| 54 | Community History, Zearing, Iowa | 54 |
Zearing has had three practicing, attorneys. One of the attorneys, J. Charles Jessen, was the mayor of Zearing in 1906-07. Jessen later practiced at Story City, Iowa. He became one of the leading attorneys in Story county.
James B. Graham was an attorney in Zearing in the early 1930's. He did not practice in Zearing very long.
Lloyd E. Beach did legal work in Zearing but never established an office here. Lloyd, a native of Zearing, is a practicing attorney at St. Charles, Illinois, in 1956.
The Zearing Register of March 9, 1883, carried an advertisement for Pierce Brothers. Pierce Brothers advertised furniture and a large assortment of coffins at their store in Zearing.
In the 1890's, J. Henry Jondall had a furniture business in Zearing. Peter A. Solem of Roland, Iowa, was a business associate of Jondall and took charge of the Zearing funerals.
In January of 1900, LeRoy Brothers became Zearing funeral directors. Charles H. LeRoy was a licensed embalmer. William J. LeRoy was the other brother. In 1904, LeRoy Brothers built a combination furniture store, funeral parlor, and toy shop on the south side of Main Street. It was located midway between Center Street and Pine Street. The LeRoy building is occupied in 1956 by Richard Shattuck, produce dealer.
Charles H. LeRoy died on July 11, 1914. William J. LeRoy and Guy Ressler continued the business. On August 24, 1914, the Zearing town council approved the license of George Hobbs, embalmer.
The Zearing News of February 10, 1916, carried an interesting news item. It stated that LeRoy and Ressler would soon have a fine auto hearse. The paper predicted that when people saw it, they would just die to ride in it.
William J. LeRoy advertised his funeral equipment for sale in the November 23, 1922, issue of The Tri County News.
William C. Brouhard Sr. started in the funeral business in the spring of 1918. However, he owned the Brouhard Pharmacy in Zearing until October, 1925. In June of 1925, William Sr. opened a funeral parlor on Main Street in Zearing. Later the funeral parlor was moved to the Brouhard home on south Center Street.
On October 13, 1953, the Brouhards' purchased the Dixon Funeral Home at Nevada, Iowa. In 1956, the Brouhard Funeral Home, operating in Zearing and Nevada, is one of the best funeral homes in central Iowa.
William C. Brouhard Sr. has been assisted in the business by his sons, Donald L., Robert C., and William C. Jr. The Brouhard Funeral Home is owned and operated in 1956 by William C. Brouhard Sr. and William C. Brouhard Jr.