About Us
About Us
Cahill Furniture Store and Funeral Parlor
The original frame building that housed the family owned Cahill Furniture, Carpets, Ambulance and Undertaking Business was built in 1893 by Thomas W. Cahill on Main Street of Sisseton. Thomas W. was joined by his eldest son, Neil J. Cahill in 1927 and the business kept expanding. The first hearse was drawn by a team of matched horses with a special harness, rigging and nets. Later, the firm had a Dodge hearse, their first motorized vehicle which was a combination funeral and ambulance coach. On March 1, 1950, the original frame building and three other businesses were destroyed by fire and another business damaged. The Furniture Store was rebuilt in 1952; a new masonry structure doubled the size of the building. The Funeral Chapel was moved to Neil and Vivian’s home at 522 6th Ave. East Sisseton. A wooden structure, 26 feet by 82 feet with stucco on the outside of the building, was built in 1951 at 516 East Cherry St. Sisseton. The new structure and business was owned and operated by Neil and Vivian Cahill. In 1955, Neil and Vivian were joined by their eldest son, Thomas H. Cahill. In 1960, a 26 by 82 foot cement block addition was added. In October 1969, Thomas H. Cahill purchased the Funeral Chapel from his parents. In 1973, Vivian and Neil Cahill retired and the Cahill furniture Store was sold to A. W. and Margie Hannasch. However, Neil stayed active in the funeral home until his death on November 14, 1977. In 1979, Tom was joined by his wife, Kaye, in the business. In the fall of 1986, a 26 by 34 foot wooden structure was added providing an office, arrangement room and visitation room. After the untimely death of Thomas H. Cahill on August 10, 1990, his wife, Kaye, continues to own and operate Cahill Funeral Chapel. This business is one of the oldest businesses in the city of Sisseton.
1st Generation
Thomas W. Cahill was born February 25, 1864 in Waseca County, Minnesota to John H. and Ellen E. (Byron) Cahill. After working several years in Dakota Territory he came to Sisseton in the fall of 1892 when the reservation was open to settlement and homesteaded in Long Hollow Township. In 1893, he received South Dakota Mortician License No. 12 and started a funeral parlor and furniture store which he operated with assistance of his sons until the time of his death March 21, 1948.
2nd Generation
Neil J. Cahill was born March 25, 1906 the son of Thomas W. and Joanna (Harrington)Cahill. He grew up and spent his entire life in Sisseton. He graduated from Sisseton High School then attended St. Thomas College in St. Paul, MN and the University of Minnesota where he graduated from the Mortuary Science School. He came back to Sisseton and joined his father in the family funeral home, ambulance and furniture business. After the death of his father; Neil and his wife Vivian continued to operate the funeral home. The present Cahill Funeral Chapel was built in 1951 and was owned and operated by Neil and Vivian until October 1969 when it was sold to their son, Thomas H. Cahill. Even though they retired in 1973, they both remained active in the funeral home until Neil’s death, November 14, 1977. Neil was honored by the Minnesota Funeral Directors and the Minnesota Board of Funeral Service as a 50 year licensee in mortuary science.
3rd Generation
Thomas H. Cahill was born July 1, 1934 the son of Neil J. and Vivian (Horton)Cahill. He grew up in Sisseton and attended parochial and public school here and graduated from Sisseton High School. He attended the College of St. Thomas, St. Paul, MN. Then University of Minnesota then onto Worsham College of Mortuary Science in Chicago, IL where he received his certificate of completion. Tom served in the United States Army Quartermaster Mortuary System in Germany from April 1957 to March 1959. He attained the rank of Specialist 4. He returned to Sisseton and joined his parents Neil J. and Vivian in the funeral home, ambulance service and the family furniture store. Tom purchased the funeral home from his parents in October of 1969. He was a third generation funeral director of the Cahill family who served the Sisseton community since 1893. Together Tom and his wife Kaye owned and operated Cahill Funeral Chapel and Ambulance. The Ambulance Service was sold in June 1990. After Tom’s death on August 10, 1990, Kaye continues to own and operate the Cahill Funeral Chapel to present day.
