Time Machine: From a hotel to a funeral home

The Washington House, on the southwest corner of Marion’s City Square Park, was owned by “Count” Kozlovsky when it went up in flames during the big Marion fire in May 1872.

“At 20 minutes past four, the Washington House, the last to burn, fell to the earth when all the danger of the further spread of the fire was over,” the Cedar Rapids Times reported

Kozlovsky had insured his hotel for $1,950 -- about $50,000 in today’s dollars -- and the furniture for $1,600, about $40,000 these days. Some of the damaged furnishings were saved, and Kozlovsky rebuilt the hotel that same year on the same site.

Kozlosvsky continued to operate the hotel, known as the Farmers Home Hotel, with a saloon in the basement, until 1884, when Dominicus Augustus Freizinger bought it for $200 down with a promise to pay $4,000 by Feb. 1.

“The Count has lost his wife and is rather old and feeble, and he does not wish to continue business any longer but will retire to Cedar Rapids where his children all live,” The Evening Gazette reported.

The hotel became known as the Deutcher Hotel. Friezinger, who went by Augustus, immigrated to the United States from Germany as a young man, became a citizen and served in the Union Army during the Civil War. He died at age 67 in 1900.

Teeples House

In 1902, Della Minard Teeples, a widow, bought the hotel, operating the Teeples House as a hotel and boarding house. She had the building remodeled and furnished before opening with a 25-cent Sunday dinner Oct. 12.

During her years of running the house, Teeples married twice more and tried her hand at a restaurant and lunch counter. She died in August 1926. Her funeral was held at Teeples House with the Women’s Relief Corps assisting in the service. She was buried in Oak Shade Cemetery.

Her estate sold Teeples House at auction to John Redmond of Cedar Rapids for $3,650.

Pingrey’s Funeral Home

Meanwhile, funeral director John Pingrey bought a mortuary/furniture business in 1908 from the estate of his employer. He sold it to D.W. Pingrey and his partner, J. Cook.

Pingrey and Cook sold the furniture part of the business, making Pingrey’s the first funeral home in Marion dealing exclusively with funerals and not paired with another business.

Cook sold his share to a Mr. Reilly. In 1913, Reilly retired, and new associate E.C. Kemnitz helped Pingrey move his funeral home next door to a remodeled 1048 Seventh Ave.

After Kemnitz retired in 1917, Pingrey was the funeral home’s sole owner for about three years. Health issues sent him to Arizona, and his employees, William W. Yocom and Agnes Griffin, a licensed embalmer, took over the business.

After Pingrey died in 1921, Yocom bought the business and continued running it with the help of Griffin and Z.N. Lundy.

Yocum Funeral Home

After Teeples died in 1926, Yocom bought the Teeples hotel and rooming house from Redmond to open his own funeral home. He remodeled and redecorated the hotel and held an open house at the new Yocom Funeral Home in 1928. About 2,000 people attended.

“The front has been covered with Oriental stucco, with an entranceway of red brick,” The Gazette reported. “There is a large chapel.”

In 1930, Mabel and J. Frank Beach moved to Marion from Cedar Rapids and bought the Yocom Funeral Home. About eight years later, in April 1938, they formed a partnership with their son-in-law and daughter, Kenneth and Faye Murdoch, to operate the funeral home.

Murdoch Funeral Homes

The name changed to Murdoch Funeral Homes in 1949, when the business had mortuaries in Marion, Center Point and Walker. More funeral homes were added in 1965 in Central City, Coggon and Springville.

In 1973, George Murdoch -- the son of Kenneth -- acquired the Beatty-Beurle Funeral Home in Cedar Rapids. Today, Murdoch Funeral Homes & Cremation Service operates in Cedar Rapids, Marion, Manchester, Central City, Center Point and Walker.

Murdoch stayed in the Teeples building until 1983 when it moved to Highway 151 East in Marion. The downtown Marion building was then used by Potter Real Estate.

Today, the Murdoch Building houses offices, still standing after 151 years.

Comments: D.fannonlangton@gmail.com

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