Stacy-Lewis, Col. Junction
Stacy-Lewis Home for
Funeral and Cremation Services
Columbus Junction, Iowa
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Over 50 years of funeral tradition comes from the Stacy-Lewis Funeral Home. Built in 1901 – 1903 by Mr. and Mrs. George Harrison, the home was awesome in its time. The story goes that the home of Mr. and Mrs. Fred Shettler (formerly Restopia and built by the Letts family) was built at the same time with a friendly rivalry on who would exceed the other. The home was made outstanding through its maple and birdseye maple woodwork. Mr. Harrison insisted on the best pieces of wood (reportedly brought by rail from the west) and the best work artistry. He carried several themes throughout the house, one being oval windows and mirrors with like buckles on the side with the same carved flowers in the doorway—most in maple, some in pine with a flat wood work downstairs with rounded upstairs and brass plated doorknobs with cut-press knobs on the interior of the bedrooms. Some rooms that are in pine have a pine sided door with the other side being maple. The home has always had running water through a large tank in the fourth floor attic which sent water down by gravity flow. There were four marble sinks in the home, two corner sinks and two square sinks. A walk-out basement on the lower east level gave them an everyday kitchen with hired live-in help and easy access. There were two back and front stairways. Mr. and Mrs. Victor Stacy started the funeral home in the 1950's, coming from the Brighton area. At that time the funeral home was located on Gamble Avenue. Mr. and Mrs. Carl Stephens had a funeral home here for some years and it became the Stacy-Lewis funeral home in 1962. Mr. and Mrs. Warren Lewis joined the Stacys and the name was changed to reflect their presence in the community. During this time the Stacy's and the Lewis' served the community not only with funeral service, but with ambulance service as well. When Mr. and Mrs. Lewis returned to Columbus Junction the funeral home moved to its present location on Second Street. Upon the retirement of Vic and Grace Stacy, we set about adding a chapel to the north, casket selection room to the east and an apartment to the south, wrapping around the original house in a u-shape. As we prepared for the plasterers the next week, a fire broke out consuming the office and blackening and burning large areas. The woodwork was stripped with new ceilings and walls replacing the damaged areas. A good deal of gas pipe for gas light and heat was found in the walls. The fire took its toll on glassware and china and antique furniture. Several of the leaded glass windows (of high quality and very heavy) were broken. Many of the antiques were family pieces, either collected by mom and dad Stacy or belonging to Warren’s family who were from the east. We notice that the Midwest pieces of Victorian nature are of walnut and more primitive that the eastern, much of which was imported or had a European and more formal appearance. Mr. and Mrs. D. Stacy purchased the funeral home from his parents in 1989, thus beginning the third generation of funeral service to the area. Welcome to our home. We feel it is really yours as much as ours, as it is all for the families that we serve, to be comfortable in and take pride in bringing their relatives and friends to “their funeral home.” |
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