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Wallin family ends 75 years in business |
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ALPHA – After three-quarters of a century, the Wallin family’s business career in Alpha and Woodhull ended October 1st. Scott Fippinger became the owner/manager of the two Peterson-Wallin-Knox Funeral Homes. “The name will remain the same, the phone number will be the same, and Scott has worked with us 20 years,” Alice Wallin said. “We feel confident with Scott taking over, and he knows our business, he will continue to give caring and continual service,” Gene Wallin added. The elder Wallin went to the Worsham Mortuary and Apprenticed in Chicago. “At one point in his apprenticeship Dad met Attorney Clarence Darrow, who was involved in a famous Chicago murder trial,” Gene Wallin said. When Vernon Wallin bought the furniture and funeral homes, he received financial backing from a New Windsor friend, A.V. Peterson, who operated the Peterson and Anderson grocery in New Windsor, A corporation was formed, Peterson-Wallin, and the business included stores and funeral homes in Cambridge, Orion, Woodhull and Sherrard. In 1927 R. Earl Knox, who owned the Alpha funeral home, joined to form Peterson-Wallin-Knox Company. In 1927, Vernon Wallin and Helen Henderson were married and she worked continuously with Vernon until his death in 1962. “My mother was an important asset to my father and the business, she often took furniture customers to the Chittendon and Eastman warehouse in Burlington, Iowa,” Wallin said. Gene Wallin and the former Alice Cole were married in Alpha in 1951. Gene Wallin spent four years in the U.S. Air Force during the Korean War. He was in the security service, now the National Security Agency. He was a radio operator, often listening to Russian transmissions. He was stationed in Texas, Alaska and Florida. He graduated from Augustana College with a business degree and moved to Chicago to attend Worsham Mortuary School. The business provided phone service 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, and invalid coach service and ambulance service until Tri County Ambulance District was formed. The business continued to house the ambulance and provide phone service until 1980. Wallin and Willard Cain, now deceased, were in the first class of emergency medical technicians in Illinois. Classes were held at the original St. Mary’s Hospital (now St. Mary’s Square) in Galesburg, with about 10 in the class, with a navy veteran as instructor. In 1959, after the purchase of the John McCray residence in Alpha, an open house was held at the newly renovated and expanded property, and PWK moved from the main business area of Alpha to its present location on U.S. 150. “We raised our three daughters at the business location in Alpha.” Alice said. “This was a different lifestyle than most families and occasionally our daughter’s friends were uneasy visitors.” In 1962, an addition was made to the Wallin family home in North Division Street, providing an area for the funeral home, and the furniture store closed in 1994. “We were one of only two combined businesses in the state at the time we closed,” Alice Wallin said. The couple can relate any number of stories about their business, and many stories passed down by the elder Wallins. Older area residents recall how the cross would be lit in the window of the furniture store indicating there was a death and furniture was moved out to provide room for the visitation and funeral at the furniture store. Memorabilia from the business, now considered collectibles, are the Peterson-Wallin-Knox funeral homes raffia, or cardboard fans, provided for those attended funeral services during the hot summer months, in the days before air conditioning. The couple expressed appreciation to many who worked with their family, including the late C. William (Bill) Kronsted, who put in 30 years of service. After the death of Vernon Wallin, Russell Atchison joined the funeral home until his death eight years later. Gene and Alice Wallin will continue to help with the business. Scott Fippinger did his apprenticeship in his father’s business in Aledo and with Gene and Alice. “After the year of apprenticeship, Gene graciously asked me to keep working with them,” Fippinger said. Scott and his wife Ann have three children, Nathan, 8 Benjamin, 6, and Elsie, 2. Gene and Alice Wallin will be spending more time with family, including their three daughters, Jane in Chicago, Lynne in Des Moines, Iowa, and Teresa in San Francisco. They have two grandsons, Ryan, 16, and Patrick, 10. |
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By
Sherrie Taylor of The Register-Mail
The
business began when Vernon Wallin, son of Swedish immigrant parents in
New Windsor, purchased the Snyder Furniture and Funeral Homes.
The
furniture stores at Cambridge and Sherrard were closed, followed by the
business in Orion.
In
1958, the couple moved to Alpha and went into business with his father,
doing his apprenticeship and passing state boards to become a licensed
embalmer and funeral director. His wife was licensed as a funeral director.
“In
the early days of the business, the hearse was horse-drawn, using horses
available from area farmers, including Alice’s family,” Gene
Wallin said, “And even after the hearse was a motor vehicle, the
mud roads would be so bad, horses might need to be used anyway!”
“These
people and many others assisted us in many ways,” Alice Wallin said.
Richard
Verbeck of Galesburg is associated with the Fippinger business and will
continue to assist with the expanded firm, Fippinger said.