Funks Supermarket
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The Yarrow Mill
During the 1930s, Mennonite immigrants were establishing the community of Yarrow in British Columbia, Canada. Among them was Cornelius C. Funk, who had previous experience running a flour mill in Russia. Inspired by his past ventures, Funk wanted to establish a similar operation in his new homeland. After some unsuccessful farming attempts, he purchased equipment and building materials to create a modest feed mill. Funk involved his children in the business, and as it grew, they took on various responsibilities. To accommodate the increasing grain volume, Funk built an elevator near a railway siding in Majuba Hill, Yarrow.
The business expanded rapidly, prompting Funk to build a store on Main Street in Yarrow. In the 1940s, with the population growth in Clearbrook and Abbotsford, the Funks decided to establish a presence in that community. In 1964, a fire destroyed the Yarrow mill, and the opportunity arose to relocate the business to Abbotsford, where it thrived. The Funks sold the milling business in 2000. In 1955, Funk's Grocery Store was opened in Clearbrook, and it gained a reputation for its sausages and other specialties. The store offered home delivery services and ethnic baking supplies. Cornelius Funk, known for his religious practices, would begin each year with a Scripture reading and prayer with his employees. The Yarrow grocery store closed in the early 1970s, but the community expressed appreciation for Cornelius Funk's contributions in 1983. The Clearbrook store was sold in 2008, marking the conclusion of a four-generation business for the Funk family.
During the 1930s, Mennonite immigrants were establishing the community of Yarrow in British Columbia, Canada. Among them was Cornelius C. Funk, who had previous experience running a flour mill in Russia. Inspired by his past ventures, Funk wanted to establish a similar operation in his new homeland. After some unsuccessful farming attempts, he purchased equipment and building materials to create a modest feed mill. Funk involved his children in the business, and as it grew, they took on various responsibilities. To accommodate the increasing grain volume, Funk built an elevator near a railway siding in Majuba Hill, Yarrow.
The business expanded rapidly, prompting Funk to build a store on Main Street in Yarrow. In the 1940s, with the population growth in Clearbrook and Abbotsford, the Funks decided to establish a presence in that community. In 1964, a fire destroyed the Yarrow mill, and the opportunity arose to relocate the business to Abbotsford, where it thrived. The Funks sold the milling business in 2000. In 1955, Funk's Grocery Store was opened in Clearbrook, and it gained a reputation for its sausages and other specialties. The store offered home delivery services and ethnic baking supplies. Cornelius Funk, known for his religious practices, would begin each year with a Scripture reading and prayer with his employees. The Yarrow grocery store closed in the early 1970s, but the community expressed appreciation for Cornelius Funk's contributions in 1983. The Clearbrook store was sold in 2008, marking the conclusion of a four-generation business for the Funk family.