In June of 1928 a new “Henny Nu 3-Way Funeral Car” was delivered to the Knight & Voelkli undertaking firm. Made in Freeport, Illinois, at the John W. Henney & Company, who offered a fine line of funeral coaches starting in the late 1890s through the 1940s.

Henney’s modern-looking coaches included stylish cycle fenders and shortened running boards with integral step plates beneath each door. Options included a choice of a single side-entrance attendant’s door or an extra-wide double side door that allowed easy access for a gurney or casket. 

In 1927 Henney introduced the NU-3-Way coach, a funeral car equipped with a three-way casket table. The table could be loaded from either side or from the rear. The three-way table allowed the casket to be firmly attached to the vehicle eliminating all chance of a mishap. It could also be loaded from the rear, if the coach was equipped with a back door. 

This interesting article and others are available for research at the Green County Historical Society Museum. Staff are usually available at the museum on Monday mornings, but appointments for research are encouraged. Call 608-324-4676 or 608-921-1537 or email lostetter68@gmail.com.