During the six years previous to his arrival in St. Johns W.R Osgood owned an undertaking establishment in the southern part of the State. In 1899 he bought out the Undertaking business of S.H. Inghram & Son. Two years later he took into partnership E.H. Osgood, his cousin, and added the furniture line to their business.
After five years of prosperous trade he bought out his cousin and has been sole owner since. Owing to his strict adherence to business and his efforts to please the public he has built up a business second to none in the county.
On June 6, 1914 W.R. Osgood received the new auto-hearse which he ordered the 2nd day of January. The hearse which was made by the Kunkle Carriage Co. of Galion, Ohio is modern in every way, being electric lit with a Sunray light in the top and side lights and with gas lights in front. The motor is self-starting. The tires are equipped with Armour inner –liners and are puncture proof and blowout proof.
This vehicle was a fine addition to Mr. Osgood’s already well equipped undertaking establishment. It was used for the first time Tuesday at the funeral of Mrs. Eli Fields of this city.
At the beginning of the new year, W.R. Osgood, The Furniture and Undertaking Man, took into the business his own son, Glenn W. Osgood, as junior member. The firm will now be known as W.R. Osgood & Son, The Undertaking and Furniture Men of St. Johns.
The junior member is a graduate of the St. Johns High School, also of M.AC. and has just received his honorable discharge from the Air Service in the U.S. Army. He has spent most of his life in St. Johns.
The new firm will try to maintain the high regard that the old one has won in the past by good, reliable, trustworthy service and the support of all worthy public enterprises.
In 1928 W. R. Osgood & Son closed out their retail business and converted the Geo. S. Corbit residence, which they purchased from the heirs this week, into a modern funeral home. Their store building on Clinton Avenue wwas rented, and they retained only the sale of Sparton radios.
Plans for the new funeral home included the remodeling of the residence, a large brick structure on a spacious lot at the head of Linden Avenue, to include a reception room, offices, large chapel, and preparation room. The home will be equipped with every modern appliance and will be repainted, redecorated and appropriately furnished throughout. An electric elevator will be installed.
It is planned to build a circular driveway of sufficient length so that a large funeral cortege may be accommodated on the property.
Work of remodeling the building is already underway and the completed funeral home will be opened in the spring.
W.R Osgood was killed instantly in an auto accident on November 13, 1930.
Bob Sirrine grew up in St. Johns, worked in the fields around town, participated in nearly all activities in High School and escorted Dorothy Jean Osgood to the movies when he was thirteen. He met her dad too and early on gained an interest in his life’s work as a funeral director. The war came. Bob joined the Navy in 1943 and earned his Wings in 1944. He came home to marry Dorothy Jean on August 13, 1944, and the newlyweds moved cross-country to California.
On returning to Michigan after the war, Bob’s career in funeral service continued too as he joined Glenn Osgood in the family funeral business. Bob had found his calling.
Bob and DJ raised their family on North Clinton in the house of his grandparents next door to his parents.
Over the years in the St. Johns community, Bob and Dorothy found countless opportunities to make contributions to local service clubs, veteran’s organizations and church activities.
Bridget, a fifth-generation member of the Osgood family, and her husband Stan Willis were the latest owners and managers of the business where service was a top priority since 1899. “What I remember most about my Grandpa was that he was so dependable,” Bridget says about the gentleman whose friendly nature and giving ways helped expand the Osgood legacy that was continued by a daughter, Angie Sirrine. She worked with her parents and remained as part of the staff.