#17: 2114 South Church Street
Mr. Gilbert built this structure for his Gilbert Undertaking and Vault Storage business in the late 1800’s, making burial vaults and storing his caskets. There is no full basement, but there was a dug out area for hanging bodies until they were processed and put into caskets for burial. The second floor was originally offices.
For a while the building house Steinke Plumbing and Heating. In 1962 it was purchased by Ray Menne, who with his son, Ted, used it as a machine shop. Ray, his wife and their daughter lived in the apartment upstairs. In November, 1984, Roger Trader purchased it for a woodworking shop Mr. Trader later moved to larger quarters in the business center south of town.
#18: 2122 South Church Street
Built in the 1870’s, this was the residence of Mr. Gilbert, the undertaker. Ken and Bonnie Wampole purchased it in 1978, and are sure the building had a ghost. When the last child was born, Ken came home to get some sleep and the sheets were pulled off of him. Bonnie’s brother came in and convinced the ghost(s) to depart.