9255 Natural Bridge Road at I-170 | St. Louis, MO 63134
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History of Baumann Colonial Chapel

history of funeral home

In 1882, Arnold S. Baumann, an immigrant from Switzerland, moved to Creve Coeur in St. Louis County, MO and opened a wagon making business. By the late 1800’s, he added a hardware store and undertaking services.

In 1923, his sons, Gus and John Baumann opened a funeral parlor on Woodson Road in Overland, MO. John and his family left the business in 1935 to pursue other interests. Gus and his family ran the funeral home successfully for many decades. In the 1940’s they added a large, air conditioned chapel to their location and changed the name to Baumann Bros. Colonial Chapel. Gus passed in 1969 and his widow, Aurelia, continued running the funeral home with her daughter and grandson until 1976, when she sold it to their embalmer, Don Jensen.

Mr. Jensen ran the funeral home for the next two decades with the help of his wife, Gale, and son, Ron. He unexpectedly lost his son in 1994 and then his wife in 1999. During these difficult times, Mitch Wilson helped him run the business and eventually became the primary director and public face for the funeral home. In October 2013, prior to Mr. Jensen dying, it was decided to close the facility in Overland and join forces with the Shepard family in St. John, MO.