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George J. White Funeral Home
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SEARCH the website - Thousands of pages of Chester History!
While funeral home records can be a source of information for people researching genealogy, please keep in mind that this service is not a primary part of their business. Some will gladly look up old records while others my be reluctant or even unwilling to provide this time-consuming service. It is for this reason that we don't provide contact information here. Also, some old records were kept only in the name of the person who made the arrangements - not in the name of the deceased. The following table is intended only as a guide to determine whether the particular funeral home who served your ancestors is currently in operation or, if not, who might have taken over their records.
| Funeral Home | Owner | Current | Location | History |
| Bateman | Yes | Edgmont Ave. Brookhaven, PA |
||
| Bleyler | William S. Bleyler | No | 500 W 22nd St. Upland, PA |
The Bleyler Funeral
Home was the first in the area built c. 1948-1949 exclusively for Funeral
services. Mr. Bleyler had formerly worked for Imschweiler.
As of May 2006 Bleyler Funeral Home became a part of Minshall - Shropshire- Bleyler funeral home at their Media location. |
| Brower | James M. Brower | Yes | S. Providence Rd. Wallingford, PA |
The business, originally established by N. Walter Fairlamb in 1844, is the successor to Fairlamb, Imschweiler, and Imschweiler/Brower. |
| Carr | Yes | S. Providence Rd. Wallingford, PA |
Is a descendant and has the
records of the EF White Funeral Home. Also has the records of: Nacrelli, Nacrelli-Molla, Thomas E Rairdon, & Mary E. Carr funeral homes |
|
| Carr, Mary E. | Mary E. Carr | No (1960-1963) |
3rd & Norris St. | Successor to Thomas E. Rairdon. For records see Carr Funeral Home. |
| Cavanagh | Yes | Cavanagh has been in existence since 1885. In 1974 they merged with William T. Patterson (Baltimore Ave. & Monroe St. in Media, PA). | ||
| Clancy | John L. Clancy | No | Broad (9th) & Upland Streets Chester, PA (June 1937) |
Records may be at Nolan-Fidale |
| Fairlamb | N. Walter Fairlamb | No | 512 Market St. Chester, PA (1929) |
One of the two original "undertakers" in the city of Chester, this business was founded in 1844 by cabinet-maker N. Walter Fairlamb. Following his own death, the business was carried on by successive generations of Fairlambs until it was sold to Ray F. Imschweiler in 1932. |
| Foster | Earl L. Foster Reginald L. R. Rawls & son Kyle (2001) |
Yes | Kerlin St. Chester, PA |
Thanks to TERRYABJT@aol.com for this current information. |
| Francis, Mrs. Annie E. | Mrs. Annie E. Francis | No | 1713 W 3rd St. | "Only
Colored Funeral Director & Professional Embalmer"
From their advertisement in the Home Directory of the Colored People of Chester, 1906 compiled by Lawrence L. Barrett & C. I. Wilson |
| Francis Funeral Home | Yes | 500 W 22nd St. Upland, PA |
Began business c. May 2006 at the former location of Bleyler Funeral Home. | |
| Griffith | Horace B. Griffith III. | Yes | Norwood, PA | Established 1898 |
| Hunt | Lewis Hunt Christopher G. Kent |
Now In Philadelphia | 3rd & Tilghman | In 1949 his son, Lewis M. Hunt,
Jr. joined the business. "Hunt Funeral Home was last owned by Christopher G. Kent who has now moved his business to Philadelphia." Thanks to TERRYABJT@aol.com for this current information. |
| Hunt Irving Chapel & Arrangement Offices | Raphael M. Hunt Irving | Yes | 2500
Concord Rd., Chester Township, PA
610-494-2961 |
Dedicated
October 2, 2002
"I purchased the former Leake Funeral
Home, it is now called the Hunt Irving Chapel and Arrangement offices. So we all
understand, I own the Hunt Irving Funeral home and the Hunt Irving Chapel and arrangement offices." Mr. Raphael M. Hunt Irving is the great grandson of the original Lewis M. Hunt who started Hunt Funeral Home at 3rd & Tilghman Sts. Thanks to TERRYABJT@aol.com for this current information. "W.J. Leake passed away and the funeral home was purchased by Hunt-Irving Funeral Home in 2006 and the name has changed to Hunt-Irving Funeral Home" |
| Imschweiler Imschweiler/Brower |
Ray F. Imschweiler George H. Brower |
No | 1600 Edgmont Ave., Chester, PA |
In 1932 Ray F. Imschweiler became proprietor of the Fairlamb Funeral Home business and relocated it to the former D. Reese Esrey (of Shaw & Esrey) home at 1600 Edgmont Ave. (See newspaper clipping.) In 1959 his associate, George Brower assumed ownership and the establishment became known as "Imschweiler/Brower". It remained at this location until 1989 when George's son, James M. Brower relocated to Wallingford, PA. |
| Kaniefski-Kendus-D'Anjolell | Yes | 1938, V.M. Kaniefski located at
2519 W. 3rd St. W. 9th St. |
Established 1918 | |
| Knoetgen | Yes | Morton, PA & Collingdale, PA |
Established c. 1955 | |
| Laws | Catherine B. Laws Theodore Hawkins (2001) |
Yes | W 4th St. Chester, PA |
Thanks to TERRYABJT@aol.com for this current information. |
| Leake | Mrs. W. M. James Leake | (See Lewis Hunt - Irving Funeral Home) | Formerly Pusey St. Chester, PA |
"W.J. Leake passed away and the funeral home was purchased by Hunt-Irving Funeral Home in 2006 and the name has changed to Lewis Hunt-Irving Funeral Home" Thanks to Brenda Tildon |
| Lee | Harry A. Lee | No | 24th & Edgmont Ave., Chester, PA |
|
| Marvil | Yes | |||
| Minshall Minshall Brothers |
William A. Minshall Thomas Minshall EJ Minshall Minshall Brothers (Thomas T. & Edward Minshall) EB Minshall Melvin Minshall |
No | 3rd St. (just east of Yarnall) later Kerlin St. later Middletown & Knowlton Rds. |
The second of the two original
Chester "undertakers", William A. Minshall established this business in
1845. He was succeded by several generations of Minshalls until the business was
purchased by Norman Shropshire. It operates today as the "Minshall-Shropshire Funeral Home". Melvin I.
Minshall, the last of the family to operate the business died after a very short
retirement in Florida. "Melvin was my cousin. He was my Dad's nephew. My Dad was in business with his brother (who was Melvin's dad) his name was Edward. The business was called "The Minshall Brothers Funeral Home". I will find out the year that it moved off of third street to Kerlin Street." Thanks to Jim Minshall, son of Thomas T.
Minshall, |
| Minshall-Shropshire | Norman C. Shropshire | Yes | Middletown & Knowlton Rds. Media, PA |
Established by William A.
Minshall in 1845, the business now operates as "Minshall-Shropshire." "The Minshal- Shropshire funeral home was my Aunt Ruth Warburton MacNeal's home. It is now the home that my family uses for funerals. What was the dining room is now a reception area next to the viewing room. Norm Shropshire, who is a family friend also, obtained the same type of furniture that my aunt had in the house. He got a large grandfather clock for the same corner of the room that the clock was in when it was my aunt's house. When I go there for family funerals, it seems strange that when I was a toddler that I was playing in that room and all the family members who have had their viewings in the house (including my Aunt Ruth and my father) had dinner in that same dining room. Who would have known." Albert E. Warburton III, Aewarbur3@aol.com |
| Minshall-Shropshire-Bleyler | Norman C. Shropshire | Yes | As of March 2006 the former Bleyler Funeral Home was absorbed by Minshall-Shropshire at their Media location. | |
| Molla | Anthony Molla | No | Anthony Molla's mother, Julia
Molla, ran Molla's Florist on 3rd St. Thanks to |
|
| Moreland | Yes | 9th & Main Trainer, PA |
||
| Nacrelli Nacrelli-Molla |
No | 2217 Providence Ave. Chester, PA |
The Nacrelli Funeral Home was
previously located at 811 West 3rd St., former location of Dr. DiMedio's home. Nacrelli's & Nacrelli-Molla records are now at Carr Funeral Home. |
|
| Nolan-Fidale | John P. Nolan Frank Fidale |
Yes | 2316 Providence Ave. Chester, PA |
|
| Parker | Mary (and Frank) F. Parker | E. 10th St. | "A very prominent and
pioneering business" Thanks to |
|
| Patterson | William T. Patterson | Yes | Baltimore Ave. & Monroe St., Media, PA | In 1974 Patterson merged with Cavanagh. |
| Quattro | No | |||
| Quinn, Herbert T. | Herbert T. Quinn | No | 516 E. 9th St. (same block as the
Mac Movie Theater) Chester, PA |
Probably closed in the 1960's
following Mr. Quinn's death. D. Gregas Dottygreg@aol.com (For records, see White-Luttrell Funeral Homes, ltd.) |
| Rairdon | Thomas E. Rairdon
[Obituary] |
No
(1942-1960) |
3rd & Norris St. Chester, PA |
Rairdon's records are now at Carr Funeral Home.
Mr. Rairdon assumed ownership of the E.F. White Funeral Home upon Mr. White's death in 1942. Mr. Rairdon was succeeded by Mary E. Carr. |
| Ray | Israel S. Ray, Jr. | Yes | 1924 W. 3rd St. Chester, PA |
Founded 1952. This home suffered extensive fire damage during renovations on 5/5/2000. |
| Renda | Chester A. Renda | No | Highland Ave. between 8th & 9th St. | c. 1941 - c. 1977 |
| Rigby Harting & Hagan | Yes | Media, PA | ||
| Videon | ||||
| White, E. F. | No | 3rd & Norris St. Chester, PA |
For records, see Carr
Funeral Home. Records (1887-1930) are also available at Delaware County Historical Society; acquired and copied 1988 by Helen M. (Webber) Imburgia, HMWEBBER@aol.com |
|
| White, George J. | No
1940-1974 |
9th & Madison St. Chester, PA |
The George White Funeral Home
was the former home of George DeShong. [Picture]
"George J. White was the founder of George J. White Funeral Home in 1940, which is now the White-Luttrell Funeral Homes, ltd. with locations in Ridley Park and Aston, PA. H.M. White and A.J. White-Luttrell, daughters of Mr. White, formed the
White-Luttrell Funeral Homes, ltd. in 1974. Currently owned by Harold J. Whartnaby who has been employed by the funeral home since 1985. |
|
| White-Luttrell Funeral Homes, ltd. | Yes
1974 - Present |
Aston, PA & Ridley Park, PA |
"George J. White was the founder of George J. White Funeral Home in 1940, which is now the White-Luttrell Funeral Homes, ltd. with locations in Ridley Park and Aston, PA.
H.M. White and A.J. White-Luttrell, daughters of Mr. White, formed the White-Luttrell Funeral Homes,
ltd. in 1974. Currently owned by Harold J. Whartnaby who has been employed by the funeral home since 1985. Also, White-Luttrell Funeral Homes, ltd. maintains the records of the former Herbert T. Quinn Funeral Home of Chester." Thanks to the White-Luttrell Funeral Home Staff for this information. |
|
| Williams, M. F. | Yes | Baltimore Pike Clifton Heights, PA |
Established 1927. |
If you have any information and or pictures that you would like to contribute about the history of Chester, please forward it to john@oldchesterpa.com
