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SATURDAY, DECEMBER 7, 2019
Thomas E. Fickinger Funeral Home celebrates 80 years of service

On December 7, 2019 the Thomas E. Fickinger Funeral Home will celebrate 80 years of service to Coudersport and surrounding areas.

In addition to being a funeral home for the past 80 years, the property at 210 North East Street is one of the oldest buildings in Coudersport, built in 1849, just one year after Coudersport was incorporated as a borough. To commemorate the event, a small gathering was held on Wednesday, November 20th, hosted by Bill Brennan, funeral director at Fickinger Funeral Home, and his wife Lisa. It was attended by family and friends associated with the Fickinger Funeral Home, along with local historians from the Potter County Historical Society and the E.O. Austin Museum.

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The property at 210 North East Street, facing the courthouse square, was home to the Henry J. Olmstead family for over 85 years. The Olmstead family was remarkable in their roles as local leaders in government, education, and as merchants. Henry J. Olmstead himself played an important role in the election of Simon Cameron, the great orator and anti-slavery Republican, to the United States Senate in 1857.

Although losing his left arm in a farming accident as a youth in Ulysses, Henry went on to become Principal of the Coudersport Academy, County Prothonitary, and also served in the office of the State Secretary of Pennsylvania. It was Henry J. Olmstead who transported an ailing Senator Issac Benson by sleigh to the train station in Wellsville, NY on January 5, 1857. Along with Dr. Ellison, he delivered Senator Benson to the state assembly in Harrisburg to cast the single vote needed to send Simon Cameron to Washington.

The house itself, on the corner of North East and East 3rd streets, was a guidepost for run-away slaves seeking refuge within Coudersport’s Underground Railroad system.

The transition of the property to a funeral home, came in December 7, 1939, when another prominent family, the Grabe’s, established the Grabe Funeral Service. George H. Grabe, the grandson of Gustave Grabe, whose sons Herman and Almon served the communities of Coudersport, Austin, and Port Allegany as funeral directors. Herman Grabe, father of George, worked compassionately in recovering and identifying victims of the 1911 Austin Flood, the same year that George Grabe was born.

The Grabe Funeral Home was the center of emergency management with an ambulance service. In 1966, George formed a partnership with his son Thomas E. Fickinger. Tom, along with his wife Barbara, continued to carry-on the tradition of service and compassion to area families.

At the anniversary gathering, the Fickinger Funeral Home, was filled with stories and memories by the late Thomas Fickinger’s wife, Barbara, and friends to pay tribute to the families and the dwelling that has served our community for these many years.

The Fickinger Funeral Home is looking forward to many more years of compassionate service to the community. We would like to extend an invitation to our Memorial Tree Service on December 10, 2019. Registration starts at 6pm and the service will start at 7pm. Please RSVP by calling 814-274-8888.

We will also be hosting a Cocoa with Santa on December 21, 2019 from 1-4pm for children and adults of all ages. This will be a free event and photo taking is welcomed.

We at the Fickinger Funeral Home, would like to open our doors to any small groups or organizations if they are in need of a meeting location, at no charge.

The Fickinger Funeral Home would like to thank, David Castano for taking the time to provide the written history in this article, Curt Weinhold for the group photos, and our friends from the First Presbyterian Church for their contributions.
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(L-R) Bill Brennan & wife Lisa, Andy Dubots, Wick Furman, Ron Ebbert and Mrs. Barbara Fickinger in the chair.

The Funeral Home would also like to acknowledge the special people that it takes to keep a small business going for 80 years, including but not limited to Mrs. Barbara Fickinger and her family, Mayor Andy Dubots, and his 39 years of service, Ron Ebbert, Founder and President of the E.O. Austin Home and Historical Society, and his 18 years of service and former Mayor, Wick Furman and his 16 years of service. Lisa and I are very lucky to call Coudersport home, to live in a building with so much history, and to meet and get to know so many wonderful people.
Posted by Solomon's words for the wise at 12/07/2019 02:51:00 PM 0 comments

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