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New funeral home open in Lone Pine |
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Tuesday, 12 February 2008 |
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Register Staff 2-9-2008
With a little work left on the asthetic side of things, the Mt. Whitney Funeral Home in Lone Pine is now licensed and fully operational in the histortic “Dow House.”
After the close of the Owens Valley Mortuary, the southern end of Inyo County was without a funeral home for about 10 months.
Now, with the Mt. Whitney Funeral Home open, a resident funeral director will be available 24 hours a day, seven days a week to assist the community with funeral arrangements, memorial marker sales, pre-need insurance and cremations.
Mt. Whitney Funeral Home owner Leon Brune, who owns and operates Brune Mortuary in Bishop, has been in the process of renovating and licensing the Mt. Whitney Funeral Home for several months, and is excited to be able to open its doors.
The funeral home received its license from the State of California on Jan. 29 and began operations soon afterwards.
“We’ve had tremendous support from the community in our endeavor to better serve southern Inyo County,” Brune said.
“I wish to thank Lynne Bunn and Jeanne Willey for making the Dow House availabe,” he added. “I would also like to thank Senator Roy Ashburn who kept the licensing process rolling.”
Throughout Brune’s efforts to open the new funeral home in Lone Pine, his staff in Bishop as well as employees from Lone Pine were instrumental in helping with much-needed renovations and restorations.
“I would also like to thank my mortuary staff and others who participated in the restoration. The interior is about 95 percent complete. The exterior restoration will start in the spring time,” Brune said.
To operate the new funeral home, Brune has hired Jeffrey Mullenhour, who will reside at the Dow House.
Mortuary staff is preparing all the details for an open house that Brune hopes to announce in March.
In the meantime, “all are welcome to stop by and explore this beautiful old house,” he said. |
