Store linked to Civil War faces new battles

The history of Walker Furniture, a 125-year-old business in St. Ignace and one of this year’s Michigan Centennial Retailers, provides a glimpse into an unusual corner of American history. Its story also gives a sense of why and how its current owners, David and Nancy Walker, fight the retail battles facing today’s small-town northern Michigan stores.

David and Nancy represent the business’s fourth generation. David’s grandfather, Frank, started the business with his father-in-law, Eli Mallett, after returning home as a young veteran of the Civil War.

The two men bought a St. Ignace furniture business around 1883. “Mallett & Walker Furniture & Undertaking” became successful.

The link between the funeral services industry (then called “undertaking”) and furniture stores, odd as it may seem at first glance, can be traced to the Civil War, in the era when modern mortuary practices began.

Embalming was not practiced in this country until the 1860s, when Dr. Thomas Holmes, a captain in the Union army, substantially refined the technique. President Lincoln took a great interest in embalming and directed the Quartermaster Corps to use embalming to allow fallen Union soldiers to make the long journey back to their hometowns for proper burial.

Holmes reportedly embalmed more than 4,000 officers and soldiers. When he returned to civilian life, he saw the commercial value of the process and offered it to the public for the first time.

Coffins were made to order upon death—it was considered a bad omen, or just bad taste, to have coffins around at other times. Making coffins was a logical extension of the furniture business, and at the time there was no distinction between furniture makers and sellers.

As embalming gradually became more common, some furniture makers learned the technique and other aspects of the trade and became “undertakers” or funeral directors.

“My great-grandfather and grandfather probably thought the two businesses went well together, as many others around the country thought at the time,” explained David.

Furniture stores and funeral homes remained associated for many years, especially in rural areas like northern Michigan.

“We did both types of work until the mid-1960s, and others continued both for even longer,” David said. “It might seem like a strange combination today, but it actually made good business sense.”

Rural areas didn’t need and couldn’t support a second furniture store or funeral home. At the time, there was no reason to separate the two and little competition to push change.

“Also, funeral home work is a steadier source of income than retail is, especially in areas where most retail is highly seasonal. In lean times, furniture purchases could be put off, but people still died and coffins were still needed. The margins on funeral services might drop in bad times, but business continued,” he explained.

Walker recalled that in his youth there were some very lean times. “I suppose the funeral business helped our family business stay afloat.”

At one time, there were three Walker businesses in Michigan—Frank set up his three sons in business. Louis, the youngest, stayed in St. Ignace while his brothers had stores in Gaylord and Boyne City.

After Louis died, his wife, Leila, became the sole owner, until their sons, David and Ronald, were ready to take on ownership. When they were, the store changed its name to Walker Bros. Furniture.

“After a while, I bought out Ronald’s half and he went to Marquette to open Walker Furniture of Marquette, which is still doing well. Ronald recently sold it to his brother-in-law.”

As in many retail families, the wives have been actively involved at Walker. David’s mother and his wife have both helped keep the business going.

David’s wife, Nancy, had worked in merchandising at Marshall Field’s, so she brought additional retail experience to the business.

After raising five children, Nancy began working regularly in the store, helping especially with buying, merchandising and design work. When David’s mother retired, she took over the bookkeeping as well.

“I handle all aspects of retailing, but I really enjoy the annual buying trip to Highpoint, North Carolina—much more than David does!” said Nancy.

Both enjoy their life in the community of St. Ignace, and especially working with and serving customers.

“Selling home furnishings means we’re making people’s lives more comfortable, and that feels good,” said David.

After nearly 125 years in business, Walker Furniture is still fighting both national and regional retail battles.

“For a long time now, mass production has meant less and less selection,” David explained. “Imports, most recently from China, have accelerated that process, so that now—outside of upholstered goods, which get variety from coverings—there’s just not as much selection.”

The challenges the Walkers face in their community are different.

“A big challenge in northern Michigan is the lack of new money entering the economy up here,” David said. “The only real source of new money is tourism, but that’s taken a hit in the past few years.”

Nancy points out, however, that “even off-season, there’s always work to be done and people to be served.

“You can use slow times to remerchandise, maybe redecorate the store. You have some breathing time to plan, schedule, research.”

When it comes to promoting the business, David states simply: “nothing is better than 125 years of good word-of-mouth.” He also uses ads in the local newspaper, but feels television and radio just don’t work for them anymore due to their location.

“This is too small a service area to get local TV coverage now. We could buy time on a Traverse City station, but 90 percent of that audience is not in our market, so I can’t justify the cost,” he explained.

“It’s the same with radio. A single company has bought out most of the local stations in Northern Michigan, so it’s all regional now. That has really curtailed local advertising.”

One trend that dismays Nancy is furniture store ads that focus so completely on low price and credit offers.

“I know the furniture industry is struggling, but you still have to give people value,” she said. “You still have to focus on customer service, on finding the best match between customer and merchandise. That’s why a retailer stays in retail.”

This article was written by Amy Buttery, Michigan Retailer staff writer.

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