Our Heritage

Our Heritage

Ostrander's Funeral Home was established by Harry A. Ostrander on April 28, 1920.

Mr. Ostrander purchased the Arthur Oatman Funeral Home at 128 Broadway, Tillsonburg and the business was a furniture store and a funeral home. The funeral business was moved to 36 Broadway, Tillsonburg in 1937, the furniture business operated at 128 Broadway until 1957.

Harry A. Ostrander's son Ewart W. Ostrander became a partner in 1936.
In 1940 they purchased the Sprage Funeral Home in Port Burwell. This funeral home was operated and owned jointly by Harry and his son Ewart until it's closing in 1969.

At that time the 43 Bidwell Street location was used as rental property until 1960 at which time the funeral business at 36 Broadway was moved to the 43 Bidwell Street. The latter location offered more space for the steadily growing business.

Through most of the years the Ostrander's also maintained and operated an Ambulance Service for the area.
In 1962 a third generation joined the ranks, Harry A. Ostrander's grandson Harry E. Ostrander.

In 1979 the company continued to expand with the acquisition of the Leslie C. Clark Funeral Home built in Port Rowan in 1965. Ostrander's Funeral home, Clark Chapel was named in memory of the former founder, Mr. Leslie Clark. This funeral home was destroyed by fire in September 1981 and was rebuilt by the Ostrander's. In January 2002 the company sold the funeral home.
Harry A. Ostrander died on January 25, 1980 at the age of 87, and Ewart W. Ostrander died on May 13, 1992. Harry E. Ostrander after 38 dedicated years in the business now enjoys his retirement with his wife Betty.

In January 2003 the Butcher family purchased Ostrander’s Funeral Home as a family owned business. Reg Butcher his wife Janet, their son Ken Butcher and his wife Jodi all reside in the Town of Tillsonburg. Reg has been in the funeral profession for over 20 years serving as a funeral director and funeral home manager. Ken has been licensed as a funeral director since 1999. The Butcher family has a long history in the Tillsonburg, Walsingham, Straffordville, Langton area were many of their family descendants still reside. The Butcher family attends local churches, and are involved in local service organizations.

The Ostrander's tradition as a family owned business will continue for years to come. Continuing with the reliable, trustworthy service the community has become accustom to.

Our many years of experience are at your service.

What Makes Us Unique

We are proud to embrace traditional values, diversity and innovation in honouring the spirit and life of each person we serve. We offer a full selection of:
  1. Funeral and memorial services, ranging from traditional to uniquely innovative and personal
  2. Burial services and cremation options
  3. Celebrant Services
Letting go of a loved one is usually a very difficult process. In order to provide your family peace-of-mind, our funeral home offers complete care, so you can focus on comforting each other as you prepare to say goodbye to someone dear to you.

Although there are many decisions you may have to make, we assure you that we will guide you through the entire process every step of the way. We promise to help you:
  • Design the most fitting memorial or funeral service to honour their memory and pay tribute to their life achievements and experiences.
  • Select the most appropriate products, including a casket, burial vault, cremation urn, cemetery or mausoleum, to fit your budget and suit your needs and desires.
  • Write a fitting obituary to honour your loved one’s life experiences and social connections.
  • Assist in the publication of the obituary in the newspapers of your choice.
  • Create a Book of Memories™, a beautiful, permanent online memorial, where you and your friends can build a legacy of memories by archiving treasured photos and memories.
  • Welcome your family and friends to our funeral home for your planned services, including a viewing, visitation, funeral or memorial service.
  • Make all arrangements with regard to the services whether they are held at your place of worship, our funeral home, cemetery, or alternate gathering place.
  • Provide you with beautiful funeral print materials, including memorial folders, prayer cards and book marks. We also offer personalized note cards for you to acknowledge the emotional support you received from friends, co-workers and community members.
  • Provide an elegant hearse and funeral cars, as well as arrange for escorts.
  • Help in the selection and on-site arrangement of floral tributes.
  • Provide access to grief education and support materials, and referrals to counselling services.
  • Prepare all paperwork, including vital record statistics, permits, filing and obtaining death certificates, and assistance with life insurance, veteran’s benefits and Social Security claims.
We hope you will turn to us for compassionate care and impeccable service. Our pledge is to honour your loved one and family with dignity, respect and personal attention to every detail.
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