Committed To Southern Colorado Seniors For 41 Years And Counting
Senior
Beacon
Established February 1982
**JULY 2022 EDITION**
"If You're 50 Or Over You Should Read It!"
Vol. 41:6
486 Consecutive Months!
Montgomery & Steward Celebrates 100 Year Anniversary In Historic Building (STATEPOINT) – The original
Rouch Funeral Home was located at 12th and Court StreetfJ.n the historic building (Bowen Mansion) currently owned by Pueblo County. In 1928 Orville D. Rouch began construction on a new building to be located at 14th and Main. Stories in the October 10 and 27, 1928 Chieftain chronicle the beginning of construction on the building. The October 27 story talks about the work laying bricks on the exterior, "With mason work well under way, about 15 layers of bricks have been placed on the front wall of the Rouch Funeral home at Fourteenth and Main streets according to Orville Rouch owner of the building." Early estimates were for the building to be finished by the end ofJanuary. They were pretty accuratethe business held its open house for the public on February 24, 1929. The Pueblo Chieftain story of that day states that the building cost more than $40,000 to complete. It featured 12 large rooms devoted to business, four display and store rooms in the basement and eight living rooms on the second floor. 'Ihe story continues, "The plans for the entire building in arrangement, specifications and decorating were drawn by Rouch and his wife. No expense was spared in the construction. Howard Whitlock was in charge of the work, which started September 24, 1928, and was completed about three weeks ago ... The reception rooms are of soft old rose tint, the wood work is of Oregon fir, painted Hollywood gray, the tapestries on the wall harmonize with the color scheme. The draperies are green, that shade of green that always seems so restful to the eyes. A heavy Axminster carpet covers the entire floor. Overstuffed chairs, divans, floor lamps are all neatly
arranged." The funeral home had a pipe organ, privacy rooms for family desiring privacy during the services. They also had a range of clothing in which people could be
buried; the previous era's "burial gowns" had gone out of fashion by that time. Subcontractors and
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suppliers for the building included: Porter Plumbing and Heating, M. J. McAfee brick work, Pueblo Electric company, F. H. Carde roofing, Nels Nelson painting and decorating, King Lumber and Investment company cement and mill work and Midwest steel company among others. Orville Rouch came to Pueblo in 1905. In 1922 he formed a partnership with Mr. Dunaway to form Dunaway Rouch Mortuary. The Colorado Cultural Resource Survey Architectural Inventory Form on the internet states "But progressive-era reforms eventually revolutionized funeral practices. Reformers urged Americans to live cleaner, more sanitary lives, and this meant removing corpses and funerals from private homes. "The Rouchs were in the forefront of the movement for funerals away from private homes. The construction of the funeral home was a risk; the background story on the website states that Rouchplanned the building in such a way that it could be converted into apartments should the business not prove successful. Following World War II sons Favorite and Orville M. joined their father in the funeral business. A Pueblo Starjournal story dated November 4, 1957 spoke of the two brothers who returned to Pueblo after the war. The reporter noted that "Favorite had worked with his father during his high school (Central) years, and he remembers that he was the only boy in high school who had a tuxedo and derby hat. 'We wore them in conducting
▶ SEE STEWARD, PAGE 21