About Us

In 1906, Mr. DeLong organized the T. DeLong Furniture Company, of which he was President and principal stockholder, two of his sons, Ellwood and Victor, being partners. At the same time DeLong, Son & Co. was organized, which included retail furniture and an undertaking business located at 109 North Main Street, Topton and also a branch location in Fleetwood, the latter of which is managed by Tilghman’s oldest son, Irwin D. DeLong.

Tilghman DeLong was a well-respected undertaker known nationally by his colleagues and had one of the largest trade business in Berks County, outside of the city of Reading. He officiated as undertaker at over 2,500 funerals before he delegated the Fleetwood branch of the business to son Irwin D. DeLong, in 1898, and employed Jacob John “J.J.” Schofer to attend to his Topton Branch. Born in 1877, Irwin D. DeLong was the eldest son of Tilghman and Angelina (Fenstermacher) DeLong and was a graduate of the Kutztown State Normal School, Schissler’s College of Business and the Massachusetts College of Embalming, graduating in 1897.

J.J. Schofer died in 1946 and his business was passed down to his son, John G. Schofer, who was a partner with his father, and later after John’s untimely death in 1956, to John’s sons, Jacob J. Schofer, II, who ran the furniture store entity, and George F. Schofer, who was a Licensed Funeral Director and operated the George F. Schofer Funeral Home until his retirement in 1993. Both the Schofer furniture store and funeral home were permanently closed at that time. Ludwick Funeral Homes was able to retain all the burial records from the Schofer family.

In 1942, Irwin DeLong died, and his wife Katherine “Katie” H. DeLong took over the funeral home and ran it as such on an issued Widow’s License, employing Mr. Earl A. Trexler, a young local undertaker from Richmond Township and graduate of Eckel’s School of Embalming, Philadelphia, as the location’s Supervisor. In 1947, Mrs. DeLong and Mr. Trexler formed a business partnership, the DeLong & Trexler Funeral Home. In 1949, Earl A. Trexler became the sole proprietor of the funeral business and Mrs. DeLong retired. Mrs. DeLong died in 1965.

Our history here dates back to the mid 1800’s with Mr. David W. Sharadin, Undertaker. His business was located at 123 West Main Street (now Mark’s Sandwich Shop). Upon Mr. Sharadin’s death in 1908, Mr. William S. Fritz, a young undertaker from Weisenberg Township, a graduate of Cincinnati College of Embalming, Cincinnati, OH, and Eckel’s College of Embalming, Philadelphia, had purchased his undertaking business.

Mr. Fritz was a third-generation undertaker, following the footsteps of his grandfather, a prominent undertaker and lumberman, Stephan Fritz (1815-1882) and father, Charles Fritz (1864-1929), who had his undertaking business, Charles Fritz & Son, in Weisenberg Township, Lehigh County, PA. The family also operated Fritz Casket Co. on the same property. William’s brother Osville J. Fritz was briefly involved with their father’s undertaking business until he pursued a career in automotive sales and established a well-known Ford dealership in New Smithville, O.J. Fritz Ford.

In 1915, William moved his undertaking business from Main Street to 55 Noble Street in Kutztown and the William S. Fritz Funeral Home was established as the need for a brick-and-mortar funeral home facility was needed as less and less services were held in the homes of the deceased. The Main Street building was then sold to Ritter and Fisher Furniture. 

Mr. Fritz operated this funeral home for many years and later formed a partnership with his nephew, Mr. George W. Kendall, renaming the business Fritz and Kendall Funeral Home in 1938. In 1956, Mr. Fritz died, and his wife Minnie F. Fritz took over the funeral home and ran it as such on an issued Widow’s License, continuing to employ her nephew, George Kendall as the location’s Supervisor.

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 1999, Mr. Ludwick incorporated the business, and the name of both facilities was changed to Ludwick Funeral Homes, Inc.

On June 6, 2000, Earl Trexler passed away. 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. In 2005, Jonathan M. Quier of Kutztown began working with the funeral home and became a licensed funeral director in 2010. Deron and Jonathan are both graduates of Kutztown Area High School and Northampton Community College where they received their Funeral Service Education degrees. In September 2013, after 26 years, Mr. Emory B. Fenstermacher retired from full-time employment. Emory continued to help on a part-time basis but sadly, Emory passed away suddenly on February 24, 2019.

Present Day: Both of our funeral homes have undergone several renovations and transformations over the years to keep current with décor and to adapt to the needs of the families we serve and the trends of the industry. On December 28, 2021, Ludwick Funeral Homes, Inc., became Ludwick Funeral Homes and Cremation Care, Inc., purchased by long-time employees of Mr. Ludwick, Deron Youse and Jonathan Quier. We are “Dedicated to Serve” the families that choose our services each year. Our motto is: “Providing service beyond your expectations, just when you need it most.” In order to provide superior service to each family we serve, our team comprised of two professional licensed funeral directors; along with additional support personnel, who also reside in our community, who attend to the necessary duties involved in operating a progressive, family-oriented funeral business which stresses personalized and dignified service to all we serve. Deron and Jonathan promise to continue the legacy of serving their hometown community with dignity, compassion and care, as has come to be expected from our funeral home.