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Over one hundred
years ago, brothers Harry and Sherwin Robinson established a
funeral home in Ostrander, Ohio. In 1898, Harry left for
the Klondike gold fields. He returned two years later
with new respect for the grandeur and danger of the
wilderness, and a new appreciation for man's tenacity. |
| He
later penned, "The law of the Yukon was written on the
face of every glacier. It was rebellion, ruthless,
aggressive, waging its fierce incessant warfare with the
forces of nature." |
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| Upon his return to
Ostrander, Harry and Sherwin constructed a building which
housed both a funeral home and, as was custom in those days,
attached to the funeral home and having a higher priority, a
furniture store. |
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| Because
most funeral services were done in the home or church, the
actual funeral home was merely a small office in the larger
building. The furniture store offered a wide variety of
products and services including furniture, wallpaper,
carpeting and draperies. The upstairs of the building
was the residence of the local opera house. In 1925,
fire struck the business district of Ostrander and destroyed
the furniture store and funeral home. |
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Harry
decided to move into the growing nearby city of Delaware.
Where he purchased the property of a prominent local banker at
32 West Winter Street. |
| Harry advertised the new funeral home as, "the most beautiful funeral home in Delaware..."we are more than pleased with the superior facilities our new mortuary offers, and dedicate it to the use of our patrons." |
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five years later, in 1930 Harry was pleased to be joined in
the business by his son, Eugene. Under Gene, the funeral
home service grew and it was Gene who completed the chapel
addition in the 1930's and a handicap accessible ramp in the
back entrance. Gene married Margaret Swope who took on a
significant role in the business. Margaret continued to
work actively in the funeral home until age 82. Gene
served the profession and community faithfully until his death
in 1957. |
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| In 1964, Gene and Margaret's
son, John, entered the business. John married Sue
Tippens in 1965. Together they have served the funeral
industry for 35 years. In 1996, John and Sue's
daughter, Julie, approached her father with the idea of
becoming a funeral director. Julie served her
apprenticeship and received her funeral director's license in
1998 becoming the fourth generation funeral director of the
Robinson family and continuing the tradition her great
grandfather established over a century ago of personal care
and service to the Delaware community. |
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