- The First Seventy-five Years in the Sanborn Community (1878-1953) -

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Burial Association

The O’Brien Cooperative Burial Association was organized in Sanborn after a group of interested men met one evening in April, 1928 in the D. Vander Woude grocery store. After much discussion a mass meeting was called for May 1. A large crowd attended and they subsequently voted to organize the association.

Seven directors were elected: Wm. Grooters was chosen president, Henry Wieman, secy.-treas., and Rev. Tietema, M. Zonnefeld, J.P. Bieser, John Hofman and Henry Kooi, directors. Tietema, Zonnefeld and Bieser are now deceased. Wm. Grooters is an active and interested member and Henry Wieman is the only one who has served continuously for the 25 years on the board. For a number of years he was president and is now in charge of the funeral home building which he worked hard to secure for the association.

R.C. Sawyer was their first funeral director. Two years later Albert Watson succeeded him and still serves as mortician and funeral director.

In the quarter century the organization has existed it has grown from an unpretentious origin to an association with 1100 members. During these years they have added new modern equipment and have maintained balance service.

Last winter they purchased a new Packard for hearse and ambulance.

Present directors are: Ray Grooters, president; Henry Wieman, vice-pres., John Vogel, sec.-treas., John Prins, Gerrit Beyer, Albert Dirks, Wm. Grooters.

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