Encyclopedia Dubuque
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Affiliated with the Local History Network of the State Historical Society of Iowa, and the Iowa Museum Association.
BEHR'S FUNERAL HOME
BEHR FUNERAL HOME. Prior to her death, Mrs. John BELL was approached by Norbert BEHR to purchase her residence, the former home of Alexander Young for a funeral home. Mrs. Bell declined the offer at the time as it was her home along with her son Frank and his wife, Laura. My Norb Behr bought the home at the direction of Laura in her will following her death. (1)
Norbert Behr and his wife Mary opened their own business in October, 1936 at 1832 Central.
In 1948 upon the death of Mrs. Bell, Behr bought and began converting the single-family Bell home at 1491 Main into Behr's Funeral Home. The home was of ample size to allow for the business on the main floor and a comfortable apartment upstairs for the new owner and his growing family. The original carriage house was converted to apartments upstairs and garage space below. The conversion to apartments over the carriage house unfortunately resulted in the removal of the Mansard roof - replacing it with a flat roof easier to maintain.
Norbert Behr died on December 30, 2000. The building in 2015 was owned by Kathleen (Behr) Conlon with her son Kevin J. Conlon and his wife Nancy.
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Source:
1. Conlon, Kevin, email, March 18, 2021