17  Vacant Building
2114 South Church Street

Mr. Gilbert built this structure for his Gilbert Undertaking and Vault Storage business in the late 1800's, making burial vaults and storing his caskets. There is no full basement, but there was a dug out area for hanging bodies until they were processed and put into caskets for burial. The second floor was originally offices. For awhile the building housed Steinke Plumbing and Heating. In 1962 it was purchased by Ray Menne, who with his son, Ted, used it as a machine shop. Ray, his wife and their daughter lived in the apartment upstairs. In November 1984, Roger Trader purchased it for a woodworking shop Mr. Trader later moved to larger quarters in the business center south of town.