Waid Funeral Home & Cremation Service staff is excited to showcase their own horse drawn hearse at the Lincoln County Fair this year. This horse drawn hearse was used by the Schram-Waid Funeral Home many years ago, to carry the deceased to their final resting place.
They purchased it in 1988 for $13,000. The model looks to be a 1885. It was found on a rock pile in Deadwood, SD, and Paul Waid’s uncle, Dale Stevenson, of Stevenson Funeral Home, bought it and had it restored in Mile City, MT. The Waid boys then purchased it from the Stevenson Funeral Home.
The rollers were from the original Schram hearse, the lights were also from the original Schram hearse, but were painted over and put on the old funeral home. They were then discovered by a salesman, the paint was stripped off and the lights were put on the horse drawn hearse. The horse drawn hearse is still available today to be used for funerals.
Along with Waid’s horse drawn hearse, they will also have a replica of President Lincoln’s coffin at the fair. President Lincoln’s elaborate coffin was constructed of solid walnut, lined with lead and completely covered in expensive black cloth. It was 6 feet, 6 inches long and was decorated with sterling handles and studs extending the entire length of its sides. The center of the lid showcased a shield outlined in sterling silver studs and a sterling silver plate. The coffin was placed in a cage 10 feet deep and encased with 4,000 pounds of concrete.
Stop by the Sell Building during the fair to see these pieces of history firsthand. Look for the Waid Funeral Home booth.