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A 120 Year Heritage
Today’s Carmony-Ewing Funeral Homes Inc. started as D.B. Wilson and Son Undertakers more than 120 years ago. The founder, David B. Wilson, was born in Montgomery County, Ohio in 1836.
At the age of 16, he moved with his family to Paducah, Ky., and spent four years as an apprentice in the carriage-trimming trade. In 1858 he married Ellen Bogan, and the couple had a daughter and son, Emma C. and Thomas D. Wilson. Wilson moved to Shelbyville in 1872 and earned a good reputation as a trimmer for a carriage manufacturer.
In 1880, Wilson began an entirely different career by opening an undertaking business, located at the site of the present-day post office on East Washington Street. With his energy and good business judgment, he was soon the leading mortician in the city. His services were often in demand from residents in surrounding counties. His son, Thomas, joined him in 1880, and earned a diploma at an embalming school in Chicago; he became a full partner in the business in 1893.
The Wilsons were quick to introduce modern improvements and technology to the profession and the first to do arterial embalming in Shelbyville. In 1901, Thomas Wilson furthered his education at Indianapolis and his diploma was the second issued in Shelby County.
In 1915, David Wilson’s health failed. Before passing away, he sold his interest in the funeral business to Charles M. Ewing. A Shelby County native, Ewing was one of 10 students who made up the first class to graduate from Fairland High School in 1902. At first a teacher and principal, he later became a special agent for the Prudential Insurance Company.
From 1915 to 1918, Thomas Wilson and Charles Ewing operated the business as Wilson-Ewing Undertakers. In 1917, the federal government purchased the mortuary’s East Washington Street location and built the post office. The mortuary business was moved to the 100 block of North Harrison Street where it remained for more than 20 years.
Thomas Wilson died in 1918 and was buried near his father in Forest Hill Cemetery. At his death, Harry Oldham became Ewing’s partner until he passed away a year and a half later. Ewing became the sole owner of the business when he purchased Oldham’s interest from Oldham’s widow.
In 1939, Ewing and his wife, Mabel, purchased the Alonzo Blair-Isom Wray home at 819 S. Harrison St. The lovely, historic old mansion, built in 1871, was converted into a modern and attractive facility. In 1946, Ewing formed a partnership with his son, Richard L. Ewing, who was married to Patricia DePrez. Charles Ewing passed away in 1953 and was buried at Forest Hill Cemetery. Richard Ewing operated the business until his retirement in 1984. He passed away in 2001 and is buried at Forest Hill. His son, Wray DePrez "Dep" Ewing, took over the business as general manager.
The business underwent many changes from 1990 to the present day. In 1990, Dep Ewing formed a partnership with David Carmony of Carmony Funeral Home on Broadway Street. In 1995, Carmony-Ewing Funeral Homes was sold to a national corporation. It became locally owned once again in December 2001 when it was purchased by Mike Freeman, who had been the general manager for nearly five years.
Freeman, a native of Milan, also purchased Morristown’s Frazier Funeral Home in November 2002. His son Michel, is currently enrolled in Mortuary Science at Mid-America College of Funeral Service. He works part time at the funeral home and expects to join his father's business in the near future.
The lovely South Harrison Street mansion has just receieved a beautiful addition in early 2007 that will allow the building to be utilized for 2 to 3 visitations and seating for up to 300. Wall-to-wall Spruce colored carpeting was added, each room was tastefully decorated and papered and walls were opened up to create a large, central hallway, new casket room and a chapel, which may be the largest of any facility in the area.
The refurbishing was done in keeping with the original theme and design of the historic structure. Freeman plans to move the mortuary operation back to the Harrison Street mansion facility in the near future.
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