About Us

Our Beginnings

Our family owned funeral home was started back in 1949 by David T. Ranney (Dave Sr.). His father, Thomas Ranney was also a mortician, but passed away in 1939, when Dave Sr. was only fourteen. Dave Sr. started a partnership with Chester Anderson, who had been a mortician with the Peterson Funeral Home. In 1955, David, along with Lloyd Johnson and Elmer Nord purchased the funeral home and furniture store from the Vertin family of Breckenridge, MN. Shortly after that, they opened a branch in Rosholt, SD, which Mr. Johnson soon took over by himself, and left David and Elmer in Wheaton. Mr. Nord, who was not a mortician, retired in 1966. Until 1970, the funeral business was run out of the same building as the present furniture store. The current building was built in 1970 on the site where the Gustavous Adolphous Lutheran Church used to be.

Thomas G. Ranney returned from college in 1970 and joined with his father in the funeral business. Tom was active in the business and community until his early death at age 36 in 1983. Dave Sr.'s other son, David J. Ranney (Dave Jr.) returned to Wheaton 1975, to join the family businesses. David Ranney Sr. retired from full time work in 1989, but to this day, continues to help in the funeral business in any way he is asked. In September of 2004, Shawn Bainbridge of Sisseton, SD a licensed funeral director, moved his family to Wheaton and became a full time staff member. Shawn and his wife Heather purchased the funeral home on January 1, 2012 from David Ranney Jr. and his wife Betty.

Dave Jr. now helps Shawn whenever needed.