| Fact & Fantasy: A History of Tavistock & District | Funeral and Furniture - Page 150 |
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FUNERAL AND FURNITURE
Francis Furniture & Francis Funeral Home - 66 Woodstock St. N. and 77 Woodstock St. N. John Kalbfleisch founded the business in 1869 and built the present store in 1890. He served the community as furniture dealer and funeral director until his death in 1925 (see Zimmerman & Bleay). His son Otto and his daughter Latona (Lottie), now Mrs. 0.T.C. Stockmann, carried on until the death of the former in June 1936. James H. Francis took over the business in September of the arne year, after which the store was renovated and a new front installed. In 1945 the Kalbfleisch home, across the street, was purchased. This has been remodelled into a well appointed funeral home. In 1963 J. H. Francis and his son Peter, who had taken his training in Cleveland and apprenticed in Windsor, formed a partnership. The firm bought and demolished the two frame structures to the south of the store to give them a spacious parking lot. On taff through the years have been: Stanley Baechler, Rod Smith Jack Worden, Wayne Stickney and Lloyd Skidmore with Victor Hall and Bob Elliott as utility men. At time of writing the staff includes J .H. and Peter Francis, William Glanfield and Walter "Steve" Faber.  Robert Krug Funeral Home - 51 Woodstock St. S. (Robert and Beatrice Krug) The site of the Robert Krug Furniture Store was originally occupied by Kaercher Blacksmith Shop: The store was erected in 1915 by the father, John Krug, who with his wife Rebecca (nee Stock) conducted the funeral and furniture business until 1948 when the present owners took over. Since then the funeral parlours and preparation rooms have been moved into the remodelled and enlarged home to provide quarterfor a kindly service in time of be reavement. Mr. Krug has a co-operative arrangement with Smith's Funeral Home of Woodstock.  |
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