC. ("Company") hereby appoints EDWARD L. HUTTON, WILLIAM R. GRIFFIN and NAOMI C. DALLOB as his true and lawful attorneys-in-fact for the purpose of signing the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 1995, and all amendments thereto, to be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Each of such attorneys-in-fact is appointed with full power to act without the other. Dated: March 19, 1996 /s/ Neal Gilliatt -------------------------- Neal Gilliatt 4 POWER OF ATTORNEY The undersigned director of ROTO-ROOTER, INC. ("Company") hereby appoints EDWARD L. HUTTON, WILLIAM R. GRIFFIN and NAOMI C. DALLOB as his true and lawful attorneys-in-fact for the purpose of signing the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 1995, and all amendments thereto, to be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Each of such attorneys-in-fact is appointed with full power to act without the other. Dated: March 11, 1996 /s/ Lawrence J. Gillis -------------------------- Lawrence J. Gillis 5 POWER OF ATTORNEY The undersigned director of ROTO-ROOTER, INC. ("Company") hereby appoints EDWARD L. HUTTON, WILLIAM R. GRIFFIN and NAOMI C. DALLOB as his true and lawful attorneys-in-fact for the purpose of signing the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 1995, and all amendments thereto, to be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Each of such attorneys-in-fact is appointed with full power to act without the other. Dated: March 11, 1996 /s/ Douglas B. Harper -------------------------- Douglas B. Harper 6 POWER OF ATTORNEY The undersigned director of ROTO-ROOTER, INC. ("Company") hereby appoints EDWARD L. HUTTON, WILLIAM R. GRIFFIN and NAOMI C. DALLOB as his true and lawful attorneys-in-fact for the purpose of signing the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 1995, and all amendments thereto, to be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Each of such attorneys-in-fact is appointed with full power to act without the other. Dated: March 11, 1996 /s/ Will J. Hoekman -------------------------- Will J. Hoekman 7 POWER OF ATTORNEY The undersigned director of ROTO-ROOTER, INC. ("Company") hereby appoints EDWARD L. HUTTON, WILLIAM R. GRIFFIN and NAOMI C. DALLOB as his true and lawful attorneys-in-fact for the purpose of signing the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 1995, and all amendments thereto, to be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Each of such attorneys-in-fact is appointed with full power to act without the other. Dated: March 15, 1996 /s/ Thomas C. Hutton -------------------------- Thomas C. Hutton 8 POWER OF ATTORNEY The undersigned director of ROTO-ROOTER, INC. ("Company") hereby appoints EDWARD L. HUTTON, WILLIAM R. GRIFFIN and NAOMI C. DALLOB as his true and lawful attorneys-in-fact for the purpose of signing the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 1995, and all amendments thereto, to be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Each of such attorneys-in-fact is appointed with full power to act without the other. Dated: March 6, 1996 /s/ Patrick L. Johnson -------------------------- Patrick L. Johnson 9 POWER OF ATTORNEY The undersigned director of ROTO-ROOTER, INC. ("Company") hereby appoints EDWARD L. HUTTON, WILLIAM R. GRIFFIN and NAOMI C. DALLOB as his true and lawful attorneys-in-fact for the purpose of signing the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 1995, and all amendments thereto, to be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Each of such attorneys-in-fact is appointed with full power to act without the other. Dated: March 6, 1996 /s/ Sandra E. Laney -------------------------- Sandra E. Laney 10 POWER OF ATTORNEY The undersigned director of ROTO-ROOTER, INC. ("Company") hereby appoints EDWARD L. HUTTON, WILLIAM R. GRIFFIN and NAOMI C. DALLOB as his true and lawful attorneys-in-fact for the purpose of signing the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 1995, and all amendments thereto, to be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Each of such attorneys-in-fact is appointed with full power to act without the other. Dated: March 18, 1996 /s/ Kevin J. McNamara -------------------------- Kevin J. McNamara 11 POWER OF ATTORNEY The undersigned director of ROTO-ROOTER, INC. ("Company") hereby appoints EDWARD L. HUTTON, WILLIAM R. GRIFFIN and NAOMI C. DALLOB as his true and lawful attorneys-in-fact for the purpose of signing the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 1995, and all amendments thereto, to be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Each of such attorneys-in-fact is appointed with full power to act without the other. Dated: March 12, 1996 /s/ Timothy S. O'Toole -------------------------- Timothy S. O'Toole 12 POWER OF ATTORNEY The undersigned director of ROTO-ROOTER, INC. ("Company") hereby appoints EDWARD L. HUTTON, WILLIAM R. GRIFFIN and NAOMI C. DALLOB as his true and lawful attorneys-in-fact for the purpose of signing the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 1995, and all amendments thereto, to be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Each of such attorneys-in-fact is appointed with full power to act without the other. Dated: March 6, 1996 /s/ D. Walter Robbins, Jr. -------------------------- D. Walter Robbins, Jr. 13 POWER OF ATTORNEY The undersigned director of ROTO-ROOTER, INC. ("Company") hereby appoints EDWARD L. HUTTON, WILLIAM R. GRIFFIN and NAOMI C. DALLOB as his true and lawful attorneys-in-fact for the purpose of signing the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 1995, and all amendments thereto, to be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Each of such attorneys-in-fact is appointed with full power to act without the other. Dated: March 9, 1996 /s/ Jerome E. Schnee -------------------------- Jerome E. Schnee