Founder of; Gasch's Funeral Home.
Francis Gasch was born in Germany in 1830. His father was a school teacher, fluent in several languages. Francis studied under his father until he was fourteen years old. Francis then moved to Frankenburg where he served for three years as an apprentice to a cabinetmaker.
Francis yearned for more, in July of 1850, he left Germany and came to the United States. When he arrived in Baltimore, Maryland he had no knowledge of the English language and he only had 50 cents in his pocket. He immediately left for Washington, D.C., where he was able to find a position as a cabinetmaker. He worked for a gentleman named Charles Krumer, for a wage of $3.00 per month.
On April 17, 1854, Francis married Katherine Sophia Schron. On October 1, 1855, they moved to a house on Baltimore Avenue, in Bladensburg, Maryland. A year later they purchased a home next to the George Washington House, later renamed the Indian Queen Tavern. The funeral home business began in 1858. Traditionally cabinetmakers constructed coffins when necessary. Francis had done this for many years for the people in the Bladensburg and Hysttsville areas. Soon people were asking him to tend to all of the funeral details. Francis began his business as "Francis Gasch - Undertaker". This business would eventually become
Gasch's Funeral Home.
While Francis was building his business, he was also building his family. Francis and Sophia had three sons, Edward, Ernest and Frank, and a daughter, Amelia. Edward and Ernest followed in their father's footsteps and became Morticians, attending mortuary school in Massachusetts.
Around 1895 Francis an Sophia moved their family and the business a short distance diagonally across the street. They lived in this home for the remainder of their lives. Sophia died on May 9, 1910, and Francis died on May 7, 1914.
In 1902, the funeral home opened its current location at 4739 Baltimore Avenue, Hyattsville, Maryland which was then also Ernest's home, with one viewing room.
Ernest died in 1938, his brother Edward and Ernest's son, William F. "Bill" and his wife, Ruth, took over the primary operation of the funeral home at that time. In 1954, two years before Edward's death, he retired and sold his share of the funeral home to Bill. Ruth and Bill's only child, William Ernest Gasch "Weegee", became a partner in 1962 and worked along with his wife Constance. In 1979, William F., retired and left William E., and Constance to run the funeral home. William E., retired in 1984. William F "Daddy" Gasch died on November 3rd, 1999 at the age of 96. William E "Weegee" died on September 23, 2007 at the age of 73.
Today, Gasch's Funeral Home is owned and operated by Constance Gasch and the fifth generation of Gasch's Claudette Gasch Lanning.
Francis Gasch was born in Germany in 1830. His father was a school teacher, fluent in several languages. Francis studied under his father until he was fourteen years old. Francis then moved to Frankenburg where he served for three years as an apprentice to a cabinetmaker.
Francis yearned for more, in July of 1850, he left Germany and came to the United States. When he arrived in Baltimore, Maryland he had no knowledge of the English language and he only had 50 cents in his pocket. He immediately left for Washington, D.C., where he was able to find a position as a cabinetmaker. He worked for a gentleman named Charles Krumer, for a wage of $3.00 per month.
On April 17, 1854, Francis married Katherine Sophia Schron. On October 1, 1855, they moved to a house on Baltimore Avenue, in Bladensburg, Maryland. A year later they purchased a home next to the George Washington House, later renamed the Indian Queen Tavern. The funeral home business began in 1858. Traditionally cabinetmakers constructed coffins when necessary. Francis had done this for many years for the people in the Bladensburg and Hysttsville areas. Soon people were asking him to tend to all of the funeral details. Francis began his business as "Francis Gasch - Undertaker". This business would eventually become
Gasch's Funeral Home.
While Francis was building his business, he was also building his family. Francis and Sophia had three sons, Edward, Ernest and Frank, and a daughter, Amelia. Edward and Ernest followed in their father's footsteps and became Morticians, attending mortuary school in Massachusetts.
Around 1895 Francis an Sophia moved their family and the business a short distance diagonally across the street. They lived in this home for the remainder of their lives. Sophia died on May 9, 1910, and Francis died on May 7, 1914.
In 1902, the funeral home opened its current location at 4739 Baltimore Avenue, Hyattsville, Maryland which was then also Ernest's home, with one viewing room.
Ernest died in 1938, his brother Edward and Ernest's son, William F. "Bill" and his wife, Ruth, took over the primary operation of the funeral home at that time. In 1954, two years before Edward's death, he retired and sold his share of the funeral home to Bill. Ruth and Bill's only child, William Ernest Gasch "Weegee", became a partner in 1962 and worked along with his wife Constance. In 1979, William F., retired and left William E., and Constance to run the funeral home. William E., retired in 1984. William F "Daddy" Gasch died on November 3rd, 1999 at the age of 96. William E "Weegee" died on September 23, 2007 at the age of 73.
Today, Gasch's Funeral Home is owned and operated by Constance Gasch and the fifth generation of Gasch's Claudette Gasch Lanning.
Founder of; Gasch's Funeral Home.
Francis Gasch was born in Germany in 1830. His father was a school teacher, fluent in several languages. Francis studied under his father until he was fourteen years old. Francis then moved to Frankenburg where he served for three years as an apprentice to a cabinetmaker.
Francis yearned for more, in July of 1850, he left Germany and came to the United States. When he arrived in Baltimore, Maryland he had no knowledge of the English language and he only had 50 cents in his pocket. He immediately left for Washington, D.C., where he was able to find a position as a cabinetmaker. He worked for a gentleman named Charles Krumer, for a wage of $3.00 per month.
On April 17, 1854, Francis married Katherine Sophia Schron. On October 1, 1855, they moved to a house on Baltimore Avenue, in Bladensburg, Maryland. A year later they purchased a home next to the George Washington House, later renamed the Indian Queen Tavern. The funeral home business began in 1858. Traditionally cabinetmakers constructed coffins when necessary. Francis had done this for many years for the people in the Bladensburg and Hysttsville areas. Soon people were asking him to tend to all of the funeral details. Francis began his business as "Francis Gasch - Undertaker". This business would eventually become
Gasch's Funeral Home.
While Francis was building his business, he was also building his family. Francis and Sophia had three sons, Edward, Ernest and Frank, and a daughter, Amelia. Edward and Ernest followed in their father's footsteps and became Morticians, attending mortuary school in Massachusetts.
Around 1895 Francis an Sophia moved their family and the business a short distance diagonally across the street. They lived in this home for the remainder of their lives. Sophia died on May 9, 1910, and Francis died on May 7, 1914.
In 1902, the funeral home opened its current location at 4739 Baltimore Avenue, Hyattsville, Maryland which was then also Ernest's home, with one viewing room.
Ernest died in 1938, his brother Edward and Ernest's son, William F. "Bill" and his wife, Ruth, took over the primary operation of the funeral home at that time. In 1954, two years before Edward's death, he retired and sold his share of the funeral home to Bill. Ruth and Bill's only child, William Ernest Gasch "Weegee", became a partner in 1962 and worked along with his wife Constance. In 1979, William F., retired and left William E., and Constance to run the funeral home. William E., retired in 1984. William F "Daddy" Gasch died on November 3rd, 1999 at the age of 96. William E "Weegee" died on September 23, 2007 at the age of 73.
Today, Gasch's Funeral Home is owned and operated by Constance Gasch and the fifth generation of Gasch's Claudette Gasch Lanning.
Francis Gasch was born in Germany in 1830. His father was a school teacher, fluent in several languages. Francis studied under his father until he was fourteen years old. Francis then moved to Frankenburg where he served for three years as an apprentice to a cabinetmaker.
Francis yearned for more, in July of 1850, he left Germany and came to the United States. When he arrived in Baltimore, Maryland he had no knowledge of the English language and he only had 50 cents in his pocket. He immediately left for Washington, D.C., where he was able to find a position as a cabinetmaker. He worked for a gentleman named Charles Krumer, for a wage of $3.00 per month.
On April 17, 1854, Francis married Katherine Sophia Schron. On October 1, 1855, they moved to a house on Baltimore Avenue, in Bladensburg, Maryland. A year later they purchased a home next to the George Washington House, later renamed the Indian Queen Tavern. The funeral home business began in 1858. Traditionally cabinetmakers constructed coffins when necessary. Francis had done this for many years for the people in the Bladensburg and Hysttsville areas. Soon people were asking him to tend to all of the funeral details. Francis began his business as "Francis Gasch - Undertaker". This business would eventually become
Gasch's Funeral Home.
While Francis was building his business, he was also building his family. Francis and Sophia had three sons, Edward, Ernest and Frank, and a daughter, Amelia. Edward and Ernest followed in their father's footsteps and became Morticians, attending mortuary school in Massachusetts.
Around 1895 Francis an Sophia moved their family and the business a short distance diagonally across the street. They lived in this home for the remainder of their lives. Sophia died on May 9, 1910, and Francis died on May 7, 1914.
In 1902, the funeral home opened its current location at 4739 Baltimore Avenue, Hyattsville, Maryland which was then also Ernest's home, with one viewing room.
Ernest died in 1938, his brother Edward and Ernest's son, William F. "Bill" and his wife, Ruth, took over the primary operation of the funeral home at that time. In 1954, two years before Edward's death, he retired and sold his share of the funeral home to Bill. Ruth and Bill's only child, William Ernest Gasch "Weegee", became a partner in 1962 and worked along with his wife Constance. In 1979, William F., retired and left William E., and Constance to run the funeral home. William E., retired in 1984. William F "Daddy" Gasch died on November 3rd, 1999 at the age of 96. William E "Weegee" died on September 23, 2007 at the age of 73.
Today, Gasch's Funeral Home is owned and operated by Constance Gasch and the fifth generation of Gasch's Claudette Gasch Lanning.
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