CSAGSI August, 1998 Meeting
On Saturday, August 29, 1998,
John Budilovsky, Past President of the Bohemian Funderal Directors
Association presented, "Memoirs of a Bohemian Undertaker."
Don't miss the exciting funeral-related web links at the end of the meeting report!
Also, don't miss the transcript of Mr. Budilovsky's presentation which appears following Evelyn Krenek Fergle's meeting report.
Evelyn Krenek Fergle recalls...
The Auguest 29th meeting of CSAGSI was another "full house" in attendance as more than 160 members and guests came to hear Mr. John Budilovsky, a retired Funeral Home Director, share his memoirs as a Bohemian Funeral Home Director.
Mr. Budilovsky is a past President and current member of the Bohemian Funeral Home Directors which was founded on January 10, 1933 and is the only association of its kind in the country.
Mr. Budilovsky's career started in a rather inopportune way. He was 19, and a student at the University of Chicago, when his father passed away in 1935 at the age of 42. Being an only child, the decision was made by him and his mother that he would leave school to continue with his father's Funeral Home business. The Funeral Home was located at 2611 S. Lawndale at the time. Mr. Budilovsky, after receiving the necessary training at the embalming school and as a mortician, was the youngest undertaker in Chicago, at the age of 20. He was still shy of receiving his Illinois license by a few months, and operated the business under the direction of Otto Muchna, Jr., and the Muchna Funeral Home on 27th and Central Park.
To appear more mature than he was, he wore a derby when he went to the homes of clients. His family business had actually started back in 1870 by his grandfather in the Pilsen and Ceske Kalifornia areas of Chicago.
One of the most interesting experiences that he had included witnessing the autopsied body of the infamous gangster, John Dillinger, who was captured and killed outside the Biograph Theatre on Chicago's north side on July 22, 1934.
Though many of the original Czech Funeral Homes have now moved to be owned by corporations, some of the earlier Czech homes were Linhart founded in 1885, Marik founded in 1896, Budilovsky (by his Dad) in 1915, Svec, in 1915, Becvar in 1907, Petrzilka in 1915, and Nosek, before 1900.
Some of the original businesses, through marriage and merger, have changed their names throught the years.....Havlec and Kral to Adolph and Kral to Adolph Funeral Home in Berwyn.
The tenets of the Bohemian Funeral Directors Association encourages harmony in business, is a free spirit society, expects its members to adhere to a higher state of efficiency and keeps abreast of improved current business management practices.
Mr. Budilovsky was kept busy answering questions far into the social hour that continued after the program. Several in the audience brought copies of the funeral bills of relatives buried in the late 1800's or early 1900's that itemized the expenses for the horse and carriages for the mourners, the candles, etc. that sometimes totaled $100.00 or more....One of the audience even shared that her grandfather had worked on the crematorium at the Bohemian National Cemetery.
Mr. Budilovsky's last 20 years in the business were spent at his Westchester Funeral Home.
Hospitality committee members Joan Miller and Mary Sherry arranged the dessert table for the group.
Webmaster's note: Mt. Budilovsky granted us permission to publish his presentation on our web page. It includes many valuable names, dates, and addresses. I hope you find it as interesting and beneficial as I have.
The Bohemian Funeral Director's Association
John A. Budilovsky
How many of you remember some criminal history? Such as public enemy number one in 1934 -- John Dillinger, the notorious bank robber who was the leader of a group of robbers, thieves and murderers -- nationally famous for their despicable exploits throughout the Midwest -- finally culminating in an FBI trap outside the Biograph Theater on Chicago's north side, where he was double-crossed by the "Lady in Red," Anna Sage, who led him into the mass gunfire of the FBI and he died in the alley next to the movie theater? This was big national and international headline news on July 22,1934 -- 60 years ago.
I am merely telling you about this anecdote because my father, who was an undertaker, purposely took his son into the Cook County morgue to personally view this notorious man's autopsied body so that someday his son could say he saw the notorious John Dillinger. Today I am fulfilling his prediction and introducing myself, a retired Bohemian funeral director, into the genealogy of your special interest in the history of Czech funeral directors.
I was born in 1916, just prior to the United States entering World War I as a combatant against the Germans. For the funeral business it was an interesting time. A sort of transitional period when funeral livery was changing from horse and carriage to automobiles. In fact, after my mother gave birth to me at St. Anthony's Hospital, my mother and I were brought back home from the hospital by horse and carriage.
My father started out as a carriage driver, then went to embalming school, got his license and became an undertaker. In those days, as it is now, it was considered a highly respected and honorable profession. The term "undertaker" became what is currently referred to as a mortician, funeral director and embalmer. It is necessary to take tests given by the state and the city, and pass them, in order to go into the mortuary business.
My father died unexpectedly 1935 at the age of 42, after an operation for a ruptured appendix with peritonitis. I was only nineteen, having just completed my first year at the University of Chicago. Being an only child, my mother and I had to make the difficult decision of selling the business or my continuing at the University of Chicago. For practical reasons I decided to go to Worsham Mortuary College. I passed my tests and became a full fledged undertaker at the tender age of 20, the youngest undertaker in Chicago. (You had to be 21 to be licensed, but I told a little white lie and said I was 21 when I was only 20.)
In the interim period, my father's good undertaker friend, Otto Muchna, Jr., placed his license at our address in order for me to remain in business. Although a competitor, he was a true friend. At that time, in order to appear older than I was, I frequently wore a 'derby' when going to someone's house to make funeral arrangements. The old philosopher who said, "this too shall pass," was absolutely correct.
I am speaking to you today as a past president and current member of the Bohemian Funeral Directors Association, the one and only ethnic funeral directors association, which was founded January 10,1933 in Chicago, Illinois.
There are many, many interesting stories that could be told, perhaps some are morbid and perhaps some are humorous; they say beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
Waves of European immigrants came to the United States in the later part of the 1800's. My own grandfather John V. Budilovsky arrived amongst many other Bohemians and Slovaks in about 1870. In those days immigrants immediately headed for their own ethnic neighborhoods -- the Czechs or Bohemians to Pilsen, where they felt at home, using their native tongue, making it much easier to adapt to their new home. I remember my father telling me how the new arrivals in the backs of big horse-drawn wagons were derisively greeted by smart aleck former arrivals with the term "green horns."
After settling in Pilsen for several years, some of the more prosperous moved further west to "Ceska Kalifornie," between Kedzie and Crawford. Then, when they made a few more bucks they moved to Cicero, then to Berwyn, and then to the ultimate "bramborova slechta:" Riverside; then even further west to North Riverside, Brookfield, LaGrange Park and Westchester (where I myself built a beautiful funeral home). This transition westward was over many years with a basic group remaining in each town. Pilsen and "Ceska Kalifornie" are now the Mexican settlement known as, "Little Village."
Naturally, these native Bohemians were serviced by their own kind -- Bohemian funeral directors.
To my recollection, the firms still in business today who were founded earliest were Linhart and Moravecek, both in 1885. Charles Marik, Berwyn, (under new ownership now) was founded in 1896 and Frank Marik (Chicago) also in 1896. John A. Budilovsky Funeral Home was founded in 1915. Svec & Sons was founded in 1915. Frank Becvar in 1907. Joseph Petrzilka (now using the name Ivins Funeral Home) about 1915.
I thought you might be interested in some historical background about the funeral profession.
Prior to 1865 there was generally no embalming. During the Civil War, families of deceased soldiers demanded their bodies be brought home. The only way bodies could be shipped back home would be that they be preserved by some form of embalming, originally by Dr. Holmes.
Consequently the deceased were embalmed by doctors and then shipped home. After that period for several years, general embalming was not prevalent. Up to about 1885, bodies were preserved in special caskets with ice -- very inadequate. This is how "wakes" started. People had to stay up, i.e., stay awake, to replace the melted ice.
Two men, Clark and Barnes, started their own embalming schools. This caught on (much better than ice) and as a result embalming (injecting preservative chemicals into the circulatory system) became common in the large urban centers due to public demand.
Up to the 20's, funerals were held in the private homes -- embalming, casketing, etc... This was quite inconvenient for the families as well as the funeral directors. Subsequently funeral directors built bigger chapels to accommodate large groups with facilities for embalming, casket showrooms and the whole ball of wax, making it much more convenient for families and their friends. They could call the funeral home and the funeral director would take care of all the arrangements. This is the common practice today.
Egyptians were really the first to embalm, although their methods would never be adequate for today's public demands. Their method was purely for religious purposes Three kinds: one for royalty and priests, the second for their middle class, and the third for the poor -- all priced accordingly.
Because bodies were placed in a brine solution, it sometimes took several months, especially for the first and highest class. The bodies were not viewed. The procedure was primarily for long preservation. The bodies were then wrapped in yards of linen, covered with asphalt, dried and placed in their mummy cases. This was the "Osirian Theory." The body had to go through every means of reincarnation, which they mathematically calculated would take 3,000 years. If the body was gone after 3,000 years, the soul would not have any place to return to and thus suffer eternal damnation. Their dry, sandy soil was ideal for their Osirian purpose.
Today, we embalm for an entirely different purpose; one, for preservation; two, for disinfection; and three, for lifelike appearance -- definitely superior to the Egyptian methods, for our times.
Enough of mortuary history. Let me tell you more about our Bohemian Funeral Directors Association founded January 10,1933 at 2701 South Central Park, Chicago Illinois. The Illinois State Certificate of incorporation was issued on October 18, 1933. The 27 firms were as follows:
Frank Becvar & Sons 5218 Kedzie
John A. Budilovsky 2611 South Lawndale
John T. Chrastka 3440 26th Street
Lillian Chrastka 2316 Millard
Jerry Cervak 7049 Ogden
Josef Fakan 1900 May
Joseph Fiala 2746 51st Street
Edward & M.J. Hrejsa 5130 25th Street
Charles Jaros 3925 26th Street
John Jana 2434 Albany
Edward Jana 1758 51st Street
John Kral 1021 19th Street
A. Linhart & Sons 1344 19th Street
H. Marik & Sons 2544 Crawford Avenue
Joseph Mastney 1745 47th Street
Otto Muchna 2658 Central Park
Joseph Nosek 1511 Crawford
Frank Petrzilka 3123 26th Street
Joseph Petrzilka 6905 Roosevelt
Otto Seyk 1013 19th Street
Frank Stepan 1654 Allport
Joseph Schultz 6617 Cermak
Otto Stransky 2010 51st Street
James Svec 6229 Cermak
John Tancl 3821 26th Street
Urban & Filip 1125 18th Street
Edward Urbanek 3814 26th Street
The officers were:
Victor H. Filip, President
Frank Chrastka, Vice President
Otto Muchna, Jr., Secretary
Joseph Linhart, Treasurer
Frank Stepan, Sargent of Arms
The original dues were $6.00. Meetings were every third Wednesday of each month and were to be conducted in English only.
The object of the Association was to secure harmony in business, to cultivate a more friendly spirit socially, to elevate and bring to a higher state of perfection to our profession, to disseminate correct principles of business management, and to promote the interests of all members of this Association.
All of the original members are now deceased; however, many of the funeral homes are operated by family members or have been sold but still using the original name.
In earlier times, and to some extent today, members of funeral directors' families actively participated in the family business. For example, before World War 1, there was a funeral director named Havlic. His daughter married 'Kral.' He was taken into the business and it became "Havlic & Kral." When Havlic died, Kral took over and the name of the firm became "Kral." Later, Kral's daughter married Anthony Adolf and the firm became known as "Kral & Adolf." When Kral died, the firm became known as "Adolf." Then Adolf's son went into the business, which is known today as "Adolf's Berwyn Funeral Home." This is just one example of a family owned business being carried on for several generations.
In the case of our Budilovsky Funeral Home, as with other family operations, the wife of the funeral director usually actively participated by assisting her husband by doing the hairdressing, dressing the deceased and all the incidental things necessary around the funeral home. For example, my mother, Josephine Fara Budilovsky worked with my father in all the years they were married and even assisted me after my father's death. I will be forever grateful. My own wife, Leona Turlo Budilovsky, gradually took over many of my mother's responsibilities and for that too I am grateful. In the inner workings of a funeral home, the wife's assistance was priceless. By these facts you can appreciate the family involvement in a successful operation.
Currently we have there active firms:
Frank Becvar Funeral Home
Joseph Petrzilka IV (Ivins Funeral Home)
Frank Marik Funeral Home
Charles Marik (H. Marik & Sons)
Moravecek Funeral Home
Joseph Nosek & Sons
John Starek (Lawn Funeral Home)
Svec & Sons Funeral Home
John A. Budilovsky and George Schubert are now retired, however, they are still active in the Bohemian Funeral Directors Association.
John Starek is currently the president of the Bohemian Funeral Directors Association and Alan Linhart is Secretary and Treasurer. Every first Saturday in December the Association runs a charity banquet with resulting donations to the Bohemian schools and Czech sokols.
Years ago there were other ethnic groups: Polish, Italian, and Lithuanian. We are proud to say that although our membership, like other organizations, has dwindled, we are the one and only surviving ethnic funeral directors association.
Funeral Home Links of Interest... to somebody... :-)
Czech out the
Illinois Funeral Directors Association Mobile Museum
AGM Memorials
maintains an interesting site describing burial markers, their history and meanings
And of course...
The Cemetery and Church Resources Page
The CSAGSI Links Page
Back to the CSAGSI Home Page.
All material presented here is Copyright 1998 CSAGSI, Inc.
Webmaster: Chris Miksanek
Last updated: December 8, 1998