History

The foundation for Overton Funeral Home, a third generation family-owned funeral home, originated in Centerville, Iowa, beginning in 1915. Lewis A. Overton and Clyde C. Overton, brothers, formed a partnership in Centerville known as Overton Brothers – The Modern Undertakers. Following Clyde’s death in 1918 during the flu epidemic, Lewis and his wife, Leona, moved their family to Milo, Iowa, where they purchased the furniture and undertaking business.

Lewis A. Overton became a partner of T.J. Proudfoot in 1923 to establish the foundation for what has become one of the oldest businesses in Indianola. Mr. Proudfoot, an undertaker for over 50 years, had been in the funeral and undertaking business in Indianola since 1890. Lewis Overton previously was an undertaker in Centerville, Iowa, (1915-1918) and in Milo, Iowa (1918–1923).

Proudfoot and Smith, and later Proudfoot, Overton, and Co., was first located on the south side of the Indianola square. In 1926, Lewis Overton purchased the property at 501 West Ashland, the present funeral home site, to establish the first funeral home in Warren County. Since 1928, when T.J. Proudfoot retired, the firm has been an exclusive funeral home known as Overton Funeral Home.

The formation of a partnership occurred in 1937 when Everett E. Overton formally joined his father in the funeral home business operation. Everett had worked with his father for several years and was a graduate of the Hohenschah-Carpenter School of Embalming in St. Louis, Missouri. He later graduated from Simpson College in 1938 and assumed the management responsibilities of Overton Funeral Home in 1941 due to the poor health of his father. The partnership continued until the death of Lewis Overton in 1957. Everett’s wife Grace (Annear) Overton assisted with the services of Overton Funeral Home. Grace and Everett shared in the ownership and operation of the funeral until their retirement in 1994.

John Lewis Overton, a third generation funeral director, graduated from the University of Minnesota, College of Mortuary Science and was licensed in July 1965. John joined his parents at Overton Funeral Home at the time of apprenticeship. He has shared in the management of the funeral home since it became incorporated in 1971. John has served as the President of Overton Funeral Home, Inc., since 1983, when his father retired. John and his wife, Barbara, are the third generation to manage the funeral home. Barbara has done the bookkeeping, accounting work for the funeral home and provides assistance with marketing and community outreach programs.

Jeffrey Allan Petersen became associated with Overton Funeral Home in December 1989. He had received his Iowa Embalmer and Funeral Director’s license in May 1989 following his apprenticeship in Northwood, Iowa. Jeff had received his Associate of Science Degree from North Iowa Area Community College and Mortuary Science Degree from Worsham College in Des Plaines, Illinois. Jeff’s wife, Mary, joined the funeral home in 1999 and shares in the responsibility of funeral home operations. Mary’s family previously owned and operated Grarup Funeral Home in Sheffield, Iowa, for almost 40 years.

Overton Funeral Home continues to be a family-oriented business and has always involved the entire family. At the present time, Alex, Megan and Nicholas Petersen help by delivering funeral notices, transporting flowers, mowing, and performing other duties.

Throughout its history, Overton Funeral Home has provided a variety of non-traditional services to its communities. For over forty years, ambulance service was provided to Warren County. Other services have included auto and horse drawn equipment, home furnishings, and charitable giving.

Overton Funeral Home strives to provide services through its staff, facilities and equipment which meet and adapt to an ever changing role in providing care of the dead and support of the living.

Facilities
Proudfoot, Overton & Company, located at the corner of West Ashland and D Street, was the first funeral home in Warren County. Operating as one of the most modern and completely equipped funeral homes in Iowa, a chapel addition was completed in 1964. Extensive remodeling and refurbishing of the funeral home and offices occurred in the mid-1990s. The facilities now include an expanded casket and cremation display area, on-site preparation room constructed to meet the strict federal guidelines of OSHA, a handicapped accessible restroom, family arrangement area with fireplace, the addition of a double garage for automotive equipment, a paved parking area, and attractive landscaping.

Overton Funeral Home has operated in Indianola for 80 years over the course of three generations.