Our History

In 1906, N.P. Stenshoel founded the funeral home located on Main Street in Crookston. During the 1940s, the funeral home was operated by Miss Emma Stenshoel, N.P. Stenshoel’s daughter. In 1967, the business was purchased by Dean Jacobson, who then sold the business in 1975 to Jim Bredman.

The Chesterman Funeral Home was purchased in 1930 by Joseph A. Houske from G.S. Chesterman of Crookston. In 1941, Glenn L. Houske moved back to Crookston and worked for his father, Joseph, until they became partners around 1958. In 1984, the funeral home was purchased by Jim Bredman and Thomas Vertin, and the two businesses were merged into Stenshoel-Houske Funeral Home.

Bredman continued funeral home operations out of both the Stenshoel Funeral Home and Houske Funeral Home until the Houske building was sold to the Agassiz Credit Union. Bredman and the team then operated the business out of the Stenshoel location until 1996, when a brand-new facility was built.

Although time changes many things, the commitment to excellence that families have experienced at Stenshoel-Houske Funeral & Cremation Service has remained the same.