Comments on: Vancil Memorial Funeral Chapel (1970)

By: Christi Sorensen

Christi Sorensen — Sat, 08 Oct 2011 03:01:13 +0000

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.

By: Mary Midden

Mary Midden — Sat, 12 Feb 2011 21:09:22 +0000

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.

By: Becky

Becky — Thu, 10 Feb 2011 00:30:03 +0000

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!

By: Pam

Pam — Sat, 13 Mar 2010 01:01:42 +0000

The bottom level of that “home” was the funeral home. The brick facade was added on. The Vancil family lived in the upstairs.

By: Tracie Lowis

Tracie Lowis — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 22:41:55 +0000

The home sticking out of the middle was once a single-family residence. Does anyone know anything about this?