About Us

About Our Funeral Home and Our Commitment to You

Wilson Family Funeral Home was originally built as a private residence in 1910 by Roy Gafford, a Minneapolis banker. In 1933, R.S. Todd bought the property and opened his funeral home. R.S. built an addition on the northwest corner of the building which contains the embalming room and the office. The Todd’s used the second story as their residence. Caskets were displayed on the third floor and had to be raised and lowered by block and tackle through the front staircase. The hook is still there and can be seen from the main floor of the funeral home. Willard Fouts was employed by R.S. Todd during the late 1930’s and purchased the funeral home in 1947. The funeral home then became Fouts Funeral Home. Willard installed the first commercial air conditioning system in Minneapolis. He also added a room on the southwest corner of the funeral home that is now used as the casket display room. Interior partitions in the main part of the house were removed which is now the chapel. Jack Haley entered into partnership with Willard in 1962. In 1964, Jack purchased the funeral home and it became Haley Funeral Home. Jack built the current three car garage that is north of the funeral home. Ambulance service had been provided by the funeral home, but was discontinued after Jack purchased the business. In 1976, Jack and Steve Muller incorporated the business and it became Haley-Muller Funeral Home. Bruce and Sandy Shields purchased the corporation in 1977 and the name was changed to Shields Funeral Home, Inc. in 1978.

They constructed two ramps on the north and south sides of the building, added new sidewalks, a new parking lot and a three car garage across the street, and most importantly, they added a visitation room to the north side of the funeral home. This room is not only used for visitations, but as an overflow room for large funerals. Todd Wilson began working for Bruce and Sandy at the funeral home in 1989. At that time he was a freshman in high school and had always had an interest in the funeral business since he was a young child. Upon graduating from Minneapolis High School in 1993, Todd left Minneapolis to attend Colby Community College in Colby, Kansas for one year. In 1994 he moved to Kansas City to attend Kansas City Kansas Community College. While in school, Todd worked for Maple Hill Funeral Home in Kansas City, Kansas where he gained valuable funeral and embalming experience. He graduated with his Mortuary Science Degree in 1996. During these times, he would often return to Minneapolis to assist Bruce and Sandy with work at the funeral home. After college graduation, Todd returned to Colby, Kansas to serve his apprenticeship. It was then that he was giving a tour of the funeral home to a group of Chemistry students from Colby Community College when he met his future wife. Todd and Shelly (Miller) Wilson were married on July 18, 1998 and made their home in Kansas City. Todd worked for two funeral homes in Kansas City while Shelly was earning her Nursing Degree from the University of Kansas. In 2001, Todd accepted a managerial job at Schmitt Funeral Homes in WaKeeney and Quinter, Kansas. He worked there for one year before he and Shelly decided to move to Minneapolis so Todd could once again assist Bruce and Sandy at the funeral home. On November 1, 2007, Todd and Shelly purchased the funeral home from the Shields’ and the name was changed to Wilson Shields Funeral Home. Shelly maintains her nursing license and is working with Todd at the funeral home on a full time basis. Todd and Shelly have two sons, Landon (2001) and Reece (2005). On December 1, 2010, the funeral home became Wilson Family Funeral Home. The Wilsons are looking forward to serving the families who turn to them in their time of need. God has blessed them richly and they in turn want to bless those they serve.