Take a moment to read about the history of our business of caregiving below.
We believe there must be a strong commitment to preserving the traditions that have made Spengel-Boulanger what it is today. Our goal is to provide a peaceful environment, welcomed by a staff of dedicated and compassionate people with an unsurpassed attention to detail. Our success is built upon these principles and it will remain true many years to come.
"Undertaking a Specailty"
In 1902, furniture, mattresses, beds, washing machines, and other fine home furnishings were some of the items for sale at “Highland House Furnishing Co.”, now known as Spengel-Boulanger Funeral Home. The business of undertaking was only a minor part of their original offerings, listing “undertaking a specialty” on their advertisements.
Furniture to Funerals
Louis Spengel established “Spengel Funeral Home" in 1902-1904. In 1940, he purchased the home of Louis Wick, one of the founders of Wicks Organ Company, to serve as a home for funerals, which is their current location.
Louis Spengel’s son, Raymond J. Spengel, assisted his father with the operation of the funeral home and furniture store. Keeping with the family tradition, Raymond’s son, Robert L. “Bob” Spengel, joined the funeral home business in 1955, while Ray’s other son, James, took over the furniture store.
Spengel and Boulanger Merge
Born in 1915, Wilson J. Boulanger, was a lifelong resident of Highland and a 1933 graduate of Highland High School. He graduated from Hohenschuh-Carpenter College of Mortuary Science in 1937 and worked for mortuaries in St. Louis and Chicago.
When he returned to Highland, he worked for Spengel Funeral Home for a short time. In 1941, Wilson started the “Boulanger Funeral Home” at 1101 Ninth Street in Highland.
In December of 1958, the Spengel Funeral Home and the Boulanger Funeral Home began operating together as the Spengel-Boulanger Funeral Home.
Spengel-Boulanger Funeral Home operates today under the direction of Jay W. Boulanger, Wilson’s son, who joined the business in January of 1974.
Locations
Spengel-Boulanger Funeral Home has since expanded its locations to better serve the surrounding areas. There are now four locations to serve the local community:
SPENGEL-BOULANGER - HIGHLAND - 1501 Ninth at Lemon Street The largest of the funeral homes, this location houses a large casket selection room, library, visitation/chapel area, lounge, and conference room that provide ample space for both small and large gatherings.
SPENGEL-BOULANGER - MARINE - 311 North Humboldt Street Halleman Funeral Home in Marine, Illinois, was purchased in July of 1975. The building is conveniently located on the East side of the city park and has a large visitation/chapel room and lounge.
DAUDERMAN MORTUARY - ALHAMBRA - 609 East Main Street Dauderman Mortuary in Alhambra, Illinois, was acquired by Spengel-Boulanger Funeral Home in 2000. The original owners, Robert M. and Carol Dauderman, began operations in 1956 as Dauderman West End Mortuary. In 1962, they purchased the building and business known as Dauderman Funeral Home from Robert F. Dauderman, who opened his business in the early 1900s. The Alhambra location features a casket selection room, visitation/chapel area, lounge, and meeting area. The exterior of the building was recently remodeled and is handicapped accessible.
DAUDERMAN MORTUARY - HAMEL - 102 East State Street This facility was established in 1957 by Robert M. and Carol Dauderman and acquired by Spengel-Boulanger Funeral Home in 2000. It is located at the main intersection on the scenic U.S. Route 66 in Hamel. It features a visitation/chapel area, meeting room, and lounge.
