Cemeteries. I like them or dislike them. Usually for the same reasons. It's only a matter of…read moretiming. I recently lost a long-time friend to ovarian cancer. I stopped by Deer Creek to pay my respects and say my own goodbyes. Deer Creek is much bigger than I expected. It may have been the lack of trees or tall bushes that can break up the long site-lines in a typical cemetery, but the gravestones seemed to go on forever, up and down the small slopes. The grounds were spotted with dashes of color from the flags or flowers placed near the markers. I noticed the well-paved, large roads that take visitors to all corners of the grounds. There are street signs and street names on the intersections. I've not ever noticed that before in a cemetery, but it gives it the feeling of a small town. If I consider, also, the other markers designating areas within those blocks, almost like house numbers, I suppose it is like a mini-town. A well-laid out town. Bittersweet. As I roamed, looking for the one place I needed, I saw the well-groomed grass and nicely maintained grounds. You can move from the older to the more recent without noticing. Deer Creek obviously chooses not to save money by letting things becomes overgrown. Good job. After several minutes, I gave up and stopped by the office to ask for directions. The man working that day found the information on the computer, gave me the location, and pointed me in the general direction. Fewer than 5 minutes. Efficient. It's a nice cemetery. Next time I'm in the area, I may like it. But right now, in this moment, at this time: I dislike it. Cancer sucks.

I've overlooked this cemetery for a long time. But if you read Troy B.'s review, you get a sense of…read morethe history here. I looked at a beautiful statue of an angel that made me think of Thomas Wolfe's classic, Look Homeward Angel. I looked up the family online and discovered that they moved from Switzerland and founded a company that makes train parts. The lawns are carefully manicured, and the trees are huge and beautiful. The cemetery is a great deal larger than I realized and I drove way back to explore the furthest reaches.

~ We recently lost a family member, and the funeral and burial was held at the Historic Union Dale…read moreCemetery in the Perrysville section of Pittsburgh. Everything went smoothly, the cemetery staff were professional, caring, and kind. I love the fact that this cemetery has so much history, and is a beautiful place to visit. The cemetery is a non-profit organization, and has a board of directors. Check out the list of notables buried here . . . Cheers!!!!! Division One Philotus Dean, Principal of Pittsburgh Central High School Robert Fairman, Cabinet/casket maker, funeral director, and a founder of Mt. Union Cemetery (now Union Dale) Colomb Gengembre, French architect, artist, and engineer - designed Allegheny City Hall Albert Buell Hay, Civil War Major, co-founder of the Union Veteran Legion Charles Kirschler, Last mayor of Allegheny, deputy Mayor of Pittsburgh John McClurg, Pres. of James McClurg & Company, cracker bakers & confectioners (the factory is now the D.L. Clark Co. Bldg.) Thomas Megraw, Mayor of Allegheny 1878-1881 Robert Bruce Mowry, MDA leader in the founding of Allegheny General Hospital David Navarro, P.T. Barnum's "Illinois Giant Boy" Hezekiah Nixon, Mayor of Allegheny 1844-1845. builder of first rolling-mill in Allegheny John E. Parke, Author of "Historical Gleanings of Allegheny" published in 1886 John T. Pressly, Prominent cleric in Allegheny City Jacob Stuckrath, Mayor of Allegheny 1858 Francis Torrance, Early Officer of American-Standard Corporation Dr. C. Jane Vincent, First female physician in Allegheny City Reverend George Carothers Vincent, Leader of the founders and first presiding officer of Westminster College Division two Colonel James Andrews, noted mason, bridge builder and businessman William Bullock, Inventor of the web rotary press John W. Barr, Noted Pittsburgh architect Andrew Bayne, Member of The Constitutional Convention of 1837-38 and Sheriff of Allegheny County Thomas McKee Bayne, Civil War Colonel, US Congressman, Pittsburg Press Publisher Mary Junkin Buchanan Cowley, Educator and early kindergarten and playground advocate Cruikshank Family Manufacturers of jellies and preserves Charles W. Dahlinger, Noted Pittsburgh historian, author, lawyer, and politician James J. Davis, Secretary of Labor under Presidents Harding, Coolidge, and Hoover, US Senator Hance M. Dunlap, Riverboat Captain, school board member, businessman, a founder of Mt. Union Cemetery (now Union Dale) Helen D. English, Librarian - Pennsylvania Division of The Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh John Adams Gilleland, Civil War Veteran, Businessman, Allegheny City Postmaster Nettie Gordon, "Queen of the North Side underworld" Charles Geyer, Mayor of Allegheny Lt. Friend W. Jenkins, Died aboard the USS Maine Lt. Wallace Kappel Jr., Golf champion William J. Kappel,Founder and chairman of Busch Jewelry Co of NY and chairman of Kappel Jewelry of PittsburghRobert LiddellMayor of Pittsburgh 1878-1881Ralph C. MinehartThe Father of Pennsylvania DeMolayEdward MorrisKnown as "Cannonball" - major league baseball playerJohn R. MurphyMayor of Allegheny 1901William C. McCarthyKnown as "Roaring Bill", mayor of Pittsburgh 1866-1868, 1875-1878 George Ellsworth SmithHorseplayer known as "Pittsburg Phil"John M. TitzelEngineer and businessmanLouis A. ThielFounder of Thiel CollegeDavid T. WatsonNoted attorney and philanthropist, founder of the Watson InstituteG.W. WolfWWI submarine commander, steel executiveJames G.WymanFour-time mayor of Allegheny Union Dale is committed to preserving legacies Division three Armstrong FamilyMetal fabricatorsBenjamin F. BainPatent holder and manufacturer of Wolverine mechanical toysBrack Marcus BarrTuskegee AirmanErnest R. BraunBaker - Founder of the "Town Talk" bread labelGene BrickerSinger - The Marcels (the original group)Henry Buhl, Jr.Department store owner, philanthropist (Buhl Foundation)Maurice E. CarlisleTwo-time mayor of Ben Avon, Union Dale officerRobert J. CorbettUS Congressman 1939-1941, 1945-1971David F. CreightonArchitect and mechanical engineer - known for "terrace" housing in Gary, INLieutenant - Colonel Levi Bird DuffCivil War officer and District Attorney of Allegheny CountyLevi Bird DuffCivil Engineer - supervised the construction of ten major bridgesThomas D. EvansNoted Pittsburgh architectHugh S. FlemingTwo time mayor of Allegheny City and a co-founder of Allegheny General HospitalEdward W. GwinnerContractor, baseball team ownerFrederick Gwinner, Sr.Stagecoach operator, contractor, bankerAllen Johnson - SingerThe Marcels (successor group)C. Carl Kleinschmidt, Sr.President of Pearson ManufacturingC. Carl Kleinschmidt, Jr.CEO of Williams and Company, Union Dale officerGottlieb LutyMedal of Honor recipient 1876Walter L. MainTraveling circus operatorEdward "Eppie" MillerAll-Star major league shortstopHenry Russell MillerAttorney, author, publisherLouis McCordMagician known as "Silent Mora"Jerome "Jerry" NachmanAward winning journalist, , broadcaster, editor-in-chief, execu

We worked with Simons on funeral services and were treated with courtesy and respect. Communication…read morewas outstanding. They helped us even find a contact for the cemetery out of town we wished to use.

This is the funeral home that my family has used for years- not sure why- but I have to say they do…read morea phenomenal job. Everything about this place is classy. The house itself is beautiful & it's surrounded by pretty trees. The attendants and personnel are extremely professional but also very caring. The makeup person does a great job as well. They also have a nice little chapel area where we actually had the funeral services for my grandparents. The bathrooms are also very nice- seems strange but I can always appreciate a good bathroom! They also go the extra mile & make a slide show DVD of your loved one if u provide them with pictures. The DVD makes a beautiful & comforting keepsake. Overall I would highly recommend Simons.

Bock Funeral Home is an older structure with faded pictures hanging on last century's wallpaper &…read morethe distinct smell of out-dated furniture...which could be overlooked if my Dad had been presented as someone I recognized. I have no idea who he was supposed to look like...definitely not my Dad. And his hair looked like he just got out of bed!The unfriendly personnel offered cold respect to family and friends. The Pastor we chose had a lovely service before the presentation of Military Honors. At that point, they wheeled the casket in to the chapel area which felt very disrespectful to my Dad. This was not done in a ceremonial fashion and destroyed the ambiance established by the Pastor. Why not have the casket in the chapel during the eulogy waiting for the Honors? There was no honor or respect. It was awful!

The Bock family helped make the funeral process bearable. Losing my mom has been the worst thing I…read morehave been though. I never knew all that went into funerals, the Bock family was very helpful, kind and made coordination as easy as possible. Emily and her father went out of their way to make sure the funeral and viewing process for my mom was seamless and it was. They coordinated everything and made recommendations to help us through this process. They were very empathic and supportive, they made me feel like they cared.

Graciously elegant older building with a well trained and responsive staff. It was easy to see and…read morehear everything, and the seating was comfortable. A great facility where the employees make sure things run smoothly.

Absolutely awful, do not use this company. We planned a simple grave side service with our family…read moreand they buried her without us present. This was against our wishes and not what we had planned or discussed. I would never recommend this company for anyone under and circumstances.

It is never a good thing when you need to go to a funeral home but if one must then White Memorial…read moreChapel would be the one that I would recommend. The entire experience was very pleasant. I interacted with 3 staff members and all three were very accommodating and extremely pleasant. I believe one of the three was the owner. A very nice gentleman with a very pleasant demeanor. Not sure what I was expecting a funeral home owner is supposed to look and act like. I guess growing up watching "The Addams Family" stuck in my head. This place was certainly not like that. The lead person (lady) seemed to have a passion for her line of work or else she really enjoyed putting the client and guests at ease. One thing I noticed was that she was very detail oriented. There was a piece of cloth that was visible once the casket was closed. I didn't even notice because it was just a tiny piece... and she discretely came over and fixed it. I'm thinking that maybe someone whom didn't really care would have just let it stay because it wasn't obvious. I thought her attention to detail was impressive. She was great! She had an assistant that was very accommodating too. I gave him specific music to play for the service and he did it superbly. He put me at ease with his qualifications by letting me know that he works the sound system for his church. Very nice young man. So everything ran smoothly. Inside the facility was beautiful and very comforting. Must have been the warm earth tone colors. I think I just want to say that they are top notch for that line of business. Upon closing, I'm hoping not to need that type of service again although I'm thinking it's inevitable but if I have to experience death of a loved one I can rest assured that if I used White Memorial Chapel that my loved one would be in good hands.

This is not a classic cemetery in that it lacks vertical headstones and mausoleums. Natural…read more("green") burial is the rule. Bodies are not embalmed or preserved and are usually buried shortly after death in a shroud or natural casket. The concept of green burial is based on the biblical concept, "You were made of the earth and to the earth shall you return." That is, once the soul and spirit of the individual have left the physical body, the components of the body should return into the earth as quickly as possible in order to maintain the flow of nature. The property is quite large and beautiful with woods, meadows, and a variety of other settings to choose from for your loved one. We walked around with the proprietor until we found a spot we liked at the edge of the woods with views of the meadow. There are a limited number of cemeteries that are in sync with the green burial movement, and we are fortunate to have Penn Forest in Pittsburgh.

Pittsburgh is home to so many beautiful cemeteries that are more like sprawling gardens of lush…read moregreen, wildlife, water features, foliage, and of course headstones of remembrance of those who've left the world. It's an oasis in the middle of a city neighborhood. Like many of the local graveyards, celebrities, local figures and politicians are buried here. This particular area of burial has a modern-day significance as it's the final resting place of Pittsburgh's own, Mac Miller.

Brandy Moy, Homewood Cemetery Family Service Representative,  was extremely kind to us during this…read moredifficult time. As we faced logistical complications, she went above and beyond, offering her time and personal resources. She provided immense support and helped solve our problems as we navigated the process of grieving and saying goodbye to our grandmother. Prior to the service, Brandy took the time to get to know my grandmother and our family, building a genuine relationship with us. During the funeral preparations, she exceeded our expectations and made a very painful process much more manageable. I highly recommend Brandy Moy and the services at Homewood Cemetery. Brandy offers more than just professional cemetery services; she shared with us her genuine heart and supported us throughout the entire journey.