Holcomb-Henry-Boom-Purcell turns 100

By JANE MCCLURE

(Historical photos submitted)

One hundred years’ service to the community is an accomplishment for any locally-owned business. Holcomb-Henry-Boom-Purcell Funeral Homes and Cremation Services will mark its centennial 2-4pm on Sat., July 23, at its Midway funeral home, 536 N. Snelling Ave.

Photo left: The original home of Holcomb-Henry Boom-Purcell when it was just the A.E.Henry Funeral Home. Note the street car tracks in the foreground. (Photo submitted)

Community members are invited in to help celebrate the anniversary, meet the staff, learn about the home’s history and its current services, and enjoy refreshments.

“We’ve been proud to carry on a long legacy of community service,” said Richard Purcell. He and his wife Sharon came to work at the funeral home in 1982 and later became the fourth owners of the business.

Photo right: 2016 photo of (l to r) Dennis Boom, Roswitha Holcomb, and Sharon and Richard Purcell. (Photo by Margie O’Loughlin)

The firm, through its St. Paul and Shoreview locations, serves 300 to 400 families per year.

“We consider it a great honor to have cared for so many families over the years,” said Purcell. “We take our responsibilities very seriously, as we walk with families in their time of sorrow.”

“When you own and operate a business like ours, you’re open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, to serve people,” said Purcell. “We have a long tradition of dedicated staff that has continued through our family owners. It has been a privilege to be called on to help people.”

“We’re honored to have served our community for 100 years,” said longtime owner Dennis Boom. “We feel we are very much a part of the Midway.”

Albert E. Henry and his wife, Vena were the first funeral home owner-operators in 1916. It was at a time when St. Paul had a few dozen small, family-owned and operated funeral homes throughout its neighborhoods. Almost a dozen funeral homes have operated up and down Snelling Ave. alone.

The Henrys raised their family in the funeral home at a time when many area residents still didn’t have phone service. The building was never locked, and people could come in 24 hours a day for assistance.

“It was very standard for families to have wakes or visitations in their homes,” said Purcell. When funeral homes started to open their doors, families often opted to have two evenings of visitation, with the funeral on the following day.

When Albert Henry retired in 1948, St. Paul resident and mortician Earl Holcomb and two partners bought the Henry Funeral Home. Holcomb, whose family members still live in the area, also raised his family in the funeral home’s upstairs living quarters.

In 1963, Dennis Boom began his career as a funeral director with the firm. In 1981, he and his wife, Elaine purchased the business and the property from the Holcomb family. Dennis and Elaine Boom built a second chapel in Shoreview and made their home above the chapel. The Booms grew up in St. Paul and furnished their Shoreview home with a collection of antique furniture, some of which came from their childhood homes. Elaine Boom passed away in 2015.

Dennis Boom grew up in the area and still attends Hamline Church United Methodist. Last year he was honored at the Minnesota State Fair as a 50-year volunteer at the Hamline Church Dining Hall. Visitors might find him serving up coffee to the breakfast crowd.

“We’ve always believed in community service and being part of the greater community,” Boom said. “That’s part of our tradition.”

Richard Purcell notes that funeral home directors have collectively had a long record of community service, including the Midway Area Chamber of Commerce, Shriners, churches, St. Paul Winter Carnival and other organizations.

In 1982, Richard Purcell was hired and in 1995 his wife, Sharon, also a licensed funeral director, joined the staff. The Purcell’s purchased the business in 1999 and in 2003 they purchased the properties.

Purcell noted that much has changed in the way people care for their deceased loved ones. Visitations are the same day or the day before. Cremation is a much more popular option. “We also have the opportunity to host receptions, with a range of food options, which we weren’t able to do before.”

Despite the changes, Purcell said the tradition of offering personalized, caring service at a reasonable cost remains the same. “The clients we serve are not numbers, they are family to us.”

Purcell is a native of Forest City, Iowa. As a young man, his family suffered an unexpected death. “Seeing how the funeral director helped our family in our time of loss, and how he helped us get through a very tough time, made a strong impression on me. That service, commitment and ministry to my family was so important.”

When Purcell was assigned a high school paper on career choices, he wrote about being a funeral director. He also worked at his hometown funeral home, doing general maintenance and other chores, as a teenager.

“That left the impression on me that we want families to be comfortable, to be treated with respect and dignity. And that is what we strive for.”

Learn more about Holcomb-Henry-Boom-Purcell Funeral Homes and Cremation Services at http://www.holcombhenryboom.com.