Outagamie County, WI - "Cline-Hanson Has Deep Roots in Our Area Communities"
        
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 Contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives
 Subject: newspaper article "Cline-Hanson Has Deep Roots in Our Area
 Communities"
 Submitted by: county coordinator 
 EMAIL: jmmarasch@aol.com
 Date Submitted: 15 March 2000
        
 Source: New London Press newspaper article from Bicentennial issue, undated.
 
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 The Cline-Hanson, Inc.  Furniture Store and Funeral Home is perhaps one of the oldest businesses on N. Water
 Street and W. Cook Street, respectively.
      The furniture store had its origin before the turn of the century when Mr. George Cline began business. 
 Through the years several changes in ownership have taken place.
      Mr. George Cline formed a partnership with C.W. Pomrening.  After Mr. Pomrening's death, Mr. Leonard
 Cline, son of George, purchased the Pomrening interest and the business was again called Cline Furniture Store and
 Funeral Home.  The year was 1914.
      In the year of 1922, Mr. Leonard Learman came to work for Mr. Cline and about 1931 Mr. Learman
 bought an interest in the business and it became known as Cline & Learman.
      Both men were licensed morticians.  As time went by there developed a need for an established funeral
 home.  The practice then was to take the deceased to their respective homes for visitation.  The Clines opened their
 own private residence to families, and friends who wished to come and pay their respect to the deceased; thus it
 was not long before the funeral home, as we know it today, became a reality. All the for a preparation room were
 installed and a chapel and casket selection room were added.
      In 1947 Orin Hanson came to work, as an employee, for the Cline-Learman firm.. Mr. Hanson was also a
 licensed mortician.  In 1954 Mr. Hanson purchased an interest in the Cline-Learman firm and the name was
 changed to Cline-Learman & Hanson.  One year later Mr. Cline and Mr. Hanson purchased Mr. Learman's interest in the business and the name was changed to
 ClineHanson.
          During this time an extensive remodeling took place in the store--a new front was added and several changes
 took place inside.
          The Cline-Hanson firm purchased the Herb Schulz Drug Store in Sept., 1962.  This is-the Colonial Shop
 today.
          In 1962 Mr. Wesley Fenske and Mr. David Rusch purchased an interest in the business, as Mr. Cline was
 contemplating retirement.  Both men had been employees of the firm and both are licensed morticians.
          Mr. Hanson passed away in 1967 and so again the ownership changed hands.  Mr. Fenske and Mr. Rusch
 purchased Mr. Hanson's and Mr. Cline's interest and the firm became a corporation.  Once again the name changed
 a little--it now became known as Cline-Hanson, Inc.  Extensive changes were made in the funeral home including
 the addition of a chapel.
          Mr. Cline passed away in 1968 at the age of 89.  He had remained active, visiting the store almost every day,
 until his illness prohibited his driving a car.
          Cline-Hanson, Inc. purchased the old city hall in 1972 and it has now become a part of the store; offering
 greatly expanded showroom areas.
          In 1967 the Booth funeral home and furniture store in Manawa and the Bauer funeral home in Weyauwega were
 purchased.  These two funeral homes are another part of the firm known by the name of Cline-Hanson and Dajhlke,
 Inc.
 
 Picture: The gang's all here--Employees of Cline-Hanson, Inc. left to right, standing are: Otis Fischer, David Rusch,
 Marge Hanson, Wes Fenske, Cliff Huss, Alan Peterson; seated, Rubell Dorn, Paul Mastelier and Diane Rudie.