HISTORY OF FUNERAL HOMES IN THIEF RIVER FALLS AREA

This is some of the history of funeral homes in Thief River Falls. There is not an accurate history of those early ones. Here are bits and pieces to what we do have.

Hicks Furniture Company was operated and their sign read: “licensed embalmers and undertakers.”

Larson Funeral Home has records that date back to 1923. It operated at 118 LaBree Avenue North as Larson Furniture Company. Carl B. Larson was the proprietor.

In 1942 Martin Gulbranson moved from Erskine and began operating the Gulbranson Funeral Home until 1960 when he retired. In 1959, Sig Sinding took over the funeral home and operated until 1973 when he retired due to ill health. During Sig’s tenure the Gulbranson name was changed and the funeral home became Sindings Funeral Home. Sig Sinding sold to funeral home to Ralph Petterson, Ralph owned the funeral home for a month or two before he sold it to Larry Belmont. In September of 1973, Larry Belmont took over the operation and continued to operate there until the funeral home closed in 1992. It was operated as Belmont Funeral Home.

Also during those early years, Erickson-Lund Funeral Home started in Thief River Falls. It was located on the corner of Main Avenue and Third Street (321 Main Avenue). Martin Erickson sold the funeral home and it became the McElwee Anderson Funeral Home for a short period of time. In 1954 McElwee sold the funeral home to Olger Green. Olger Green owned and operated the Newfolden Mercantile for 33 years, and also operated a funeral service there. In the early years, the funeral home in Newfolden offered two caskets, a black one and a white one. If people needed to be embalmed, Quanrud Funeral Home would embalm the bodies and Olger Green would conduct the funerals. Olger retired from the hardware store in Newfolden in 1952 and moved to Thief River Falls.

In 1954, Olger S. Green and his son Orin bought the McElwee funeral home and it became the Green Funeral Home in Thief River Falls. For 22 years, Olger and Orin operated the funeral home together. Olger retired in 1977 and his son continued to operate the business. In March of 1973 Gordon Peterson came to work at Green’s. In 1977 “Gordie” bought 40% of the business and bought out the other 60% when Orin Green retired in 1992.

In 1979, Orin Green and Gordon Peterson bought the Petterson Funeral Homes in Red Lake Falls and Oklee from Ralph Petterson. Three years later Morrie Byron came in as a third partner. Eric Johnson bought the Petterson Funeral Home in 1992.

In 1965 Olger and Orin moved into the current facility built to be funeral home. During the first 27 years of the facility Orin and Marge Green lived in the facility. Extensive remodeling occurred throughout the facility almost doubling the workspace in the early 1990’s. Gordy continued operating the business until he sold it to Eric and Erling Johnson in 2001.

Funeral Director’s who have worked at the Green Funeral Home include:

Todd Mack, Duane Morey, Kevin Hammond, Jeff Eberhart, Alex Burnside, Darwin Brekkus, Kate Steffens, Kevin Tebeest, Tom Hughs, Don Kamrowski.