Our History

Eighty Years of Service, Tradition, and Dignity.

The middle of the Great Depression was no time to found a new company, but Lowell Swem was not deterred. With his wife Meryle, he established his first funeral home in 1932, moving it a few years later to its present location on West Front Street.

In the family tradition, Richard “Dick” Swem began working with his father at the age of 14. A former combat medic for the U. S. Armed Forces, Dick has been a Funeral Director for over 50 years and today he owns and manages the family firm.

Like many other funeral homes, Swem ran an ambulance service from 1932 until 1968. Dick Swem delivered thirteen babies since joining the firm.