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History

Committed to the Families & Communities we Serve

History

Grandstrand Funeral Homes was founded in 1939 when Millard "Ole" Grandstrand purchased the Westberg Mortuary in Center City, Minnesota.  After WW II, Lyle Johnsen, a native of Lindstrom, Minnesota, came to work with Ole.  In 1957 Ole purchased the Sprain Funeral Home in Chisago City, Minnesota when George Sprain retired. 

In 1967, Ole's son John joined the firm after attending the University of Minnesota and graduating from the Milwaukee Institute of Mortuary Science.  In 1969 Ole, John and Lyle formed Grandstrand - Johnsen Funeral Homes, Inc. and they purchased the Malmquist Chapel in North Branch when Vince Malmquist retired.

After Ole's death in 1973 John and Lyle employed several licensed directors.  In the spring of 1976, they decided to build a new fully accessible building in more centrally located Lindstrom, Minnesota.   They hired Bill Lones a native of Pine City, Minnesota and recent graduate of the University of Minnesota Department of Mortuary Science.  The new facility was completed and occupied in December of 1976.

In the fall of 1980, Lyle retired and John hired Donald White, a native of Chisago City, Minnesota and graduate of Chisago Lakes High School and the University of Minnesota to manage the North Branch Location.  In 1984, John purchased the Paulson Geving Funeral Home in Osceola, Wisconsin.  John hired Tom Wilson in 1996, who is a native of Lindstrom, Minnesota and also a graduate from Chisago Lakes High School and the University of Minnesota as a fourth licensed funeral director.  In 2001, the old building in North Branch was demolished and a new state of the art facility was built on the same location on Main Street.  In 2003 a building of the same design was built between Osceola and Dresser to better serve the surrounding community.   

On January 1, 2005 John sold the entire business to his employees, fulfilling his dream of keeping the funeral homes independent and locally owned.  After Don White's untimely death in May of 2007 Bill and Tom hired Jon Wurm a native of Olivia, Minnesota and graduate of the University of Minnesota to manage the North Branch location.

Grandstrand Funeral Home & Cremation Service
Phone: (651) 257-4000
11900 Lake Lane North, Lindstrom, MN 55045

Grandstrand Funeral Home & Cremation Service
Phone: (651) 674-4444
6580 Main Street, North Branch, MN 55056

Grandstrand Funeral Home & Cremation Service
Phone: (715) 294-3111
941 State Road 35, Osceola, WI 54020

Grandstrand Funeral Home & Cremation Service
Phone: (715) 483-3141
201 North Adams Street, St. Croix Falls, WI 54024

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