Alger Funeral Home

 Several funeral homes that have operated in Holyoke had their origins in the 19th century. The Dillon and Hobert Funeral Homes also stood the test of time through much of the 20th century. Another long-time funeral home was the Alger Funeral Home, the subject of today's edition.

Floyd C. Alger arrived in Holyoke at age 17 in 1896 with his parents, Charles R. and Alice (Coburn) Alger. Charles Alger's start as a funeral director began in Cooperstown, New York, in 1880. The family moved to Willimantic, Connecticut, and then to Holyoke when Charles Alger purchased the R. A. Dickinson Funeral Home at 284 High Street. The family resided at 270 Maple Street.

Floyd Alger graduated from Holyoke High School in 1899 and began working at his father's funeral home. 

In 1901, the funeral home was relocated to 116 Dwight Street, the future site of the Phoenix Building, which was later constructed in 1909 and 1910.

In 1906, the funeral home moved to 256 Maple Street, and the Alger family moved next door to 254 Maple Street. This was previously the home of Dr. Lyman M. Tuttle, superintendent of the Holyoke City Hospital. The south side of this building abutted the Tilley Furniture Store, which was located at the northeast corner of Maple and Suffolk Street.

In 1919, the funeral home was relocated to the former J. R. Russell home at 167 Chestnut Street. After the death of J. R. Russell, his son, Robert Russell, resided there. I had read that this was the second-built house on Chestnut Street, possibly dating back to 1860.

In 1927, Charles Alger died. Floyd Alger continued the family's tradition of operating a funeral home. In 1931, Floyd Alger's son, Ernest Alger, was a student at Syracuse University and also planned to join the business. This became a three-generation business. Father and son continued to run the service until Floyd Alger's passing in June 1956. 

Ernest Alger operated the funeral home until his retirement in 1974. His assistant, Vernon Morrill, continued to maintain the business until his passing in April 1983. The final funeral service was conducted in August 1983, 103 years after Charles Alger, the founding father, became an undertaker.

The equipment was sold to the Edward F. Day Funeral Service, located at 134 Chestnut Street, in November 1983. 

The real estate, which included ten rooms and a 15,000-square-foot parking lot across the street, was sold in May 1984 to John Batcheller, the owner of the Springfield Bridge Club. At the time, the bridge club had a membership of 175 people, and more space was needed than it had at its previous location on the second floor at 1500 Northampton Street.

Citations:

Newspapers.com (paid subscription): Citations: Holyoke (Massachusetts) Transcript & Transcript-Telegram; publication dates and pages are shown.

Holyoke Public Library History Room, Price & Lee City Directories, Holyoke, Massachusetts.

MACRIS: Massachusetts Cultural Resource Information System  Search Results - MACRIS

                                    c.1970s view of the Alger Funeral Home

1898 Holyoke City Directory~ Category Undertakers

254 Maple Street, Alger Residence, and 256 Maple Street, Alger Funeral Parlor

 Alger Funeral Home, 167 Chestnut Street (1931)

Morneau Shoe Repair

 As with the trade of tailors, cobblers were more prevalent in the last century and prior. One of the notable ones in Holyoke was the Morneau Shoe Repair and Service Shop. 

Norbert Morneau, a native of Saint-Jean-Chrysostome, Quebec, Canada, was born in 1876. When he was fifteen years old, his family settled in Lowell, Massachusetts, where he lived for thirteen years. Upon arriving, he learned the shoe repair trade and began working in the shoe factories. 

In 1904, he left Lowell and settled at 77 Parsons Street in Easthampton, Massachusetts. For a short time, he worked at the Hampton Company. 

In 1906, he was listed in the Holyoke City Directory as employed as a shoemaker at 106 High Street. On May 1, 1906, he opened a shoe repair business at 765 Dwight Street. The business addresses listed in City Directories from 1907 to 1915 were 768 or 770 Dwight Street, and from 1916 to 1955, 761 or 765 Dwight Street. The locations were all near Pine and Dwight Street.

He worked 16-hour days until he reached age 60, and at age 80, he continued working 7 hours a day.

In 1943, Homer Morneau, son of Norbert Morneau, joined the business. For the previous eighteen years, he was a supervisor at the world's largest shoe repair business. This was located on 34th Street in New York City and employed 54 people.

On May 2, 1955, 49 years after opening his first shoe repair shop, the operation moved to the Phoenix Building at 600 Dwight Street. Norbert Morneau partnered with his sons, Homer and Wilmer, who handled most of the responsibilities.

The business expanded its line of available services beyond those related to shoes. Zippers, straps, or bindings were repaired or replaced; luggage and handbags were repaired or reglazed; orthopedic prescriptions were filled; some services were provided while the customer waited; and cost estimates were provided. In time, scissors and knife sharpening services were added.

On June 21, 1957, Norbert Morneau died. His shoe repair business spanned 51 years. Homer and Wilmer Morneau continued on, and for a time, only Homer Morneau remained.

In 1968, the company celebrated 62 years in business, and Homer partnered with another brother, Ronald, who had just closed his shoe repair business, which had been operated in the basement of the Childs Shoe Store.

The shop was sold in May 1971 to Tony D'Orazio, the son of a shoemaker. The younger D'Orazio had twelve years of experience in the field.

Citations:

Newspapers.com (paid subscription): Citations: Holyoke (Massachusetts) Transcript & Transcript-Telegram; publication dates and pages are shown.

Holyoke Public Library History Room, Price & Lee City Directories, Holyoke, Massachusetts.