Churchman Funeral Home Records

From Newark Archives Project

"The Churchman Funeral Service, which catered primarily to African-American families, was founded June 15, 1899 by James E. Churchman (1874-1917) at 3 Baldwin Street, East Orange, NJ. At the time of Churchman's death in 1917 he had established branches in Newark, including one on Bank Street next to Bethany Baptist Church, and in Morristown and Plainfield, NJ. Churchman also served as pastor of several AME churches and later of a Baptist church.

James E. Churchman, Jr. served in the U.S. Navy from 1918-1919 and revived the family's funeral home business upon his discharge from the service. He located his Newark funeral home first at 120 Barclay Street, later at 19 Rose Street, and by the 1970s at 132 Clinton Avenue. Churchman, Jr., was active in many veterans, fraternal, civic, and professional organizations, including the Masons and the NAACP. He was married to Hazel P. Churchman and resided at 517 Washington Street in Newark.

In 1949, James E. Churchman, son of Hazel and James E. Churchman, Jr., received his funeral director's license. In 1952 he opened a funeral home at 397 Bergen Street in Newark, which he later relocated to 345 13th Avenue. His children, James and Edith Churchman, were the fourth generation of the Churchman family to maintain their family's funeral home business. Edith Churchman became the manager of the James E. Churchman Funeral Home on 13th Avenue.

Charles L. Whigham (1921-1993), another prominent Newark funeral director, began his career working for the Churchmans."