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Haben's storefront location 1920's - photo credit IL Digital ArchivesLocated at 8057 Niles Center Rd, Haben originally opened in 1923 and then expanded its building in the 1950s. The funeral home is the "oldest continuous commercial business" still operating and still family owned (Hanson, 76). The original location of Haben's was 8064 Lincoln, a storefront property and the current home of Swift Childcare. Prep work was done out of this location and visitations were held in the homes of the families.

Current location under construction in 1920'a - photo credit IL Digital Archives

In an interview with John Haben (Current Owner/Funeral Director) we were able to learn much more about the history of the family-owned funeral home. The funeral-home was first started by John Haben's grandfather back in 1923. Back then, Skokie was a small town with dirt roads and many small businesses, but it was still bustling with people. John's grandfather owned strong horses and was a farmer in Wheeling, and as such he was asked to pull the hearse for funerals using his horses. Eventually, John's grandfather decided to get into the funeral industry, he attended and successfully completed Funeral Director training at Worsham College of Embalming. and he started one of the very first full-out funeral homes. Before this, most funeral services were run out of homes. Throughout the years, the funeral service was passed down from generation to generation, and after 93 years and many generations, the funeral home is still going strong. John Haben has a legacy and personal connection with the people in the Skokie community, and has been happy to help the people with his services.