It wasn't the most promising of years, but in 1931 Harold and Laura Rozelle opened their little funeral home in part of a double house at 120 East Tenth Street in Anderson. Though deep in the Depression, they were interested in founding a business that would contribute to the development of Anderson and provide an important service to families in their community. That dream soon took them in 1934 to a larger home at Tenth and Fletcher and then in 1940 on to one of the community's finest homes at 403 West Eighth Street.

So now, after some 75 years, Rozelle-Johnson Funeral Service, still an independent family-owned business, is housed in a modern Georgian style structure at Rangeline Road and State Road 32. Today the funeral home is led by the second and third generations of the Rozelle-Johnson family. Russell and Laurale' Rozelle Johnson represent the second generation and assuming their own leadership roles are their children, Laura Johnson Beeler and her husband Bill, Harold Johnson and his wife Brooke.

Rozelle-Johnson continues to be a pace-setting name, known throughout Indiana and the United States with memberships in Selected Independent Funeral Homes, National Funeral Director's Association and Indiana Funeral Director's Association. Community service across the years has been a significant role for the staff with active participation in such organizations as United Way, Anderson Area Chamber of Commerce, Boy Scouting and many local service clubs.

Harold and Laura Rozelle's dream in 1931 continues today.

Russell Johnson joined the firm in 1953 and has been active in the funeral service across the years since. He has served as president of the state association of funeral director's and as a member of the national board of Selected Independent Funeral Homes. He was responsible for the remodeling and enlarging of the Eighth Street facility and in 1983 began working on developing a new site on the east side of Anderson.