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History
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| Henry A. Weir was a man who took a great deal of pride in
his work. When his father, a colonel in the Union Army, was killed in a Civil War, Henry
was apprenticed to a carpenter and cabinetmaker in his hometown of Woburn, MA. As the
industrial revolution drew more people into factory work, Henry resisted this trend and
turned his craft in to a career. At the age of 36, he moved to Malden with a kit of
cabinet making tools and a dream. He opened a small store on Irving Street, then known as
"Undertaker's Lane", near the end of the 19th century. His business grew and in
1925 he moved to 533 Main Street. |
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Salem Street 1917
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Dr. H.A. Down's Residence
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At about this time he was joined by his
son-in-law, Colin H. Dennis, and they worked side by side until Henry's death in 1935.
Colin then purchased Dr. H. A. Downs residence at 144 Salem Street, with a new concept in
Mind.-To provide a funeral home with rooms for the public to come and pay their respects.
The Salem Street funeral home grew to become the area's largest.
Colin and his wife Dorothy were active in the community as well as in their
business. Following Colin's death in 1967, Dorothy operated Weir Funeral Home until
February, 1968, when Donald E. MacCuish formed a corporation and purchased the funeral
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Tragedy struck on May 19, 1975, when a fire started in the
building. The first alarm sounded at 5:21AM, but fireman could do little more than contain
the blaze. Donald took what could have been the end, and turned it into a new beginning.
The building was razed in October, and construction began immediately on the new building,
the fourth building in our firm's history. This building is the first of its kind in the
area, a modern, spacious, efficient Funeral Home, with a large parking area surrounding
the building. In an area where most funeral homes are still old
homes converted for business use, our funeral home is an
example of the Weir Funeral Home setting the example for other
funeral homes to follow. Whether it's Colin Dennis's
concept of wakes and services being held at the funeral home instead
of a persons residence, to establishing the first internet presence
in the area and publishing obituaries on line, we at the Weir
Funeral Home will always be there to serve the basic need of helping
families during one of their most difficult times.
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Current Facilities |
Throughout the years, Weir Funeral Home has changed its locations and buildings and
has adopted new ways of serving. But the founding ideal of Henry Weir remains the same: to
help families with the sincerity, sympathy, and understanding of friends.
AskUs@weirfuneralhome.com |
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Home History
About Us Pre-Need
Directions
Obituaries
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Contents Copyright ©1999 Weir-MacCuish Family
Funeral Home. |
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