Cutler_Funeral_Home
Cutler_Funeral_Home
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La Porte Funeral
HomesSource: La Porte City & County Directories |
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LaPorte
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Directory Date | Name | Address |
| 1876-77 | Backhaus, Maurer & Co. | 36 & 38 Indiana Avenue | |
| Ball, W.N. | Monroe, rear of 1st Nat’l Bank | ||
| Lord, I. & Co. | 68 E. Main | ||
| 1884-86 | Ball, John H | ws Monroe bet. State & Main | |
| Maurer, Franz | 104 N. Indiana Avenue | ||
| Weir Bros. | 34 W. Main | ||
| 1887-88 | Ball, John H. | ws Monroe bet. State & Main | |
| Maurer, Franz | 104 N. Indiana Avenue | ||
| Weir Bros. | 34 W. Main | ||
| 1896 | Ball, John H. | 612 Monroe | |
| Henry’s & Sievert | 608 Chicago | ||
| Weir, Wm. C. | Cor. Madison & Jefferson | ||
| 1897 | Cutler, A. | 717 Michigan Avenue | |
| Henry & Sievert | 608 Chicago | ||
| Weir, W.C. | 718 Madison | ||
| 1899 | Cutler, A. | 717 Michigan Ave. | |
| Henry & Sievert | 608 Chicago | ||
| Weir, W.C. | 718 Madison | ||
| 1902 | Cutler, A. | 802 Michigan Avenue | |
| Weir, Sievert & Henry’s | 718 Madison | ||
| 1907 | Cutler, A. | 802 Michigan Avenue | |
| Weir, Sievert & Henry’s | 718 Madison | ||
| 1911 | Cutler, Austin | 802 Michigan Avenue | |
| Decker, L.A. & Bro. | 802-804 Monroe | ||
| 1913 | Cutler, Austin | 811 Indiana Avenue | |
| Decker, L.A. & Bro. | 702 Jefferson | ||
| Weir & Petering | 720 Madison | ||
| 1915 | Cutler, Austin
Decker, L.A. & Bro. Weir & Petering |
811 Indiana
Avenue 702 Jefferson 720 Madison |
Cutler Funeral Home History Link
"Until the outbreak of the Civil War, methods to delay body decomposition consisted mainly of ice-cooling or encasing bodies in air-tight receptacles.
Thomas Holmes, known as the father of embalming, conducted considerable research on embalming fluids to preserve cadavers for the few medical schools around the country.
Holmes was registered in the College of Physicians and Surgeons at Columbia University in New York and had graduated as a medical surgeon." Quoted from history network.
Old Time Funeral Directors and Undertakers Through Out the County
1. Truman Barnes - LaPorte Weekly Argus, June 12, 1873, page two "News from Rolling Prairie",
"Mr. Truman Barnes who makes coffins in Galena Township has now a nice hearse attached to his establishment
which is quite an improvement for the township. But I am glad to add that it is so healthy that it is not in use much."
2. Boehlke - 1920 era - Wanatah
3. Cutler Funeral Home (see above)
4. L. A. Decker Funeral Home
5. E. E. Ebbert Funeral Parlor era 1923 - 1925
6. Essling Funeral Parlor
7. Haverstock Funeral Parlor
8. Henry's Grain & Undertaking Parlor - LaPorte
9. Newhard Funeral Home - Westville
10. John Swietzer - undertaker - 1926
11. Weir & Ebbert Funeral Parlor
12. Weir & Seiver - Circa 1906
Michigan
City, IN Funeral Homes/Undertakers of the past and present
Many researched by: Patricia Gruse Harris
 A F Earl_Livery & Undertaker_Circa_1910 |
 For larger image click on the picture Original Phillip Ott Funeral Home built ca. 1876 at 118 W. 4th St building next to it at 120 W. 4th St. with "Ott" on facade was built by Aloysius G. Ott ca. 1910 |
 Old_Carlisle_Funeral_Home |
 Hummer-White Mortuary at 716 Washington St. of the 1960's formerly the Hummer Mortuary and later White & Son Mortuary. 1927-1996 |
~~ |  Wilber & Haas Funeral Home located at 713-15 E. 10th St. of the 1940's formerly the C.G. Wilber Funerl Home and later the Marvin Haas Funeral Home. 1922-1964 |
Simon Aicher, established in 1867, was also in the furniture and undertaking business and also in the upholstery business in the Mozart Hall Block, 100 E. Michigan St. He promised to give his personal attention to the undertaking business. He was still advertising as the Old Reliable Furniture and Undertaking Establishment of Michigan City in the local papers in 1883.
Brinckman Bros. (Herman & William) Undertakers was located at 716-18 Franklin Street from 1905 – 1913.
Coleman & Williams / Coleman Williams Memorial Chapel / Williams Coleman Memorial / Coleman-Williams-Hicks Memorial
This funeral home began about 1962 as Coleman & Williams Funeral Home at 602 Ridgeland Avenue serving primarily the African-American citizens of the area. Beginning in 1978 it was known as Coleman Williams Memorial Chapel and in 1991 it moved to 101 Karwick Road, its present location. In 2001 it was listed as Williams Coleman Memorial Chapel and beginning in 2002 as Coleman-Williams Hicks Memorial Chapel as it is known today Leon Coleman., Jr. was the mentor of Belicia Hicks who became the only African-American licensed mortician in La Porte County in 1996 and today she is the present director and owner of the business.
W. F. Davis Undertaker was located at 226-1/2 Franklin St. from 1925 – 1930.
The 1884 Michigan City Directory lists the following undertakers in addition to Phillip Ott: H. G. Hartke, 27 W. 9th Street; E. G. Merrell, 45 Franklin Street; and Heinrich B. Sallwasser, Mozart Hall Building.
Wm. G. Hartke Undertaker was located at 209 W. 9th Street from 1893 -1910.
Hummer Mortuary / Hummer-White Mortuary / White & Son Funeral Home
In 1927 Hummer Mortuary began at 716 Washington Street and continued under that name until 1956 when it became Hummer-White Mortuary. In 1986 it was known as White & Son Mortuary until it closed in 1996. It had remained at the same location through the years.
Joseph Kosior & Co. & Ambulance was located at 1401 Franklin St. from 1921 – 1925.
A. E. Lulinski Funeral Home was located at 1703 Franklin Street from 1933 -1941 and then moved to 120 W. Homer Street from 1942 – 1947.
McGann & Neunshwander Undertakers was located at 123 W. 4th Street from 1916 to 1918.
McKeon Funeral Home
The newest funeral home operating in the city is McKeon Funeral Home located at 2410 Duneland Drive. It began business here in 2001, althought it has establishments in other locations.
E. G. Merrell Undertaking/Earl Undertaking/Carlisle Funeral Home
This establishment traces its beginning back to ca. 1881 to E. G. Merrell who was located at No. 45, Franklin St. As was typical of the early undertakers, he was also in the furniture business. His early advertisements of 1881 spoke of such things as “an elegant ice casket, freezing and embalming” as well as burial cases, caskets, coffins and shrouds. An advertisement of 18 May 1885 said he would be selling “all furniture at cost for the next thirty days preparatory to removing west.”
A month later on 16 June 1885 Alfred F. Earl Funeral Director and Furniture advertises he has purchased the undertaking business of Mr. E. G. Merrill and is located at the northeast corner of Michigan and Washington Sts. (131 W. Michigan St.). He offered everything from embalming to floral designs to order, as well as a hearse, hacks, carriages and buggies. In 1919 it was listed as Earl’s Livery and Undertaking. He provided many of the carriages and horses for early funerals of the city. Beginning in 1921 it was listed as Earl’s Garage & Undertaking & Ambulance Service.
In 1926 Harley J. Carlisle purchased the business and operated it as Earl Undertaking Co., Harley J. Carlisle, Proprietor & Funeral Director. Still at 131 W. Michigan St. address, he advertised in 1927-28 as Harley J. Carlisle Funeral Director, successor to Earl Undertaking Co. He then moved to 613 Washington Street and the business became known as Carlisle Funeral Home with his sons, Robert & James, joining him in the operation. Upon his death his son, Robert H. Carlisle, continued the business until his retirement in 1972. The funeral home continues today in the same location under the direction of grandson William Carlisle, the third generation of the family. A private ambulance service was also part of the business at one time.
Phillip Ott/Elizabeth Ott/ Aloysius G. Ott/A. G. Ott & Son/Ott Funeral Chapel/ Ott-Haverstock Funeral Chapel
Phillip Ott and his wife, Elizabeth Eiden came to America in 1869 from Hermeskiel, Rhein Province, Germany where Phillip’s father, Peter Ott, had been a coffin maker and undertaker. Settling on the north side of Chicago, he obtained employment making coffins as he was a cabinetmaker and carpenter by trade. In September 1871 the family moved to Michigan City and he used his skills to make wardrobes, kitchen cabinets, picture frames and coffins at his residence southwest corner of 5th (Market) and Franklin Sts. His great granddaughter, Patricia Dolezal, said he began making caskets when people came to him with a cornstalk and asked him to build a casket as long as the cornstalk, the height of the deceased person. He then moved to 118 W. 4th St. in 1876 and built a combination funeral and furniture store. There he also had a private ambulance service. He died in 1897 and his wife, Elizabeth Ott and son, Aloysius G. Ott, continued in the furniture and undertaking business. After Elizabeth Ott died in 1910, Aloysius continued the business and in 1928 became known as A. G. Ott & Sons. (Joseph, Paul & William) ca. 1929 the funeral home was moved to 418 Washington St., the site of the present chapel. From1931 to 1942 it was listed either as A. G. Ott Funeral Chapel or A. G. Ott and Sons. After Aloysius died in 1954, his three sons continued the business providing funeral services and non-emergency ambulance work. Beginning in 1978 it became known as Ott Funeral Chapel. The funeral chapel was purchased by Lynn Haverstock in 1987 from Joseph Ott, grandson of the founder, and became known as Ott/Haverstock Funeral Chapel. It is the oldest funeral home in existence in the city having been in continuous existence since 1876.
Also in 1883, Robinson and Smith New Furniture and Undertaking Establishment advertised that “Mr. Smith is the only professional and systematic undertaker in the city the utterances of others to the contrary not withstanding.” They also stated they had “a new Ice Corpse Preserve and best selected stock of caskets ever brought to this city.”
Root Funeral Home
Joseph Root and his wife, the former Margaret Biever, began this funeral home in 1938 at 312 E. 7th Street where it is still located today. He was later joined by his son William H. Root in the business. Joseph’s grandsons, Thomas & Brian Root, sons of William, later jointed their father and together they continue the family business today. At one time the home also operated a private ambulance service.
John Sulski Undertaker was located at 1703 Franklin Street from 1931 – 1932.
C.G. Wilber Funeral Home / Wilber & Haas Funeral Home / Marvin Haas Funeral Home / Haas-Ehret Funeral Home / R. D. Parpat Memorial Home
Christopher G. Wilber began his funeral home in 1922 at 713-15 E. 10th St. and in 1940 Marvin Haas joined with him to form Wilber & Haas Funeral Home until Wilber retired and it became Marvin Haas Funeral Home in 1942. Then in 1961 it was known as Haas-Ehret Funeral Home. Lastly it was known as R. D. Parpat Memorial Home from 1962-64.