Finding aid for the Wm. Wischmeier and Son Funeral Home Records

History of the Wm. Wischmeier and Son Funeral Home

The Wm. Wischmeier and Son Funeral Home was founded in Cleveland, Ohio, in 1887, by William Wischmeier (1866-1922).

William Wischmeier was born in Brooklyn Village (now Cleveland), Ohio, to German immigrant parents Johann Fridrich "Frederick" Wischmeier (1833- ) and Anna Maria Lamkemeier (1836- ). Frederick Wischmeier was one of the early merchant tailors on Cleveland's South West Side. In 1885, Frederick Wischmeier briefly entered the furniture, upholstering, and undertaking business, partnering with Charles Lindemann. William Wischmeier worked as an upholster for the new firm.

William Wischmeier married the sister of Charles Lindemann, Emilie Lindemann (1862-1888) in Cleveland in 1887. That same year, he took over his father's part of Wischmeier & Lindemann. Wischmeier bought out Lindemann in 1895 and renamed the business Wm. Wischmeier Funeral Home. The funeral home was initially located at 915 Pearl Road, near Frederick Wischmeier's tailor shop, and was relocated to 2560 West 25th Street during the 1910s. By the 1920s, the funeral home was located in its permanent home at 2709 Archwood Avenue.

After the death of his first wife, William Wischmeier married Emma Bennhoff (1867-1919) in Cleveland in 1890. The couple had two children, Clara (1881-1983) and Elmer (1893). Elmer Wischmeier joined the family business in 1920 and the name was changed to Wm. Wischmeier and Son Funeral Home.

Throughout much of its existence, the Wm. Wischmeier and Son Funeral Home provided funeral services to the German immigrant community in Cleveland, Ohio's Old Brooklyn neighborhood. The funeral home changed with the neighborhood, providing funeral services for other immigrant groups that moved into the neighborhood, including Poles, and to German families who had moved to Cleveland's suburbs.

In 1972, the Wm. Wischmeier and Son Funeral Home entered into a partnership with Gustav Buesch and Sons Funeral Home located at 3111 Broadview Road in Old Brooklyn. The funeral home continued to provide independent funeral services at the Archwood Avenue location until 1988. After 1988, Wm. Wischmeier and Son Funeral Home continued to operate as Wischmeier-Buesch Funeral Home at 3111 Broadview Road. The funeral home closed in 2015.

Scope and Content

The Wm. Wischmeier and Son Funeral Home Records, 1908-1988, consist primarily of funeral ledgers but includes correspondence, death certificates, invoices, notes, obituaries, photographs, receipts, transit permits, and other documents related to funerals and burials.

This collection will be useful to researchers studying the history of Cleveland, Ohio, and the history of funeral homes located in the Old Brooklyn neighborhood during the twentieth century. Those seeking information on individuals whose funerals were held at Wm. Wischmeier and Son Funeral Home will find this collection particularly useful as it gives biographical information for the deceased and indicates the names of the people who were financially responsible for funeral expenses. However, the collection is much more informative on the issues surrounding the day-to-day operations of a family funeral home and the delivery of funeral services and goods.

The collection documents the changes in the German immigrant community on Cleveland's West Side, including burial practices, religious practices, and the financial circumstances of families. The collection also document changing demographics in Old Brooklyn, particularly as newer immigrant groups moved into the neighborhood and older one's moved to Cleveland's western suburbs. Genealogists will find this collection particularly useful. Those studying the history of business and entrepreneurship, particularly the funeral, casket, and burial businesses, will also find this collection useful.

Statement of Arrangement

Restrictions on Access

None.

The researcher should also consult MS 5355 Gustav Buesch and Sons Funeral Home Records and MS 5356 Wischmeier-Buesch Funeral Home Records.

Indexing Terms

The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in the library's online public access catalog.

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Preferred Citation

[Container ___, Folder ___ ] MS 5354 Wm. Wischmeier and Son Funeral Home Records, Western Reserve Historical Society, Cleveland, Ohio

Acquisition Information

Gift of William Wischmeier in 2015.

Processing Information

Processed by Margaret Burzynski-Bays and Tim Beatty in 2015.

Detailed Description of The Collection