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Funeral home plans expansion
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| Artist’s rendering provided An artist’s rendering shows the 5,187-square-foot expansion at McCorkle Funeral Home. Rod Bennett Construction will start construction at 767 N. Blackhawk Boulevard in Rockton this week. The project will be completed in about six months. |
By Hillary Wundrow
Daily News staff writer
ROCKTON - McCorkle Funeral Home is adding a 5,187-square-foot addition to accommodate its growing customer base and increasing number of people attending visitations.
Rod Bennett Construction will start construction at 767 N. Blackhawk Boulevard this week. The project will be completed in about six months when an open house will be held.
The new addition will almost double the size of 2,792-square-foot funeral home and will create a new chapel able to seat 199 people. The larger chapel will allow funeral directors to put up a partition and hold two visitations at once.
The expansion also will include restrooms, a garage, preparation room and storage facility.
The atmosphere of the business will remain the same.
“We are are going to try to maintain the warmth we have in the current facility so it still feels warm like a comfortable home,” Bennett said. “The exterior will probably have a limestone front blended into the bricks.”
The parking lot also will be expanded to accommodate the larger space. McCorkle's also has forged parking agreements with First American Credit Union and Taylor Company.
Owner Brian McCorkle also has a funeral home at 101 Main St., Durand, Ill. and 203 W. Fifth St., Pecatonica, Ill. The business started in 1957 when William and Margie McCorkle bought the Chapin Funiture and Funeral home in 1957. In 1981 the couple purchased Knapp Funeral Home in Pecatonica.
Son Brian McCorkle purchased the business from his parents in 1993 and added the Rockton branch in 1998.
The family is originally from Durand, Ill. Brian McCorkle is the only one of his siblings to stay in the family business.
“Growing up I enjoyed helping my father and watching how he helped caring for families during a time of emotional turmoil,” McCorkle said. “I also enjoyed watching my father make people appear as natural as possible.”
McCorkle attended mortuary school at Southern Illinois University and studied business at Eastern Illinois University. Since he started working with his family he said his father have remained active in the business.
Margie McCorkle passed away on April 14. She worked full-time at the business until about 1996. Then she often accompanied her husband and son on business and helped out with paperwork.
Rod Bennett Construction will start construction at 767 N. Blackhawk Boulevard this week. The project will be completed in about six months when an open house will be held.
The new addition will almost double the size of 2,792-square-foot funeral home and will create a new chapel able to seat 199 people. The larger chapel will allow funeral directors to put up a partition and hold two visitations at once.
The expansion also will include restrooms, a garage, preparation room and storage facility.
The atmosphere of the business will remain the same.
“We are are going to try to maintain the warmth we have in the current facility so it still feels warm like a comfortable home,” Bennett said. “The exterior will probably have a limestone front blended into the bricks.”
The parking lot also will be expanded to accommodate the larger space. McCorkle's also has forged parking agreements with First American Credit Union and Taylor Company.
Owner Brian McCorkle also has a funeral home at 101 Main St., Durand, Ill. and 203 W. Fifth St., Pecatonica, Ill. The business started in 1957 when William and Margie McCorkle bought the Chapin Funiture and Funeral home in 1957. In 1981 the couple purchased Knapp Funeral Home in Pecatonica.
Son Brian McCorkle purchased the business from his parents in 1993 and added the Rockton branch in 1998.
The family is originally from Durand, Ill. Brian McCorkle is the only one of his siblings to stay in the family business.
“Growing up I enjoyed helping my father and watching how he helped caring for families during a time of emotional turmoil,” McCorkle said. “I also enjoyed watching my father make people appear as natural as possible.”
McCorkle attended mortuary school at Southern Illinois University and studied business at Eastern Illinois University. Since he started working with his family he said his father have remained active in the business.
Margie McCorkle passed away on April 14. She worked full-time at the business until about 1996. Then she often accompanied her husband and son on business and helped out with paperwork.
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