Re: Old Funeral Homes
Date: December 12, 2011 05:13PM
Our family'f funeral home of choice was Ellgas Funeral Home on Armitage Avenue just west of Pulaski. The owner, Matt Ellgass, was a good friend of my father, and most of my father's family lived near St. Philomena's Church in that area. I believe Matt Ellgass married into the Wold family, and that the funeral home was originally Wold & Wold, which was one of the oldest businesses in Chicago according to some of my old Chicago Daily News almanacs. Mr. Ellgas passed away years ago, and after a few years under a different owner, I believe the home is now a church.
Later on, as my family moved northwest, funerals were handled at Ridgemoor Chapels on Irving Park Road. Again, one of the owners lived on the corner of Normandy and Byron and was a friend of my dad's. I believe his name was Mr. Mueller. He passed away, and the funerals of both of my parents were handled by the new owners who did a wonderful job. I had to go over to the post office one day and was shocked to see that the old chapel was gone, and taken over as a parking lot by the Post Office. I also understand that the funeral director who had taken the place over passed away, and the business moved out and joined the new Rago Brothers facility on Irving Park Road in Irving Park cemetery.