Re: Old Funeral Homes
Date: November 18, 2013 06:06AM
I grew up in the North-Pulaski area in the 1950s and 60s. There were three funeral homes in the neighborhood. First was Elgass on Armitage, previously discussed. This the "parish" funeral home for St. Philomena.I remember attending a few wakes at this rather plain chapel and also receiving annual parish calendars and schoolbook covers "courtesy" of Elgass. This home closed sometime in the late 70s. The second FH was Anderson on Lowell and Armitage. This FH was still open in 1990 but closed some time thereafter. I think that for some time, there was a merger of Elgass and Anderson, perhaps after Elgass closed. The third FH was Moeller-Halleman on North Ave. between Kedvale and Keeler. I don't remember ever attending a wake there. This FH had a handsome building, which still stand and is in use as a Latino church. M-H was still operating in 1974, but closed some time ago. We moved out of the area in 1968. As Polish ethnics, we used Malec & Sons, located at 834 N. Ashland, for our family needs. This firm, founded in 1935 near Holy Innocents Parish, opened a second location on North Milwaukee in the mid 70s and continues to operate from that location. In 1988, Malec was purchased by SCI and SCI subsequently closed the Ashland facility about 1995. There are no Malec family members associated with the home anymore, as is the case with many of the FHs gobbled up by SCI.