Ballhorn Chapels Funeral

It is with profound sadness that we say goodbye to our beloved husband, father, grandfather and friend. Born in 1927 in Hornell, New York, to Otto K. and Lorene Driscoll Stewart, Otto spent his youth in this small upstate town. Otto attended Georgetown University for both undergraduate and medical school, finishing in 1952. In 1956 while serving in the Army Medical Reserve in Germany, he met and married the love of his life, First Lieutenant Maribeth McMahon, an army nurse from Portage, WI. The couple moved to Duke University in January of 1957 where Otto completed his residency and served as chief resident of orthopedics. In 1961, he moved his family to Sheboygan to join John Van Driest, who was his chief in Germany and also his best man. The two built an orthopedic practice, covering eight hospitals, seven days/week, 24 hours/day. Their practice expanded with Don Gore joining the partners in 1968 and the three became life-long friends. Otto was a favorite among patients and colleagues alike with his generosity, compassion, dedication and never-ending sense of humor. He couldn't travel anywhere in the world without someone recognizing him or a patient calling out, "Hey, Dr. Stewart!" Otto was a pillar of the community who served in many capacities including: St. Nicholas Hospital, president; Piedmont Orthopedic Society, chairman; Sierra Cascade Trauma Society, member; American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons, member; and Bay Lakes Council of the Boy Scouts of America, board member (he was an Eagle Scout). He and Maribeth were faithful parishioners of St. Clement Catholic Church for 56 years and of Santa Catalina Catholic Church in Oro Valley, AZ where they had a second home and spent their winters during retirement. Orthopedics and his family were his life. Otto had an everlasting sense of adventure and enjoyed golfing, skiing, traveling, camping, fishing, painting, flying the planes that he shared with Van Driest and spending time with family and friends. In his retirement Otto especially enjoyed the compani... (7/20/2017 - Arizona Daily Star)

Photo: Gary C. Klein/Sheboygan Press Media)Buy PhotoAfter 16 years of corporate ownership, Ballhorn Chapels Funeral Home is back in the hands of local owners.Mark and Debbie Zimmer, owners of Zimmer Westview Funeral Home in Howards Grove, purchased the funeral home last week from Service Corporation International, a national provider of funeral goods and services.“It’s been a goal of mine for over three decades to some day own and operate Ballhorn Chapels,” Mark Zimmer said.Zimmer moved to the Sheboygan area in 1983 after purchasing the former Ahrens Funeral Home in Howards Grove. In 1996, he acquired the former Gerend-Habermann Funeral Home in Sheboygan and consolidated his operations into the new Westview Funeral and Cremation Care Center in 2010.“The Ballhorn Chapel is a very large and historic facility anchoring downtown Sheboygan and we plan on working to restore the historic appearance of this downtown landmark, and modernize the amenities of the building to increase the comfort of families we serve there,” Zimmer said in a press release about the purchase.Ballhorn has been a household name in Sheboygan since the late 19th century when European immigrant Johann Ballhorn moved with his wife from Glenbeulah to Sheboygan and established a furniture business on Eighth Street and St. Claire Avenue.As the profession of “undertaking” was just emerging at the time, furniture-makers were often called upon to provide caskets for funeral services. Businesses that had room opened up funeral parlors, enabling family and friends to gather in larger facilities.When Johann died in 1899, his son John took over this business. It was during this time that a chapel building, complete with an embalming room, reposing rooms, offices and living quarters for the director, was erectedThe new building opened to the public in February 1928.After John died in 1932, his son Milton became owner of the furniture and funeral business. Over a seven-year period, east and west chapels were created, causing the name to be changed to Ballh... (The Sheboygan Press)