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 Ludwick Funeral Homes, Inc., has a long history dating back to the late 1800s when Irwin and Katie DeLong began operating the funeral home. They operated a funeral home located on Home Avenue in Topton until 1942, when a partnership was formed between the DeLongs and Earl A. Trexler. In 1949 Earl A. Trexler became the sole proprietor of the funeral business.
In the mid fifties, the Home Avenue facility was quickly becoming too small to meet the needs of families being served and a search began for a new location. Mr. Trexler built a new funeral home on Weis Street in Topton, which opened in 1959. This tastefully decorated facility included an ample sized parlor and a large parking lot. Ludwick Funeral Homes, Inc. still operates out of that facility today.
In the early 1980s, Earl A. Trexler and James R. Ludwick formed a business partnership to operate the funeral home. They also purchased the Fritz Funeral Home located on Noble Street in Kutztown. The William S. Fritz family operated this funeral home since 1915.
In January of 1986, James R. Ludwick purchased the funeral business from Earl A. Trexler. Mr. Emory B. Fenstermacher, a licensed funeral director and native of Kutztown, was employed as a funeral supervisor of the Kutztown facility. Mr. Ludwick handled the supervisory duties of the Topton facility.
In September of 1990 the construction of a new, state-of-the-art funeral facility, was begun in Kutztown, Pennsylvania, at the corner of Greenwich Street and Fairview Drive. This facility included entrances and restrooms for the physically challenged, a tastefully decorated parlor which can accommodate seating for over 200 people, ample off street and well lighted parking areas, and a large conference room for making funeral arrangements. It also included a large casket display room and a cremation products display room, showcasing the finest funeral products available, keeping in mind that every family is unique and has their own personality. Construction was completed by August 1991 when the new facility opened. The name of the business was changed to Ludwick Funeral Homes. The Noble Street facility in Kutztown was closed and the property was sold. In 1997 Mr. Ludwick incorporated the business and the name was changed to Ludwick Funeral Homes, Inc.
In 2002, another native of Kutztown and a staff member of Ludwick Funeral Home since 1989, Deron K. Youse, became a licensed funeral director and began arranging, directing, and personalizing funerals along with James and Emory.
Seeing firsthand the benefit Advance Planning has been to families served, a dedicated effort was made to coordinate preplanning activities. At Ludwick Funeral Homes, Inc., a preplanning coordinator, Lucy J. (Meck) Geist was hired to assist the licensed funeral director. Upon Mrs. Geist’s retirement in 2006, Amy E. (DeTurk) Koenig, our Advance Planning Insurance Advisor, Aftercare Coordinator, and on-staff Notary Public was hired.
Today, the Ludwick Funeral Homes, Inc., is “Dedicated to Serve” the families that choose their services each year. Their motto is “Providing service beyond your expectations, just when you need it the most.” In order to provide superior service to each family they serve, there are three licensed funeral directors, along with additional staff members, who attend to the necessary duties involved in operating a progressive, family-oriented funeral business which stresses personalized service to all they serve.
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