Vancil Memorial Funeral Chapel was founded in Auburn in 1916 and moved to the corner of 5th and Adams in Springfield in 1927. Vancil operated two other locations in Springfield before opening the current location on South Grand in 1967.
By Russ on Dec 16, 2007 in Rewind
Vancil Memorial Funeral Chapel was founded in Auburn in 1916 and moved to the corner of 5th and Adams in Springfield in 1927. Vancil operated two other locations in Springfield before opening the current location on South Grand in 1967.
The home sticking out of the middle was once a single-family residence. Does anyone know anything about this?
Tracie Lowis | Jan 26, 2010 | Reply
The bottom level of that “home” was the funeral home. The brick facade was added on. The Vancil family lived in the upstairs.
Pam | Mar 12, 2010 | Reply
Vancil’s Funeral Home was owned and run, in the early 60′s, by brothers Russ and Burney, who was a friend of my father. We would sometimes go to their house on, if memory serves correctly, south 4th St. But I was very young and may have mis-rembered it’s location, but I would have remembered visiting in the funeral home!
Becky | Feb 9, 2011 | Reply
The victorian mansion of Vancils was across from McClernard School on N. 5th –was later a gateway/halfway house before demolition… Just north of the brick home used by that art center that went to Hoogland.
Every afternoon after school, I went there to await my mother. She worked there as W.T.’s and Isabel’s maid. They were lovely people. I waited in the foyer by the secretary and did my homework. Whenever there was a special case they were proud of, I was invited to view it…not as dismal as it sounds.
Mary Midden | Feb 12, 2011 | Reply
I am the granddaughter of Russell Vancil Sr. (great-grandaughter to W.T. Vancil) I lived in the upstairs of the funeral home (on South Grand) with my mother for 8 years and would love to hear more on your “adventures”…We have a small family and the business (funeral home and cemetery) were sold by my uncle’s a few years ago. I have fond memories of my great grandfather and great mother. I still have a love of arts and crafts style homes because of my history there.
Christi Sorensen | Oct 7, 2011 | Reply