History
The home located at 1220 Wayzata Boulevard in Wayzata was originally built in 1925 by the Weber family (father of Fritz Weber) on the quaint rural lot. The original house structure has been maintained and updated over the years. In 1958, the Weber home was purchased by Mr. Billman. He expanded the house and added the chapel onto the front to transform it into a funeral home known as the Billman Funeral Home. In 1961, funeral directors David Lee and John Huber purchased the funeral home and established the Huber-Lee Funeral Home, operating two funeral homes in the metro area. Seven years later, David Lee took over the funeral home in Wayzata as sole owner, and he and his wife Patti operated the David Lee Funeral Home until his passing in 1989. Son, Mike, and daughters, Carrie and Laurie, lived their early childhood years with David and Patti Lee in the apartment above the funeral home.
During the start-up years of the funeral business, David Lee also sold caskets and drove limousine to put food on the table for his three young children. He was known for his willingness to deliver caskets anytime, anywhere. Service defined him in the market – and this personal service has continued to set David Lee Funeral Home and Cremation Services apart from others. Over the years, David Lee purchased additional locations to serve families and focused entirely on funeral services.
The compassion for serving bereaved families brought son Mike and daughter Carrie to study Mortuary Science in college and become licensed funeral directors. After graduating from the University of Minnesota Mortuary Science in 1983, Mike joined the family business and Carrie soon followed in 1985 upon her graduation from University of Minnesota-Mankato. Patti retired in 1999 and sold the business to Mike and Carrie, a few years after the passing of David.
Mike and Carrie continued the tradition of compassionately serving families and the community. Experienced funeral director Mark Arnold joined the team and brought his talents to help further customize services. In 2007 Carrie left David Lee Funeral Home and Cremation Services to join her husband in their family business at Sports Hut in Wayzata.
The long-standing tradition of personal and compassionate service continues to define David Lee Funeral Home and Cremation Services. The warm, home-like setting of the funeral home has been recently remodeled to allow for more receptions and gatherings of bereaved families and friends. Funeral directors Mike Lee and Mark Arnold welcome guests to stop in and discuss plans, tour the funeral home, or explore options. “We will provide you with information to help guide your decisions on the type of services that you determine best honors your family or loved one,” says Mike. “All types of burial and cremation services along with customized and personalized memorial gatherings are available to you.”
