In the year 1905, a young couple, Jack and Anna Rupp Lundall, came to Chisholm, MN. Chisholm was a new town in the center of the booming iron mining industry. Jack opened a hardware store on the main street of his new home town. He believed Chisolm was on the threshold of becoming a vibrant and growing community. He sent for his stepson Edmund Joe Rupp to join him in the firm called Lundall and Son. All was going well until disaster struck Chisolm in 1908. A raging fire swept through the town destroying all but a few buildings. Lindall and Son survived with a horse, delivery wagon, one mattress and 200 dollars borrowed from Edmund's uncle. They started up the hardware store again in a rebuilt building on the main street.
As the business grew, it became obvious that the town needed a funeral home, and E.J. took the course to become an embalmer and funeral director - and a mortuary was added to the business. The hardware merchandise gradually changed into home furnishings, which included a wonderful new invention called radio. Later refrigerators, freezers, and TVs were added. The business had always included area rugs which eventually included wall to wall carpet.
Jack Lundall retired and the business name was changed to Rupp Furniture and Undertaking. In 1912, E.J. married Wanda Mikkelson. They had four children: Edmond Joseph, Jr., Constanence, Clarence, and Glenn. Each of them had the opportunity to work in the store. After World War II ended, Glenn returned to the store and Clarence became a funeral director to operate the mortuary. E.J. Rupp Sr. retired, leaving Glenn and Clarence in charge of the business. In 1952, Constanence returned to Chisholm and joined her two brothers in the business. In 1961, a branch furniture store was opened in Virginia, MN which continued operation until 1978. In 1977, the funeral home was sold. In 1981, Glenn Rupp bought out his brother Clarence and sister Constanence and continued operating the business with his four sons: Tom, James, Robert, and Paul. Glen retired from the active management of the company- now called Rupp Furniture and Carpet Co. James retired in 2006.
The year 2018 marks 113 years of continuous operation under the leadership of various members of three generations of one family - the Rupps.
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