Does anyone have any info on the old funeral home in Moline? Pics? Was driving by and was just curious about it.
Billy, Charlie and Ed Rarick ran the funeral in Moline. They were super Gentlemen. Their sister delivered me and 6 of my brothers and sisters. My oldest sister lived just up the street from the funeral home and my nephew and I used to walk down to the funeral home and talk to the Raricks. I think there just wasn't enough busiuness in Moline to support it, and noone wanted to come there and and buy it and run it. I drove by it Memorial weekend on my way to the cemetery and it was sad to see how bad of shape it is in, Charlie and Ed always kept it looking very nice. I forgot to add in there that Lynn Watt took it over from the Raricks and Lynn and Herb Spurrier ran it together. In fact they ran both the one at Howard and the one at Moline, helping each other with both. Lynn and Herb were also really good men. I believe that it was shut down after Lynn Watt left Moline.
Billy in the 1950s there was a Funeral in Howard, Moline, Severy and Piedmont, the one in Howard is the only survivor.
When Robert Forsberg passed away in May 1990, his wife, Gertrude, with the help of Lloyd Zimmerman, continued operating the funeral business at Severy until 1995, at which time she sold out to Zimmerman, who operated it in conjunction with his funeral home business at Howard. Lloyd later moved the Severy records and business to Howard.
Not only was Guy Vaughn in business at Piedmont for many years as an undertaker, he was also a barber and an ambulance service operator there. His hearse doubled as his ambulance. I know there were many undertakers in other towns that had both a funeral business and an ambulance service, and you would think this would have been considered a "conflict of interest." You can just picture the ambulance driver pondering, "Now if I drive slow enough, I could probably make more money, couldn't I?" Hopefully, that never happened.
Del Huggins ran the Moline Funeral Home. He is/was the husband of Lynn and Olive Watt's daughter, Cheryl. He had Randy Camp working for him at one time and Randy did a really good job with the funerals, but Randy made some bad personal decisions, so he could not do that business any longer. Anyway, Del went to Sedan and worked at the David Barnes funeral home until it caught on fire and burned down. I think, (but I'm not positive), that Del and Cheryl still own the home.
At one time there was a funeral home at Longton, too. But, you will need one of the older Longton-ites to
jog their memory. It was close to the Methodist church on (I think) the old highway going through town.
Jarhead, how is your memory? This was told/mentioned to me by Glenn Barnaby and Gertrude Freeman and others.
My memory is shot----but----I think Hotchkiss Morgaridge ( you can bet your sweet bippy ,that spelling is wrong ) . He lived in what we call the Cooley house but I don't know if the house was the funeral home. Back when I was a pup there was an old building on main street about where the city shop is, that I think was used as a funeral home. There was a small casket made like a wicker basket , in it. I only went in that building once because it gave me the heebie jeebies.
Jarhead,
That is the house I was talking about, the Cooley one. Gertrude and Pope and the rest of their bunch I drank coffee with
Like Reba and Ruby and Mrs. Nichols and their generation talked a lot about the funeral home. I think Eulia Bird or Joan played for the funerals there. I am not even going to try spelling that mans name..........I heard Blacky a lot and the Morg-whatever.
Bob Forsberg also ran an ambulance service for Severy. He had a sort-of station wagon type vehicle. We used him several times when my grandmother needed transport to the hospital in the 60's, when our oldest daughter fell off a horse at the age of 4, and when my father-in-law needed rushed to the hospital, the night he also passed away. Bob and Gertrude were not only good friends, but were invaluable to the town of Severy.
Judy,
I think you're right. Mr Morg--whatever, went by the nickname Blockee. I think his daughters name was Hortense. What a cruel joke to play on your daughter !! I'll ask my sis Ging. She should know because she's an old timer.
In thinking back about the Raricks, Ed and Charlie and their sister, Lavina who was a Nurse and midwife, I think their is only one Rarick descendant left in the area. Alice, correct me if I missed one.
Sounds like it's time for this old-timer to chip in!
Yes, Hotchkiss (Blockie) Morgridge managed the "Crumrine" Funeral Home. His wife Neva, was a Crumrine. Their daughter was "Marjorie Merle." ("Hortense?" Have you been testing the product?) Their son was Sheridan Lee, and he was in our class in High School. The Funeral Home was where you thought, on the east side of Main street in Longton, south of the Bank. There are still "Crumrine Funeral Home" paper fans around, and that would surely be a collector's item!
It was good to see you, Ronnie, & Judy, when we were in the "City of Longton."
Bonnie, For starters, I didn't know they had high schools back in your days. :)
Then who was "Hortense" ? I know there was a Hortense in this town, unless Farmer Joe was describing one of his old girl friends.Was a Fitzgimmons named that ??
As for testing the product, the cherry wine is ready to bottle. It's a shame that it wasn't ready befgore you & Bob headed back west. I will put a bottle of it in my 'bunker" and it will be aged your next trip back to God's Country.
PS: Bonnie, you might want to tell WARPH & Larry I wasn't just blowing smoke when I told them I was digging a bunker. You saw the almost finished project.
For "WARPH" & Larry! He speaks the truth! I was very impressed, and I'm looking forward to getting to be a guest in the "bunker," when/if there's a tornado warning when we happen to be in Longton. However, I've already been informed that there will NOT be room for me, after his immediate family is taken care of. So, hang on to the Cherry Wine, no matter what, Ronnie, and we'll be seeing you again "one of these days!" Maybe I will have learned to like wine, by that time!
Fitzgibbons is the name you're thinking of, I'm sure. They had a grocery store alongside of Dames Hardware, which would of been somewhere north of Brighton (City) Hall. But, the name "Hortense" just doesn't ring a bell! I'll be thinking about it, maybe can come up with something!
In the meantime, behave yourself, and say "Hi" to Farmer Joe when you see him!
Bonnie, There is always room in my bunker for someone that is named after my mother.:) I think---I said think---I have got to the bottom of the Hortense mystery and it does involve Blockie in a round-about way. Blokie's sister was Lullavaughn Reeves and my old timer soarce thinks Hortense was her middle name. Does that ring a bell to you
No, I don't know about LuluVaughn's middle name, but that sounds "good," so, let's go with that! That was some name, wasn't it?
And, it's always been something that I've been very happy about, to have been named after your Mother!
In January 1959, when the Forsbergs started running their ambulance service at Severy, they had the following rates:
Severy to Eureka - $3.00
Severy to Fredonia - $5.00
Fall River to Fredonia - $3.00
Fall River to Eureka - $5.00
Piedmont to Eureka - $3.00.
In addition to operating the funeral home, the Forsbergs sold monuments and markers, artificial flowers, and they took orders for fresh flowers.
Hey Ron --- why don't you ask Connie ?? -- after all that is her Grandmother. Do you suppose she would have any knowledge of that?
Jo, Ginger said the same thing but Cuz Con is busy teaching them kiddes in NC and don't get on her computer that often. I did not know that L. Reeves was Cuz Con's g-ma until today---unless my feeble brain had just forgot it
I will ask Helen --- I don't think Bill would remember - but you never know -- bless his heart.
BTW -- She took all of the empties that I had sent to you, home with her. Still in the trunk of the car. hahahahahahahahahahaha
Lord have mercy --- Guess they will get back to you some time.
It always makes me sad as well. My dad's funeral was there. As a little girl I always thought that it looked like a rich persons house.