Ira D. Birdsall (b. 3/22/1860, d. 12/31/1941) came to Grand Rapids from his native Orange County, New York in 1887 following graduation from a Quaker seminary. He worked for Peck's Drug Store as a bookkeeper and later for Musselman's Grocery Co. in the same capacity. In 1907 he bought the McCallum Undertaking Co. at 91 Pearl, N.W. (old number 43 Pearl). He ran that business until 1910 when he sold it to Berton A. Spring (see GRPL Coll. 055). He then worked for the Grand Rapids Cloth Casket Co. and the Belmont Gravel Co., and lived in Shelby, Michigan for a time. In 1913 he bought the Noah French Company (funeral home) at 63 Jefferson. He operated that business until his retirement in 1938 as the Birdsall Funeral Home, and it is those records which appear to be included in this collection. Upon his retirement he sold the business to Stewart O. Vanderpool.