Funeral Home long tradition

With the recent passing of my Uncle Bob Haueter, I was reminded again of the important work Peters & Murray does and how they have served local families in our community for over 85 years.

The funeral home can trace its history back to Russell Smith. Beginning in 1922, Russell Smith offered mortician services to local families. At the time, funerals were held in the home, and morticians were called in to perform their services.

In the 1930s the idea of having a community “home” just for the holding of funerals led to the creation of three local funeral homes, including the forerunner of Peters & Murray.. In the early 1930s Smith partnered with Mr. Hoag and purchased the old Samuel Chadwick House at 301 E. Jefferson. At the time it had been most recently used as a fraternal lodge hall. The Smith & Hoag Funeral Home remolded it for their own use.

Soon after, in 1936, they hired Leslie Peters, a recent graduate of Worsham Collage, to join them as a mortician. Leslie and his wife Florence lived above the funeral home.

In 1939 Peters partnered with Joseph Otto to form Peters & Otto Funeral Home and together they purchased the business. The partnership was short lived however, and soon it became Peters Funeral Home. Like many funeral homes, Peters also used their hearse to offered ambulance services to the area.

In 1960 more parking was needed. The Peters purchased an empty lot at 319 E. Jefferson from Robert and Marian Hamill which was used as a large ornamental garden. The home next to Peters at 309 E. Jefferson, which they owned, was moved down the street to the 319 lot. Leslie and Florence Peters soon moved into the home.

At about this time Tom Murray came to Grand Ledge to serve his apprenticeship with Leslie Peters A few years later, after graduating from Worsham Collage, Tom became a partner in 1965 and Peters & Murray was established. In 1984 Tom’s son John joined the business and in 1993 became the principal partner. The Murray family continues a tradition started back in 1922 to serve local families in their time of need.