Our Beginnings
In 1884, Albert A. Weinmann, Sr., traded his blacksmith shop for the property of the corner of Main and State Street in downtown Iola. Besides being the postmaster, he also began Albert A. Weinmann’s Furniture and Undertaking. His house and livery was also located on the property. In those days, the business was only a showcase for coffins and a hearse service, with the embalming and visitation done in a private home. Cost of a funeral was about $15, or two chickens and a bag of potatoes were sometimes substituted for the cash. Use of the hearse added to the price. In 1907, the original building was moved back and replaced with the present building. At that time, there were also undertakers in Scandinavia (E.C. Leean), and Nelsonville (Carl G. Jacobson and Olaf S. Swenson). In 1917, Leean died and Jacobson and Swenson bought the business. In 1922, they also bought out the Weinmann Funeral Home. With three funeral homes to operate, they hired Selmer Voie. In the early 1930s, Robert Swenson, Olaf’s son, became a co-owner of the business with Selmer and it was renamed Swenson Furniture & Undertaking. According to Steve Voie, records aren’t clear on when Jacobson left the business. In 1956, Swenson left the business and Roger Voie became his father’s partner, renaming it Voie Funeral Home.
In 1962, Selmer retired and his son Eugene, replaced him. The Voie family operated the furniture business in a separate building until closing it in spring of 1966. They also operated the area’s ambulance service from the late 1940s until 1970, when it became the Iola Area Ambulance Service. In 1969 Roger and Eugene built an addition to the main building, which included a lounge, extension of the main chapel, casket selection room, garage and embalming room. In 1990, Roger retired and his youngest brother, Steve, joined the family business, after serving his apprenticeship at Voie’s and working 19 years for the funeral home in Wausau. In 1993, Eugene retired and Mark R. Peskie joined Steve as a partner in the business. Peskie had also worked for funeral homes in Milwaukee, Waupaca and Amherst. When they needed extra help, Roger worked part-time. The first hearse Steve remembers was a 1950 Chevrolet Funeral Coach with a leather interior. It was first used at the funeral of Dr. Wilker. In 2009, Steve Voie retired and Mark E. Olson became Mark Peskie’s partner, Olson was born and raised in Iola and has been a funeral director since 1987. Mark Peskie retired in July 2020.
