Bonine Funeral Home  

It began as the Easterday Funeral Home, which operated for years at 108 N. Main St.

The building was described as: "You would enter a reception room first, then off to the left was the office; straight back was the chapel. The preparation room was in the basement. They had a ramp in the back that went directly into the basement.

A notice board on the wall just north of the funeral's home's door on the building was used for decades for posting of funeral notices for the local people to read.

The ambulance and hearse garage was located on the corner of E. Jefferson St. & Plymouth, 114 E. Jefferson

the heritage brick proclaims the establishment of the bonine family in Culver.

On 1 September 1960, James and Rosalie Bonine became part of Easterday Funeral Home which was located at 108 N. Main St. The Bonines purchased the funeral home in 1963 and it became Easterday-Bonine Funeral Home until the name was later changed to Bonine Funeral Home.

An ad that ran in 1963 and 1964 -

1963 - January 9 - Mr. and Mrs. Bonine Purchase Easterday Funeral Home

Mr. and Mrs. James D. Bonine, who have been associated with the Easterday Funeral Home for the past two and one-half years, have purchased the interests of Mr. and Mrs. William R. Easterday, in the operation of this Culver funeral firm.

The Easterday Funeral Home, one of the oldest in Marshall County, has a record of service dating back to 1893, when it was established by William Samuel Easterday, father of William R. Easterday, who joined the firm in 1933. The senior Mr. Easterday died in 1946, after which William R. Easterday operated the firm until I960, when James D. Bonine became associated with him.

Beginning January 1, 1963, the firm will be known as the Easterday-Bonine Funeral Home, and the Easterdays, more familiarly known as Bill and Hildreth, will be associated with the Bonines in the operation of the business.

Mr. and Mrs. Bonine. who with their daughter, Cynthia, have made their residence on the second floor of the funeral home building, will continue to make this their home.

Mr. Bonine states that the same quality service that has been the policy of this long-time Culver firm in the past, will continue to be the policy in its operation under the now name of the Easterday-Boninie funeral home

1964 - Easterday-Bonine funeral Home Buys VanGilder Lease

The Easterday-Bonine Funeral Home, Culver, has taken over the lease to the property which was formerly occupied by the VanGilder funeral Home of Culver. there is no immediate plan to move or occupy the poperty by the Easterday-Bonine firm. Future plans call for a large remodeling program for the property to meet the needs of the local firm.

The VanGulder funeral Home of Culver, which was a branch of the parent firm n Plymouth, discontinued their Culver operation last week. - 8 July 1964 - Culver Citizen

In 1966 they chose the old O. T. Goss residence at 104 E. Lakshore Dr.

1966 - April 7 - Bonnies To Move funeral Home To New Location

Local Firm Was Founded In 1893

Mr, and Mrs. James B. Bonine, owners and operators of the Easterday-Bonine Funeral Home, Culver, have announced that they will move the operation of their funeral firm to its new location at 104 Lake Shore Drive, Culver, more commonly known to Culverites as the former "O. T Goss" property. The process of moving, which will take place in the next several weeks, will in no way affect operation of any kind.

The firm has a history of fine, funeral service dating back to 1893, when it was founded at the site where the A & P Food Store is presently located.

The Bonines, long aware of the needs and desires of the community they serve, for private home like atmosphere for funeral service, purchased the property from Miss Beatrice I. Goss in 1965.

During the past several months the property has undergone a major remodeling in which an entrance porch has been enclosed, which will also serve as additional seating space, when needed.

Partitions in the original home have been altered or removed for better serviceability, new carpet in, draperies and fixtures have been installed, as well as a new addition added which will house the office of the firm, complete with a separate entrance from that of the funeral home itself. Also included in the new addition is the garage, storage area, casket display room and operating room

For the added convenience of the public new curbs and walks have been installed which will add to the long-desired feature of improved parking facilities. An off-street parking area is included,as well as a driveway at the rear of the spacious property, which will provide complete access to all sides of the funeral home.

These facilities, it has been stated, will be available to the Culver and area residents at no increase i an funeral costs.

The Bonines, better known to most people as Jim, Rosalie, Cynthia and Kevin, will maintain their residence at the new location of the firm in order that prompt, dependable 24 hour service and funeral home supervision will be continued.

The family is most proud of their new facility, and have stated that an open house is being planned which will be publically announced at a later date.

On April 25th, moved the Easterday-Bonine Funeral Home into the re-modeled "O. T. Goss" property

Culver-Union Township Chamber Of Commerce Member Of The Month



James "Jim" Bonine and Mrs. Rosalie Bonine, on April 25th, moved the Easterday-Bonine Funeral Home into the re-modeled "O. T. Goss" property.

Mr. Bonlne in 1960 arrived in Culver to work at the Easterday Funeral Home and in 1962 purchased the establishment. It was then located at the Easterday Building on Main Street (the Home first operated there in 1900.)

Mr. Bonine is a graduate of Rochester, 1955, the son of Mr. and Mrs. Ernest Bonlne of Rochester and brother of Mrs, James McAllister, Culver. He served his registered State apprenticeship at the next door funeral firm as a youth, graduating from the Indiana College of Mortuary Science at Indianapolis, finishing as one of the youngest in his class.

Mrs. Bonine, daughter of the Eugene Berghs of Warsaw, graduated from Warsaw High School in 1959 and previously worked in a hometown fumeral establishment.

The Bonines have two childdren; Cynthia, 5, and Kevin, 3; they are members of the Methodist Church, where Mr. Bonine is ead-usher and past-president of the Wesley Class and Mrs. Bonine is a past secretary-treasurer.

Mr. Bonine is Senior Deacon of Henry H. Culver Lodge No. 617 F & AM, past secretary of the Jaycees and the Lions Club, member of the Chamber Board of Directors and National Funeral Directors Association.

Mrs. Bonine belongs to the Methodrst WSCS, being a past Christian Social Relations Director and past Secretary of the Maxinkuckee Federated Junior Women's Club.

With the move to the new location the Bonine's had a glass enclosed case placed on the Kelly Shop building wall - a notice to the effect was posted in the May 10th 1966 issue of the Citizen; before this date they had been posted in the front window of the funeral home building.

Easterday-Bonine Funeral Home ads.

The name of Easterday was not dropped until after 1969 as all the ads in the Culver citizen for that year bore the name 'Easterday-Bonine'. It is said ttaht the name "Easterday" was dropped and was changed to Bonine Funeral Home in 1971.

ADDED TO FLEET - Maintaining his personal standlards of high quality vehicles In his ambulance fleet, James D Bonine, of the Bonine Funeral Home, Culver, has purchased this 1974 Mercury ambulance. Now equipped with emergency treatment equipment, Including oxygen, and personal comfort features such as air conditioning, the vehicle will enable the Bonine Funeral Home to continue providing Culver area residents with fast and efficient emergency transportation and first aid treatment - May 30 1974

1974 - Sep 5 - BONINE RECEIVES CERTIFICATE SECOND IN COUNTY

It was announced last week that James D. Bonine, proprietor of the Bonine Funeral Home of Culver, has earned the second Emergency Medical Technician certificate to be awarded in Marshall County.

The first EMT-Ambulance certificate was awarded last February to Art Birk, of Culver, who is employed by the Bonine Funeral Home.

To earn the certification, Bonine attended 81 hours of instruction in the classroom in a special program sponsored by Ivy -Tech. The classes were held in Rochester. After successful completion of the classroom requirement, Bonine took the exam given by the National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians.

This certificate has been judged by a State of Indiana study commission to indicate expertise and high training in the handling of emergency situations.

It is significant that the only two such certificates are held by persons who man the ambulance service used by Culver residents. This quality of service is not available elsewhere in our county.

This special training is backed up with a well -maintained and equipped fleet of ambulances by the Bonine Funeral Home, which receives no money from the budgets of the police, fire department, or other government agency.

In 1996, the Bonine Funeral Home was honored by the Marshall County Historical Society with the Centennial Business Award and the Marshall County Historic Landmark Award for the Funeral Home building.

It is thought it became Bonnie-Odom funeral Home Inc, in April 2004 when the current funeral director/owner Greg Odom bought the buisness