Our Facilities

History of Ramsey Funeral Home on Robinson Street

The history of the building that Ramsey Funeral Home occupies today dates back to 1904.  It was in 1904 that the first high school in Butte County was built on this site, the corner of Robinson Street and Second Avenue.   The enrollment for students increased so that by 1909 the roof was raised and a third story was added to the building.  We have pictures of the first graduating class from Oroville High School, as well as pictures of the original two-story building and the later added third story building on display in our hallway.

In 1918 the high school was moved to the corner of Orange Avenue and Bridge Street, Oroville High School is still located there today.  The building on Robinson Street was reduced to a one-story building a used as a residence until 1932 when Wm. Thomas purchased the Robinson Street site, and hired a contractor to change the residence into a funeral home, Thomas Funeral Home.

In 1940, Carroll Sanford purchased the business and renamed it Sanford Funeral Home.  In 1965 Dave R. Mullin purchased the business and renamed it Sanford-Mullin Funeral Home.  The funeral home operated until 1982 when it was sold to Oroville Funeral Home and the funeral home located on Robinson Street closed.

The building remained vacant until 1986 when Pastor Speese opened a church here, Chapel of the Faith.  The church was later renamed Grace Chapel Evangelical Church.

In the summer of 1996 the building was purchased by Eric Ramsey.  The aging building needed a facelift.  Work immediately began which entailed new roofing, all new windows (the chapel windows were reframed in an arch shape) new paint inside and out, all new carpeting and flooring, new landscaping and a handicap ramp.  On March 1, 1997 Ramsey-Newton-Bracewell Funeral Directors opened for business.  The business was renamed in 2002 to Ramsey Funeral Home.