A Brief History of the Wilson Funeral Home
The Wilson Funeral Home, from a postcard postmarked 1909.
1893 was the year that George Lawrence decided to open a funeral home. He came to Norwich and purchased the undertaking business of the late Albert Cary. He also purchased a furniture business that was owned by the former L.A. Burr and merged the two entities into “Burr and Lawrence”. The business was located on Lackawanna Avenue. He sold the business to “Beach & Dalton”, moved to Syracuse, then returned to Norwich a year later and together with H.A. Curtis, opened another undertaking and furniture business on South Broad Street in the location that is now the drive-up for NBT Bank. In 1910, the partnership with Mr. Curtis was dissolved and a one-half interest was sold to George Devine in 1915. Together they purchased the former Dr. J.L. Ray residence at 68 South Broad Street where they continued to operate until 1922 when Mr. Lawrence sold his interests to Mr. Devine.
Braden (Pete) Wilson
Mr. Devine operated the Devine Funeral Home and Devine Furniture Store for many years. In 1949 a young man from western New York (Lockport) came to Norwich looking for a job as an apprentice funeral director. Braden “Pete” Wilson settled in central New York. Eventually he bought part of the business and it was renamed the Devine-Wilson Memorial Home. The furniture store operation was taken over by Mr. Devine’s son, Richard, and renamed the Hamilton House. In 1980, Pete’s son, Doug Wilson returned to Norwich after graduation from Cornell University and joined his dad in the operation of the funeral home.
The closing of the Hamilton House Furniture Store and the death of Pete Wilson in 1991 brought changes to the funeral home. Doug Wilson continued the funeral home operation and, in the fall of 2002, following the death of Richard Devine in 2000, purchased the business and changed the name to Wilson Funeral Home. Although the name has changed several times, the common denominator has been family ownership and dignified, professional service.
“Providing families with quiet, dignified surroundings in which to memorialize their loved ones is the most important facet of our existence. We have always offered those we serve funerals that are affordable to all and still meet their needs.”
The Wilson Funeral Home is the only independent funeral home in Norwich. We feel that maintaining our local connection is very important. After all, Doug was born in Norwich, graduated from Norwich High School with his wife, Sharon and, today, makes his home here.