Bonnine Funeral Home
It began as the Easterday funeral Home,
which operated for year 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. |
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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 he 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 - |
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1963 - January 9 - Mr. and Mrs. Bonine Purchase Easteday 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 i t was
established by William Samuel Easterday, father of William R. Easterday, who joined the firm in1933. The senior Mr. Easterday
died in 1946, after which Wiliam 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 policiy in its operation under the now name of the Easterday-Boninie funeral home
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 nextseveral 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 Gloss i n 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 servicibil ty , new carpeting , 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 i
i mproved 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 al no increase i n 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 isbeing planned which will be publically announced at a later date.
On April 25th, moved the Easterdiay-Boniine Funeral Home into the re-modeled "O. T. Goss" property
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Culver-Union Township Chamber
Of Commerce Member Of The Mont |
James "Jim" Bonine and Mrs. Rosalie Bonine, on April 25th, moved the Basterdiay-Boniine Funeral Home into the re-modeled
"O. T. Goss" property. Mr. Bonlne in 1960 arrived in Culver to work Sat 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 next dooir funeral firm as a youtti, 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
lead-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
khe 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 wal -
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. |
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Caption under photo reads: BIll and Hildreth stand with Jim Bonine in front of the
Easterday Funeral one at 108 N Main Street in 1969 |
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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.
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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 equJpment, 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
departme nt, 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 became Bonnie-Odom funeral Home Inc, sometime in 2000 when the current director Greg Odom bought the buisness, though
he began buying it in April 2004.
In August 2000, Gregory & Karen Odom, along with their son, Andrew, became associated with the Bonine Funeral Home.
Today is