A Brief History of DeBaun Funeral Home
Curt and Myrtle DeBaun founded the original DeBaun Funeral Home in Prairie Creek in 1925. Curt Sr. and Myrtle DeBaun lived in Prairie Creek and operated the funeral home as well as an ambulance service. A private residence on Terre Hautes south side was purchased in October of 1952. The newly opened facility was managed by Curt DeBaun Jr. and his wife Betty. The Prairie Creek Chapel was kept in use until 1976.
The third generation of DeBauns joined the family business in 1978. After graduating from the Indiana College of Mortuary Science Curt DeBaun III began working with his parents Curt Jr. and Betty at the 8th & Idaho chapel.
A new funeral home was built by the DeBaun family and opened in 1989 at 1st & Springhill; one block west of U.S. Hwy 41 and just south of the Vigo County Fairgrounds. The operation of the facility was truly a family entity, Curt Jr. and Betty DeBaun, Curt III and Debbie DeBaun along with longtime employees Robert Joab, Jack Gehring and Rosemary Turley.
Keeping with the constantly changing funeral and social trends a state of the art crematory was built on the grounds of the Springhill Chapel in 1991. New Harmony Cemetery was acquired in 1995. Due to limited available grave sites a new area for interments was planned immediately. A Columbarium for placement of cremated remains was erected in yet another newly developed area of New Harmony Cemetery in 1998.
Being family owned and operated allows DeBaun Funeral Homes and New Harmony Cemetery to adapt to changing social expectations and requests from the families they serve. Having created another modern adaptation and change at New Harmony Cemetery, green burials and an ossuary (depository for cremated remains) will be ready for use this fall.
