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In 1923, Charles Powell sold his undertaker business and home. <br />Henning/Lay/Howe Mortuary and Residence, 1923-1982 <br />Charles Powell operated a mortuary on the site until he sold the property in 1923 and it <br />became the Henning Mortuary and residence for several decades. The Henning family <br />left a major imprint on Louisville through its leadership and its support of many local <br />enterprises, in addition to the family having a prominent Main Street home and <br />business that regularly brought together members of the community. <br />George Russell (called "G.R." or "Russ") Henning (1891-1968) was from Nebraska. He <br />served in World War I as an ambulance driver, medic, and embalmer in France. Upon his <br />return, he became licensed as an embalmer and funeral director and went into the <br />mortuary business. According to the Henning family, after being affiliated with a <br />mortuary business in Wyoming, he heard from a mortuary supply salesman that there <br />was a mortuary for sale in Louisville. In 1923, he moved to Louisville with his wife, <br />Marguerite Lay Henning (1891-1950), and her parents, Lammert D. Lay and Lillie Lay. <br />Lammert and Lillie Lay purchased the mortuary building and home for their daughter <br />and son-in-law. Henning, himself, however, in 1923 purchased the assets, including a <br />hearse, relating to the mortuary business from Charles Powell. Marguerite Henning was <br />the bookkeeper for the business. <br />George and Marguerite Henning had two daughters, Blossom (1920-2010) and Welcome <br />(1923-2013), who grew up in the house. Welcome was born in 1923 in the <br />mortuary/house building at 844 Main. The following photo from circa 1925 shows a <br />one-story house with the chapel that had by then been built on the south side, replacing <br />the bakery. <br />6 <br />