Our History
Family-owned Gearty-Delmore Funeral Chapels has been serving Twin Cities’ families for nearly 100 years. We are proud of our deep roots in the communities we serve and honored to be of service to families as they commemorate the lives of loved ones. Our experienced team stands ready to help simplify the last goodbye through compassionate care and dedicated service.
The funeral home dates to 1926, established as Larson’s, in the Village of Robbinsdale. Little is known about the Larson family and early days, but records show the funeral home was managed by Harvey Davis from 1935 until 1944. Upon her husband’s death, Mrs. Davis sold the business to a funeral director who could operate the facility.
Barney and Mary Gearty purchased the funeral home at 4084 West Broadway in 1944. Barney was a licensed funeral director and descendant of John Gearty, a pioneer farmer in Golden Valley. Barney’s new venture was not far from the Gearty farmland, which sat approximately between Golden Valley Road and 36th Avenue North.
Photo of: B.J. (Barney) Gearty
The simple rectangular building faced West Broadway and featured a small office, single chapel, preparation facilities and two-bedroom apartment for the Gearty family, which eventually included five children! In the apartment, a small dining room and single adjoining bathroom were used both by the family and by guests during services.
Photo of: original funeral chapel
In 1954, Barney moved the growing practice into a newly built facility at 3888 West Broadway. Still in operation today, it was one of the first structures built in that era exclusively for funeral home operation. The building was both well-constructed and planned to accommodate larger funeral attendance as well as more spacious living quarters for the Gearty family.
Photo of: Robbinsdale Chapel Announcement
The Gearty’s served many families over the years, with Mary becoming an integral part of the operation. Their staff grew to include Robbinsdale native and funeral director Pete Jaroscak. They also added a second visitation room through a major building renovation in 1970.
After a long, fulfilling career, Barney made the decision to sell Gearty-Davis and move into retirement. He sought a funeral director who would continue to serve the area in the manner that he and Mary had created. Barney found the right fit in Bob Delmore, a south Minneapolis native and licensed funeral director.
Born in 1921, Bob attended Incarnation Church and School where he loved serving as an altar boy. It was on the altar that Bob’s fascination with funeral ministry began. This interest never waned, and he began University of Minnesota’s Mortuary Science Extension classes in 1939. Upon graduation, Bob began his career at the White and Rocheford Funeral Home in south Minneapolis, a working relationship that continued for many years.
Photo of: Bob Delmore
Bob served as a Chief Pharmacist’s Mate at Ayayia Heights Naval Hospital in Honolulu in World War II. He returned to White Funeral Home after the war and married Margaret Roddy in Minneapolis in 1948. They moved to St. Louis Park where they raised four children: Kathy, Paul, Dan, and Sheila.
Bob Delmore purchased the funeral home in Robbinsdale from Barney Gearty in December of 1973. Five years later, Bob changed the name of the company and began operating as Gearty-Delmore Funeral Chapel.
In photo: Robbinsdale Chapel
Dan Delmore, like his dad, showed an interest in funeral service from a young age. He joined Gearty-Delmore as a funeral director upon graduation from the University of Minnesota Department of Mortuary Science in 1976. He worked alongside Bob for more than a decade, where together, they continued to grow the business, adding several more funeral directors over the years.
In photo: Dan Delmore
The company expanded to the Delmore’s old St. Louis Park neighborhood with the purchase of Billman’s Park Chapel. Second-generation owner John Billman was preparing for retirement and sold the funeral home to Gearty-Delmore in March of 1982. The Park Chapel was expanded in 1986, adding a new chapel and additional parking.
In photo: Park Chapel
Bob continued to work into the 1990s until ownership and operation of the company was transferred to Dan in the middle of the decade. With interest in serving the growing Western suburbs, Dan developed and opened the Plymouth Chapel in July of 1997. The 12,000 square-foot facility sits on 3 acres, has large rooms for funerals, gatherings and luncheons, and a 100-car parking lot.
In photo: Plymouth Chapel
After a long and devoted marriage, Margaret and Bob Delmore passed away just 10 months apart, in 2016 and 2017, respectively.
Today, Dan Delmore and his team of 13 licensed funeral directors and additional support staff serve approximately 600 families annually through its facilities in Robbinsdale, St. Louis Park and Plymouth. The company focuses on helping families simplify the last goodbye through traditional burial, natural burial and cremation services.
In photo: Dan Delmore
Dive Deeper Into Our History
This is just the tip of the iceberg! Read our full history below!
Translate This Website: