Germania Hall to become Hmong Union Hall

MENASHA -- Germania Hall has been sold to new owners whose mission is guiding souls to the afterlife.

Kor Xiong and Chiaxah Vang completed their purchase of the banquet and restaurant facility at 320 Chute St. a week ago and are now working to clean it and get it ready for city inspections. It had been vacant since October 2014.

Its new name is the Hmong Union Hall.

It won't be a restaurant anymore and, contrary to the sound of the name, doesn't have anything to do with labor unions.

Its primarily function will be hosting Hmong funerals.

“Union means a group of people,” said Vang. “Mostly, our business will be traditional Hmong services.”

Related: Germania Hall to close (Sept. 2014) 

The two partners operated a similar Hmong funeral facility called Richmond Hall — the former Columbus Club at 2531 N. Richmond St. in Appleton — from 2010 to 2014.

“We sold the Appleton building because the mortgage was too high,” said Vang. “In order to serve the community better, we need to find a building with lower cost.”

Plus, competition from the nearby Valley Funeral Home was too much for them, said Xiong.

They sold the hall to Valley Funeral Home in 2014 and it continues to operate as a Hmong funeral facility.

The partners said they later received requests to open a lower cost facility.

“The community wants us to do it. We know how to do it,” said Xiong, who is also founder and owner of Hmong Wisconsin Radio. “They ask us ‘why can’t you find another space?’ Even with the lower cost of mortgage, we barely cover our costs. I don’t think we’ll make a lot of money. It’s a community service.”

Bee Yang, executive director of the Hmong American Partnership, said the two partners have a history of donating money to Hmong causes.

"Kor and Mr. Vang are both well respected individuals in the community," he said.

Besides funerals, the building will be available to the community at large. The previous Appleton location had been rented for quinceanera parties and family reunions. Leasing information is available at 920-257-8300.

The partners liked Germania Hall’s central location and purchased it for $300,000 on a land contract from owners Rich Batley and Bob Dove. Because of the nature of that agreement, Xiong and Vang can’t remove the large bar in the front room or make structural changes. They must also maintain the liquor license.

It was Xiong and Vang's choice to keep vintage photos on the walls.

“The historical pictures will stay,” said Xiong. “It’s our chance to have a building with a history. You want to keep the history intact.”

A portion of Germania’s parking lot was sold to the city of Menasha last October. The partners say they still have adequate parking, as most of their events happen on weekends when surrounding lots are available.

In the previous location, they typically hosted one Hmong funeral per month. They have a funeral director on staff and sell caskets.

They plan on having a July 10 grand opening/open house to show the facility to the community.

“We’re getting applications for the liquor license,” said Vang. “If we don’t have a liquor license by the grand opening it’s okay. We don’t need it.”

Hmong people typically bring in their own food and drinks for funerals. With a liquor license, they can sell alcohol if requested.

Hmong funerals are conducted over multiple days, usually from Friday through Monday. Thirteen days later, another ceremony lasts another full day “to release the soul to go with the body,” said Xiong.

The traditional Hmong funeral incorporates slaughtered cows, pigs or chickens. That's done off premises, said Xiong. The family is responsible for bringing in the meat and other foods, cooking on site and serving. Having Germania’s commercial kitchen with large coolers and freezers was a necessity, said Xiong.

Cost estimates for the four-day funerals vary widely from $15,000 to as high as $30,000, and those costs might be completely covered by donations from the funeral guests. Funerals can draw 1,000 or more people over four days, said Xiong, and guests typically contribute $20, $50 or $100.

While gatherings are large, the prior facility in Appleton drew no noise complaints or significant calls, according to police logs from 2010 to 2014.

“Hmong funerals are common in Appleton and they aren’t anything that has caused us concern,” said Kathy Flores, diversity and inclusion coordinator for the city. “They’ve worked really well with police, the mayor, my office, the fire department. They have a strong history of wanting to do the right thing, and I suspect they will with the city of Menasha as well.”

Flores has attended a number of Hmong funerals. “It’s an honor to be invited. The mayor might attend. The chief of police might attend. There are other dignitaries," she said.

Outagamie County Executive Tom Nelson has attended Hmong funerals, and said the closest comparison he can make is a very large wake. “Take the biggest wake you’ve ever attended and multiply it by 10,” he said. “It’s a banquet hall filled with people — relatives, extended relatives, friends. They come to honor the deceased and give their condolences to the family. There’s a constant stream of food and beverages. It’s busy and social, but somber. It’s a really big deal.”

“This is one of the big events for Hmong,” said Xiong. “The other is weddings.”

This hall, however, won’t be used for both funeral and wedding gatherings. “When you designate it for funerals, they don’t do weddings here because it’s designated as a sad place,” Xiong said.

Maureen Wallenfang: 920-993-7116, or mwallenfang@postcrescent.com; on Twitter @wallenfang