I Scream, You Scream, Funeral Homes Scream For Ice Cream

Posted on by

In my travels to local “junk” stores, I’ve seen all types of vintage advertising from York County, Pennsylvania businesses. Some of the common examples are bottle openers, ball-point pens, and ashtrays while a few unusual pieces I’ve seen have been cloth flyswatters and early 1900s metal dustpans.

An item I recently purchased caused me to chuckle after considering the business it came from and what the item was:

Do you associate ice cream and funeral homes?

OK, I can understand an ice cream scoop coming from a home furnishing store, but the funeral home connection made me chuckle. As I recall, every other piece of funeral home advertising in my collection are hand fans, so this scoop is a welcome addition.

A glance at Geiple’s history…

Geiple’s Home Furnishings and Funeral Home was started in 1880 by cabinetmaker George W. Geiple. The Glen Rock business began as a manufacturer and seller of furniture before he partnered with Thomas L. Kinzer. At that point the business was named Kinzer and Geiple, but in September 1881 the partnership dissolved while both men remained in town operating their own businesses. Around the same time, Geiple made his first recorded sale of a coffin or casket.

Over the years, the business remained in family hands and continued as a furniture store and funeral home. In 1982, the business split into two separate entities. Geiple Furniture remained in business until 1993, but Geiple Funeral Home continues to operate today.

Geiple Funeral Home has been maintained by the same family since it began and is currently the oldest continuously family-operated funeral home in the York County area. We wish them luck and hope they have many more years of service to the community.

What types of unusual advertising have you encountered while exploring area junk stores?

NOTES:

  1. The Shindler Funeral Home was owned and operated by my  distant cousin. Like Geiples, it also sold furniture when first opened.
2 comments
  Livefyre
Newest | Oldest
dennydaugherty
dennydaugherty

This could be the same place, but this reminds me of last summer riding through New Freedom on the York Rail Trail on a day when they had some sort of street fair. There was one vendor handing out balloons to kids. It turns out it was a funeral home, touting how "kid-friendly" it is. It just struck me as a little bizarre. 

stauchistory
stauchistory moderator

 @dennydaugherty A funeral home is a difficult place for a child to be, and it would be great if funeral homes offered ways to make them a bit more pleasant for them. A balloon advertising a funeral home ranks right up there with an ice cream scoop.

 

Appreciate the comment Denny. Hoping you have a great day.

Trackbacks

  1. Hanover Business Swats Competitors With Unique Marketing Campaign says:
    October 20, 2012 at 7:32 am

    [...] Some of the most interesting examples would be from funeral homes, and included dustpans and even ice cream scoops. Last night I found another interesting item that I had to add to my collection: a vintage [...]