04/01/2026
Today marks 168 years of the Millspaugh Funeral Home & Millspaugh Furniture House. The family business was established on April 1, 1858, by Theron L. (“T.L.”) Millspaugh, who began his career at the age of 17 as an apprentice of John G. Woolsey, Walden’s cabinet maker. He learned the intricate work of fashioning rough wood into beautiful and useful pieces of household furniture. Many fine examples of this early furniture can still be found in the Walden area. Along with household furniture, the cabinet maker was also needed to make coffins.
Life was not easy for an undertaker in the early days, as they were tasked with making the coffin which was all done by hand labor, with the interior draped and lined and the exterior finely finished and either hand polished or varnished. Sometimes T.L. had to work all day and into the night to finish the coffin; his wife Eleanor helped out by lining the caskets. Many times the home of the deceased was located miles away from the graveyard and in the winter months heavy snows and poor roads made the task of conducting a funeral seem almost superhuman.
The business passed to T.L.’s son, Gilbert “Bert”, who remained active in the business for all of his life and was known for his friendly, outgoing personality.
The third generation originally had different plans for their lives. Both T.L. and Mick graduated from college and began careers in other fields. In the ‘20’s they returned to Walden and the family business. T. L. worked mostly in the furniture business and helped in the funeral business office, bookkeeping, writing obituaries and other office related details.
After graduating from RPI and working as an engineer, Mick came into the business. He became a licensed funeral director and caught up with the funeral industry by making the move from wakes at home to wakes at 22 Bank St. In 1968 he purchased the Ronk Funeral Home in Wallkill and the Overhiser business in Montgomery.
Mick was very dedicated to funeral service and to the local community. He operated the business and lived his life according to the golden rule. He was very active in the funeral associations and served on State and National committees overseeing funeral regulations. He ensured that the standards were raised for the licensing process and in the profession in general. He was active in the business until he died at age 83.
Like his father, Mickey graduated from RPI. He spent 15 years working in several parts of the country as a civil engineer before coming into the family business. Mickey was a ‘jack of all trades’ working in both the furniture and funeral businesses. He got his funeral directing license in 1969.
When Mickey retired, the furniture and funeral businesses were separated. Mickey’s son Keith ran the furniture store and Mickeys daughter Susan Millspaugh (the family’s first female licensed funeral director) and Tom Tighe ran the funeral home. Tom had the vision to expand the Walden facility and, along with Mickey, planned an addition which tripled the size. Ironically, the new chapel was used for the first time when Dorothy (Aunt Nance) Millspaugh passed away in Nov. 1990.
And now 168 years later the funeral home and furniture store still remain family owned and operated. T.L.’s great-great-great grandchildren Laura and Mary are licensed funeral directors and Peter now leads the furniture store.
We are proud to continue serving our community with our family business that T.L. started all those years ago. Thank you for trusting us and allowing us to continue to carry on T.L.’s legacy.
