C.S. Warthman Funeral Home History
In 1912, Marvin Cooper opened the Cooper Funeral Home at 69 North Main Street in Union City. His small establishment provided for funerals at the deceased’s residence, as was the custom in those days. In the early 1920s, Arthur L. Crowe joined the firm and by 1924, he had become partners with Marvin, forming the Cooper-Crowe Funeral Home.
By 1929, Marvin Cooper was ready for retirement and sold his interests in the funeral home to Art Crowe. The funeral home was renamed the Arthur L. Crowe Funeral Home.
Art Crowe’s unexpected death in 1945 led to the funeral home being sold to Harry L. Musser and the renaming of the establishment to the Harry L. Musser Funeral Home. Harry saw the need for additional ambulances within the community and started operating an ambulance service with the funeral home. He continued the ambulance service until the Union City Fire Department instituted the Union City Ambulance Service. With fewer families wanting to have visitation for a funeral in their home, Harry quickly saw the need to expand the funeral home facilities. In 1954, he added a back office and additional living space to the funeral home. Needing more room, Harry built a larger chapel and visitation room in 1965. He operated the funeral home until 1977, when he sold his interest in the business to C.S. (Sax) Warthman. The funeral home was renamed the Musser-Warthman Furneral Home.
With Harry’s death in 1979, Sax Warthman and his wife C.L. (Connie) Warthman continued the funeral home tradition and renamed the funeral home the C.S. Warthman Funeral Home.
After Sax’s death in 1982, Connie continued the expansion of the funeral home with the addition of a second floor for living space and the remodeling of the downstairs into all funeral home use. She tore down the old garage and built a new four stall garage with additional storage space. In 1991, the Sammons residence at 8 Putnam Street, behind the funeral home, was purchased and torn down for additional parking. The interior of the funeral home continued to be updated with new wiring and plumbing, tearing down walls to enlarge the chapel and the relocation of the casket selection room. In 2011, the exterior of the funeral home was updated with new siding, new roof, new handicapped ramp and entrance, and paved parking for the disabled. In July 2010, Gordon R. (Gordy) Schmidt joined the funeral home as the licensed supervisor.
March 2013 saw the incorporation of the funeral home and the addition of another generation to the business. Steve P. (Steve) Miller, Connie’s grandson, became the Secretary/Treasurer of the C.S. Warthman Furneral Home, Inc. With the nucleus of Connie as president and principle owner, Gordy as vice-president and supervisor, and Steve as Secretary/Treasurer, the funeral home will continue to serve the community for many years in the future.
