History of the Vertin-Munson Funeral Home
The Wahpeton Opera House
Site of the first Vertin Funeral Home
The History of the funeral home began when Frank Vertin immigrated to the United States in 1896. Mr. Vertin was born in Austria in 1886, and immigrated to the Breckenridge, MN in 1898 to live with his brother, Matt. Frank and his brother Joseph Vertin, Sr. opened a furniture store in Wahpeton, North Dakota in 1919. The “Opera House” on Dakota Avenue in Wahpeton was remodeled into a new 3-story furniture store in 1935.
In 1937, Frank Vertin assumed full operation of the Wahpeton branch, including the funeral home, which was housed in the furniture store. Mr. Vertin retired in 1947 and died in 1968.
In 1948, Robert Caspers Sr. and Russ Munson became partners, having bought Vertin’s Furniture Store and Vertin’s Funeral Home, both from Frank Vertin. After several years, the decision was made in 1961 to build a new mortuary building. Prior to this time, the mortuary was always housed within the Vertin Furniture Building, a building which was originally the Wahpeton Opera House, erected in 1894. The new building at 503 Third Avenue North then became a reality. At the same time, Caspers and Munson also bought the Schmitt and Poulton Funeral Home in Wahpeton and combined both of them into the new building.
The Vertin-Munson Funeral Home Today
On January 26, 1961 tragedy struck when Russ Munson and his wife Bella (also a funeral director) were killed in an airplane accident in Nevada. At this time, Bun Munson, brother of Russ who had served with the firm since 1952 as a mortician, became manager of Vertin’s Funeral Home. Bun Munson remained manager with Robert Caspers, Sr. the owner of Vertin’s Furniture and Funeral Home.
In 1987, Robert Caspers died and son, Craig J. Caspers, who had recently graduated from the University of Minnesota in Mortuary Science, returned to assist at the funeral home. In January of 1992, the Vertin Furniture Store and Vertin Funeral Home Corporation split and Craig J. Caspers became owner and present manager of what was renamed the Vertin-Munson Funeral Home of Wahpeton. Bun Munson, who has semi-retired, still assists with funerals.
In 2004, the ownership and management of Vertin-Munson Funeral Home of Wahpeton and Joseph Vertin and Sons Funeral Home of Breckenridge chose to develop an alliance or “working partnership.” This alliance has allowed each of the funeral homes to provide-and even expand on-the funeral related services they offer via a more efficient sharing of licensed staff, key facilities, and critical equipment.
Our primary goal at Vertin-Munson Funeral Home has remained the same as it has been for over 100 years…to provide complete and meaningful funeral service to the families of Breckenridge, Wahpeton, and the surrounding communities.