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Business History

Business History

Our funeral home has a unique history and committed relationship working within the community. We invite you to explore our legacy.

The Charles M. Noll Funeral Home is proud of its history and is honored to have been a part of the greater Williamsport community since 1927.

Our founder John C. Noll received his license to practice funeral directing from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania in 1917 and began his career working for the former Page Funeral Home of Williamsport, PA.

In June of 1927 John C. Noll opened his own funeral home in South Williamsport, PA working from the family's residence at 295 Main Street assisted by his son, Charles. On January 17, 1928, Charles M. Noll was granted a license to practice funeral directing and the family business became known as the John C. Noll and Son Funeral Service. With the help of their family John and Charles began their purpose to fulfill the wishes, needs, wants, and desires of families requiring their services with the utmost integrity, honesty, dignity, and compassion.

John C. Noll

John C. Noll taken at 295 Main Street residence
between 1917 and 1927.

During the 1930's the funeral service had burgeoned, and warranted full time employment by both John and Charles Noll, a real feat during the depression. It was at this time that Mr. Robert L. Persun, John's son in law joined the family firm as a member of the funeral home staff, later receiving his funeral directing license on December 5, 1945 after serving as a Pharmacists Mate in the Navy during World War II. In 1939, John C. Noll died, and the business fell to his son Charles and son in law Robert, who would continue and uphold the traditions established more than a decade earlier by John in 1917.

Charles M. Noll as a young man around 1930

Robert L. Persun in the 1960's

The business continued to flourish and grow under the leadership of Charles M. Noll and his dedicated family throughout the 1940s. By the end of the decade, in order to provide the best possible facilities and funeral services possible, the Noll family purchased the historic Koch property at the northwest corner of East Central Ave. and Market Streets, the present business location, ushering in a new decade of prosperity with the business taking on the new name of Charles M. Noll Funeral Home.

Staff of the Charles M. Noll Funeral Home
in the 1950's at the new facility.

Noll Funeral Home 1951

During the 1950's and 1960's, Charles, began maintaining a low profile for his funeral business, becoming an avid outdoors man, amateur photographer and videographer, philanthropist, and tireless community volunteer. He became heavily involved in community activities which led to the founding of our local South Williamsport Lions Club, being the first recipient of the Outstanding Community Service Award of VFW Post 7863, and a recipient of the Benjamin Rush Award of Lycoming County for his work in fundraising for the visually impaired. He was also a member of the local hometown bank board of directors, local school board, the local volunteer fire company, Kiwanis International, and Rotary. During this time he also made several trips to the back country of Canada and a trip to Cuba to pursue his passions of hunting, fishing, and photography.



Charles passed away in 1973 and the duties of operation passed to his widow Elizabeth “Betty” M. Noll and brother in law Robert L. Persun and the funeral home staff of James C. Shaler and John Ohnmeiss who joined the firm in 1970 and 1974.

Betty died at the age of 92 in 2005, leaving her own celebrated legacy of service to the community. She was the recipient of the Citizen's Award for Outstanding Community Service from American Legion Post 617, was a member of the local volunteer fire company, and was honored by the VFW Post 7863 with the VFW Outstanding Citizen Award for her support of children's programs.

John C. Noll

Betty M. Noll

John Ohnmeiss

James Shaler in the early 1970's

John H.A. Ohnmeiss, the current proprietor and supervisor of Charles M. Noll Funeral Home, is an avid outdoors man and is has been heavily invested in his community for the past 45 years. He has been involved with the Boy Scouts of America, Lions International, South Williamsport Mummer's Association, and the Lycoming County Historical Society. He has also been involved in various fishing and hunting groups and clubs while exploring the Pennsylvania Wilds. John also served as chief deputy coroner of Lycoming County from 1980 to 1988.

In 2010, John's nephew Lance C. Ohnmeiss and his spouse Francis Berdugo joined the staff of the Charles M. Noll Funeral Home to assist John with day to day operations. As the fourth generation to work at the business, together they have established and offer the only horse drawn funeral livery business in the Northern Tier of Pennsylvania, reaffirmed the values of family oriented service in a transitory industry, and reinvigorated the stately structure on Central Ave. The future of the family funeral business is bright, and under the direction of John Ohnmeiss today’s values hold as they were in 1927, to fulfill the wishes, needs, wants, and desires of families requiring the services of the Charles M. Noll Funeral Home with the utmost integrity, honesty, dignity, and compassion.



Mountain Home Magazine Article

Susquehanna Life Magazine Article

Charles M. Noll Funeral Home | (570) 322-0743
1 East Central Ave., South Williamsport, PA

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