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The McCune Garden Chapel ~ History Choose a year…
Please choose a year or for a brief over-view
of our history, read the headings in bold type. McCune Garden
Chapel has been an important
Vacaville and surrounding community business operation for over 60 years. |
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McCune Garden Chapel's
involvement in community affairs and activity goes back to 1937 when Del
McCune and his wife, Elizabeth, moved and purchased the local mortuary, known
then as the Stewart Funeral Home. |
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Del
McCune was born on September 2, 1911 in
Sioux City, Iowa, but moved to and grew up in Anderson, California. Del attended the San Francisco College Of
Embalming and graduated with a degree as a Funeral Director and embalmer. After Graduation, Del worked at Funeral
Homes in Redding, Oroville and Chico.
While employed at a Funeral Home in Chico, he met Elizabeth Gabel, and
they were married in April, 1937, shortly before moving to Vacaville. In July, 1938, Vacaville’s Stewart Funeral Home
was purchased by
Del and his wife and was renamed Stewart-McCune Funeral Home. Vacaville, at that time, boasted a
population of 1,500 residents. The
Stewart-McCune Funeral Home was also located on Main Street, as is the
current facility. |
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Del’s father owned and operated the Solano Ice
and Soda Works, an ice and beverage
distribution company, giving Dell other interests in the Vacaville business
community. This location was vacated
in 1954 when a new current facility was opened to the public. |
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By
1942, the McCune Funeral Home had become well-established in the business community of Vacaville and the
surrounding communities, providing the best of care and service to those that
were in need of funeral services. Del and
his wife, Elizabeth, had one
daughter, Barbara Ann. Barbara grew up in Vacaville
and graduated from school in 1960.
Attending Dominican College in San Rafael, Barbara graduated with a BA in
Art and Elementary education. Barbara
worked as a teacher with the Larkspur-Corte Madera School District. The family home, adjacent to the current
facility location, now houses a floral shop in the front part of the
building. |
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The McCune Garden Chapel Funeral operation was further
broadened in 1972 when McCune Garden
Chapel expanded into outlying areas of the community by purchasing the Milton
Carpenter Funeral Home in Dixon. |
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Del was very involved in community activities, serving as the county Coroner, operated a
24-hour ambulance service in addition being a Funeral Director and
Embalmer. Del and his father were
also two of the original thirty-three charter members of the Vacaville Rotary
International. In 1984, Del received
one of Rotary’s highest awards, the
designation as a Phil Harris Fellow, which symbolizes Rotary’s commitment to
world harmony. Del passed away in July, 1993. but the caring, standards of service and respect
that Del established in his 55 years of death care activities are today carried on in the same tradition and
compassion that Del showed when he was alive. At Del's death, McCune Garden Chapel passed to Barbara. Barbara is the principal owner of McCune
Garden Chapel and continues to run
the family business with the highest respect and regard to the funeral needs
and wishes of the Vacaville and surrounding communities. Barbara and the
professional staff of McCune Garden Chapel are dedicated to providing help,
dignity, understanding and support in a family’s time of need. |
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Ó2001 McCune Garden Chapel |
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Designed and maintained by |
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