History

In 1896, Herbert Lyle “Bert” Warner entered the livery business on Wood Street. Several years later he graduated from the Pittsburgh College of Embalming and Sanitary Science. In 1900, he combined his livery business with his newly opened undertaking establishment. Ever the businessman, in 1901 he entered the furniture business though the purchase of the Benson Furniture Company on Corbet Street. After his marriage in 1902 to Williamena Parke, he purchased a store building at East Sixth Avenue and Corbet Street, current home to the National City Bank. He then built the building, now occupied by the Valley News Dispatch, where he housed his furniture and undertaking establishment. Finally, in 1915 he found the location that would serve the Warner Furniture and Undertaking establishment for years to come.

Herbert had four daughters; one daughter, Gladys, met Albert W. Ferver, who she would marry in 1926, and together they would continue the family legacy serving the community. In 1925 Albert graduated Wooster College, OH and joined his father-in-law in the undertaking business. In 1930, they purchased and renovated the West Penn Hotel at Fourth Avenue and Wood Street to solely operate the Warner Funeral Home.

After Herbert’s death from a heart attack at his summer residence in the Tarentum campgrounds August 8, 1946, at the age of 71, Albert bought the business and ran the Ferver Funeral Home from the same location.

ike his father-in-law, Albert had only daughters, Jeanne and Janice, whom each respectively married Eugene L. Krynicki and Robert E. Peters. Each son-in-law went to the Pittsburgh Institute of Mortuary Science; Eugene graduating in 1951 and Robert graduating in 1952. Each son-in-law completed their internship with Albert Ferver and worked at the Ferver Funeral Home until Robert purchased the Robert E. Peters Funeral Home (1521 Freeport Road, Natrona Heights) in 1958, where after many renovations the funeral home is still located. Eugene then joined a partnership with Albert Ferver in 1960, changing the name to Ferver-Krynicki before eventually becoming the Krynicki Funeral Home and moving location to Natrona Heights.

Albert Ferver died August 5, 1985 in his sleep at his condo in Ft. Myers, Fl at the age of 83.

In 1980, John A. Peters, son of Robert, graduated from the Pittsburgh Institute of Mortuary Science. After his internship at a Hatheway-Tedesco funeral home in Meadville, John received his mortuary license in 1982 and began working at the Robert Peters Funeral Home, Inc. Subsequently, in 1986, John purchased a funeral home at 501 5th Avenue, New Kensington, from Richard G. Churchfield and renamed the business Churchfield-Peters Funeral Home. Then, in 1994, John took over all responsibilities at Robert Peters Funeral Home upon the retirement his father.

In 1998, Robert E. Peters died from cancer at the age of 67.

In 2015, Lindsay M. Peters Heilman, daughter of John, graduated from the Pittsburgh Institute of Mortuary Science and began working for both the Robert Peters Funeral Home, Inc. and the Churchfield-Peters Funeral Home. She completed her year-long internship under the direction of her father that year and became a licensed funeral director in the summer of 2016.