Three Families in 125 Years for Owatonna Business

The 125th-anniversary celebration of the Brick-Meger Funeral Home in Owatonna will feature free food and celebrity appearances on Thursday, May 5. Steele County Pork Producers will be grilling up their popular pork burgers from 11 am to 1 pm. Ice cream sandwiches will be served. Award-winner Twin Cities sportscaster Joe Schmit will speak at 1 pm. Local writer/storyteller/humorist All Batt will speak at 3 pm. There is no charge and no tickets are needed.

Only three families have owned the funeral home over those 125 years, and two of the names continue to share the recognition. Glen Meger became the owner in 2000 and felt it was important to continue to carry the Brick name.

"When you think about it, the Bricks started the business 125 years ago. And it remained in the Brick name until 1988. So about 91 years it was in the same family." Meger said on the AM 1390 KRFO Talk of the Town program Wednesday. "And then Jim Postlewaite owned it from '88 to 2000. And then the Megers have owned it since 2000."

"So when you look at 125 years and you look at three owners in 125 years, that's pretty remarkable. And now that I have two of my sons following in my footsteps, Mike and Brett, it could be three families that would own that business for perhaps 160 years."

"So the longevity and the trust the community has in the Brick name is synonymous with funeral service," Meger added.

The original funeral home was located on Cedar and was also a furniture store. The move to the current location occurred in 1964 and Meger said that didn't sit well with everyone, "Bill [Postlewaite] used to tell me that when they built the funeral home at our current location at 1603 Austin Road, it was a gravel road leading from downtown out to our present location."

"People used to come into the Brick Furniture store and say, 'There is no way we're having my funeral out in the country.' That was the only thing that was out there. In 1962 it was undeveloped land. So Bill was kind of forward-thinking that was where the growth was going to happen in Owatonna."

Attendees will hear Schmit at 1 pm. Meger says "He has a really good talk on impact. How people impact each other's lives." Schmit's books will be available for purchase as well. Batt will speak at 3 pm.