OUR HERITAGE

In 1847 a cabinetmaker, A.J. Kramer included making caskets and providing funeral service for the town of Marion and surrounding area. The business continued under several ownerships, including Pingrey and later Yocom, until J. Frank and Mabel Beach purchased it in 1930. In 1933, Kenneth V. and Faye Beach Murdoch joined Faye's parents in partnership. It wasn't until 1949, when the Sarchett Funeral Home in Center Point and the Sorensen Funeral Home in Walker were purchased, that the Murdoch Funeral Homes became the business name. In 1956, George Murdoch joined the firm and in 1965 the Hunte Funeral Home in Springville and the Passmore Funeral Homes in Central City and Coggon were purchased to enable the business to better serve the north half of Linn County.

In 1973, The Beatty-Beurle Funeral Home in Cedar Rapids was purchased to enable the business to better serve all of metropolitan Cedar Rapids and Marion.( An interesting footnote to this purchase is that J. Frank Beach started his Funeral Director career at the Beatty Funeral home 50 years before in 1922. Frank, who grew up on a farm between Mt. Vernon and Marion, and his father had a livery business in Mt. Vernon that served funeral homes in the area with carriages. In 1914, Frank purchased the first motorized Hearse in Linn County. His daughter, Faye, told about taking the train to Des Moines with her father to pick up the new Hearse. Because of his association with funeral homes, Frank at the age of 49, decided to become a Funeral Director and at the age of 57 he became the owner of the Yocom Funeral Home in Marion.) After being located for 55 years by the City Park in downtown Marion, a new Murdoch facility was opened in 1983 off of Highway 151 East.

Linwood Cemetery in Cedar Rapids was purchased in 1985 and the Beatty-Beurle-Murdoch Funeral Home was relocated to Wilson Avenue, SW and the new facility was named the Murdoch-Linwood Funeral Home. The heritage of the Linwood Cemetery, dating back to the founding years of Cedar Rapids, was enhanced by providing a funeral home at the Wilson Ave. S.W. location.

In 1995 the Murdoch Funeral Homes extended their services to Delaware County by purchasing the Bohnenkamp-Theulen Funeral Home in Manchester, and in 1998 relocated at a new facility under the name Bohnenkamp-Murdoch Funeral Home.

Today, John Murdoch and his sister Leigh Ann Murdoch Enneking represent the 4th generation of the Murdoch family to own and operate the Murdoch Funeral Homes now located at six locations in Linn and Delaware counties. With the Linwood Cemetery and the addition of a crematory at Marion, the Murdoch Funeral Homes offer a complete range of services directed by a very professional and capable staff. From a cabinetmaker in 1847 to the modern day funeral directors at the Murdoch Funeral Homes, the Murdoch family has proudly carried on the heritage and tradition with dignity and professional care. Four generations of family ownership and service could only be accomplished because of a dedicated and capable staff over all the years and for that the Murdoch family is very grateful.