HISTORY OF CORN-COLVIN FUNERAL HOME

Mr. Golda McCord and Mr. Alvah Alexander established an early undertaking business on the northeast corner of North Main and Mill Street in Oakland City. At that time, visitations and funerals for the deceased were held in the home and churches.

McCord & Alexander sold the business to Mr. & Mrs. Curt Butler, who also owned the home next door to the undertaking business. After Mr. Butler’s death around 1930, Mrs. Butler sold the home and the business to Mr. & Mrs. George Boone. They remodeled the home, removing the wrap-around porch and replaced it with a concrete front porch, which featured large tall columns, with an addition (the original undertaking building was moved) being attached to the southeast side of the home. The stunning oak front stairway was left as well as three stained glass windows. They ended up with one of the most beautiful and modern funeral homes for that era.

In 1947 the Boones sold the funeral home to Mr. & Mrs. E. Eugene “Gene” Corn and Mr. & Mrs. George “Abe” Reed. Mr. Corn had served his apprenticeship under Mr. Boone and Mr. Reed had spent his entire lifetime working at this funeral establishment, starting as a 13-year-old boy working for McCord & Alexander and through all the years of Butler and then Boone ownerships. Their partnership formed the Corn-Reed Funeral Home. This lasted until Mr. Reed’s death in 1958. At that time the name was changed to the Corn Mortuary.

For many years the funeral home also supplied the community with ambulance service. They used their funeral coach, which could be converted to an ambulance. Later they also added a station wagon converted to an ambulance to their fleet. It took three people to man the funeral home at all times (2 for an ambulance run and one to stay at the funeral home to answer the phone and tend to details there.) During this time, many Oakland City College students were hired and also given living quarters in the upstairs apartment of the house to the south of the funeral home. The first floor of this building also served as a casket display room.

At age 16, David M. Corn started helping his dad “Gene” on ambulance runs and driving the flower car on funerals. After high school, David attended Oakland City College and graduated from the Indiana College of Mortuary Science. He and his dad, both licensed funeral directors, along with David’s mother, E. Fern Corn, operated the funeral home for many years, until Gene’s death in1987. David and his mother continued operating the business and in 1993 David Corn formed a partnership with the owners of Colvin Funeral Home (Richard Hickrod, Joseph Maxey, Mark Walter & J.B. Wells) of Princeton. This partnership formed the Corn-Colvin Funeral Home. At this time the funeral home was completely remodeled and redecorated along with the addition of a spacious new chapel on the north side. Further work was done with the addition of two ample parking lots on the south side, along with a total landscaping renovation. This partnership has allowed the funeral home to provide unsurpassed services and facilities to the community.
Willard Stocker (a licensed funeral director) and Edgar Buck are part time employees. Mrs. E. Fern Corn is still working as the lady attendant and living above the funeral home as she has since 1947.