Richard D. Hillis announces sale of Funeral Homes in Petrolia and Rimersburg to John W. Bauer and Jennifer Bauer Eroh of Kittanning {December 27, 2010}
After over 40 years in business, Richard D. Hillis proudly announces the sale of his funeral homes in Petrolia and Rimersburg to John W. Bauer and Jennifer Bauer Eroh of the Bauer Funeral Home and Cremation Services, Inc., in Kittanning. “Lucille and I are honored to have served the communities of Petrolia and Rimersburg, and helped our friends in their times of sorrow. We look forward to Jack and Jennifer continuing to provide excellent service to our communities.”
Speaking about the company announcement, Jack Bauer commented, “The Bauer staff will continue to care for the members of the Petrolia and Rimersburg communities during their most difficult times. Our goal for the Bauer – Hillis Funeral Home and Cremation Services, Inc. will be to provide the finest funeral service with attention to compassion, dignity and respect. The tradition of excellence both family businesses are known for will truly benefit the families we serve. We are proud of the great history and reputation of each firm.”
Jack Bauer and the Bauer family have owned and operated the Bauer Funeral Home in Kittanning for 64 years, the Clark Chapel of the Bauer Funeral Home in Elderton since 1982, and the Bauer-Bly Funeral Home in Dayton, PA since 1996. “We are very pleased to add the Petrolia and Rimersburg locations to our family of funeral homes, fostering our belief that our reputation is our most valuable asset”, stated Jennifer Bauer Eroh. “We will continue to make every effort to serve each family as if it were our own.”
Deana R. Turner of Chicora, was named manager of both Bauer-Hillis Funeral Homes and will continue the legacy of care Mr. Hillis has established with the families of Petrolia and Rimersburg. “Deana will be a great asset in achieving our goal of providing exceptional funeral service to the families of Petrolia and Rimersburg,” added Jennifer Bauer Eroh.
On Wednesday, Nov. 17, 2010, community members gathered at the Bauer Funeral Home in Kittanning for the 5th annual Holiday Remembrance Program entitled, “Holiday Grief: Surviving the Season”. Jolene Formaini, RN, MA, CT, Bereavement Coordinator and Grief Educator of the VNA Hospice of Western Pennsylvania offered guidance on dealing with the sometimes overwhelming combination of grief and stress that can occur to those that lost a loved one and especially during the holiday season. A special part of the program included reading aloud the names of loved ones as a remembrance tribute. The program ended with a candle lighting ceremony. One candle was lit for grief, one for memories, one for determination and strength and one for love shared. After the program Jolene offered one-on-one consultations for those that wanted further guidance. Many individuals also stayed to share stories between themselves offering each other support.
On Saturday, October 30th twenty one members of the Bauer’s Steps Ahead first gathered for social time in Bauer Funeral Home’s hospitality room. Bus transportation was then provided to visit The National Museum of Vaudeville at the “Casino Theater” to hear the 2010 Artie Shaw’s 100th Birthday Celebration Big Band Show. The huge ionic columns at the entrance of South Western PA's oldest theater were a magnificent sight for our evening as we were graciously welcomed to the Casino Theater. After arriving some of the group explored the various areas that have been beautifully restored thanks to the spirited community leaders who worked to preserve this crown jewel of Vandergrift for future generations. The orchestra and vocalist, under Director Matt Koza who himself is an accomplished musician who plays the clarinet and saxophone all remembered Artie Shaw’s Big Band legacy by performing a repertoire of his greatest hits. The spectacular one and one half hours long performance was an unforgettable experience down memory lane. Everyone in the group thought this was a “wonderful” show that brought back many memories reminiscent of the big band era.
Bauer Funeral Home and Cremation Services, Inc. hosted a free seminar for the public entitled, Cremation: Your Questions Answered on Wednesday, November 3, 2010. Attendees received information about the most commonly asked questions regarding cremation, including what the consumer should ask when selecting a cremation provider.
The Don Miller Big Rig Memorial Truck Show was a successful part of the Elderton Volunteer Fire Department’s annual Apple Butter Festival that was held on October 1st and 2nd. The three main locations for the festivities were at the Elderton Fire Hall, Elderton School and on South Main Street. On Saturday, Oct. 2nd South Main Street in Elderton was closed to make room for the big rigs to park along the street. The idea of having a Big Rig Truck Show was developed as a tribute to be held in memory of Don Miller who was a business owner and staple member of the Elderton community. Don passed away in April 2010 due to a tragic accident. His family’s vision of having a memorial truck show took shape early in the planning stages for the festival. As a good will gesture, the Bauer’s accomodated the Miller family by using the front porch of the funeral home for the truck show registration area and a free pumpkin give-a-way, along with DJ music entertainment during the Truck Show. Jack Bauer and his staff were on hand to offer their hospitality and to have the funeral home open so the community could use the facilities. Patty Miller and her son's Brice and Nick were overwhelmed by all the community support.
On Tuesday, September 21, 2010 thirty nine members of the Bauer’s Steps Ahead group traveled on a bus trip to Cabot in Butler County. The group was invited to be special dinner guests at the beautiful campus of Concordia, Haven 1. Everyone was greeted graciously by the Concordia staff and escorted to the spectacular dining room for dinner. “Back to School”, was the theme for the table decorations and the delicious dinner menu. After dinner, the group took part in a tour of the beautiful facilities and there was time for socializing before the feature musical entertainment began. Starting at 7:00 PM, the all men Alle-Kiski Barbershop Chorus provided a unique brand of entertainment of musical renditions in a distinctive barbershop style. The performance lasted one hour and was a mixed repertoire of ballads, comical stories, solos, patriotic songs and novelty numbers which made the entertainment a memorable experience.
On Wednesday, August 25, 2010 twenty six members of the Bauer’s Steps Ahead outreach group traveled on a bus trip from Kittanning to Hickory Woods Restaurant in Mt. Chestnut, Butler County. Everyone enjoyed the ambiance of the unique upscale, casual dining room decorated with generations of family pictures, heirlooms, area artifacts and of course the great food that was served. After lunch the journey continued to Moraine State Park where we were welcomed aboard the “Nautical Nature” passenger tour boat to sail on Lake Arthur. The private chartered cruise also had a personal guide on board who told about the highlights of the area’s natural history. The fully enclosed forty-five foot pontoon boat along with its experienced Captain made the cruise very comfortable, while everyone enjoyed the beautiful scenery, pristine waters and the sighting of wildlife along the lake.
Deana R. Turner has recently qualified the designation of Certified Funeral Service Practitioner (CFSP), by the Academy of Professional Funeral Service Practitioners. A number of professions grant special recognition to members upon completion of specific academic and professional programs and “CFSP” is funeral service’s national individual recognition. Turner is a licensed Funeral Director and insurance agent of Bauer Family Funeral Homes, Inc. located in Kittanning, PA, with branches in Elderton and Dayton.
On Friday, July 23, 2010 members of the Bauer’s Step Ahead outreach group enjoyed ice cream at the Kittanning Dairy Queen before viewing the movie “The Blind Side” in the Kittanning Riverfront Park. Bauer Funeral Home partnered with Downtown Kittanning Inc. to sponsor the movie. “It was a quite enjoyable evening,” said Jack Bauer, of Bauer Funeral Home, “we really enjoyed the movie and it was a perfect night to be along the river.” The next outing of the Step’s Ahead group will be in late August and the activity will be announced soon.
Bauer Family Funeral homes are proud to announce the promotion of Joshua C. Starr to licensed funeral director. Josh is a 2009 graduate of Point Park College, earning a Bachelor of Science degree in Funeral Service and Psychology. He completed his mortuary training at the Pittsburgh Institute of Mortuary Science. Josh fulfilled his residency requirements as a funeral intern with the Bauer Family Funeral Homes during 2009. He successfully passed both the state and national exams in June of this year, enabling him to achieve his licensure in Pennsylvania as a funeral director.
On Tuesday, June 15, 2010 twenty two members of the Bauer’s Step Ahead outreach group traveled on a short bus trip from Kittanning to Schenley, Armstrong County to where they were welcomed aboard the Kiski Junction Railroad. The caboose was reserved for the entire group as it was handicap accessible and had table seating accommodations. This particular train car was equipped with a small open deck on both ends which permitted those that wanted a better view to sit outside. Once aboard, lunch was provided to everyone, courtesy of Bauer Family Funeral Homes. At exactly 2:00 PM the train departed on time from the Kiski station. For some that attended this was their first train ride. Although, a few members reminisced about their experiences they had when the trains traveled from Kittanning to Pittsburgh many years ago. The hour and half ride included a narration of local history and lore and the experience of a real working railroad as it took us along the scenic Kiski River to Allegheny Ludlum, Bagdad Plant where freight was picked up. In addition, the train traveled over top of a bridge built in 1899 to where the Kiski River meets the Allegheny River which provided all the opportunity for some great photo shots. The beautiful weather was shared along with the fellowship of friends to all of those who attended.
Four staff members of Bauer Family Funeral Homes were on hand and volunteered as servers at the Dayton Fire Department's annual spring Thresherman's supper. The supper was held on Thursday, May 20, 2010 at the Dayton Fire Hall. This successful fund raising event is held annually in the spring and fall of the year. Much of the food that is served is graciously donated by local families and businesses. It also takes many dedicated volunteers to prepare and serve the hundreds of people who come for a delicious supper and support the fund raising effort. If you missed the spring dinner, remember there will be one in the fall.
On May 12, 2010, fourteen members of the Bauer’s Steps Ahead outreach group traveled to Leechburg to experience the gracious hospitality of John Truitt, proprietor of the Old Parsonage and Enchanted Abbey. John made our visit enchanting by telling his story how he transformed the historical Episcopalian Church into an event center and wedding chapel. The 1914 American foursquare parsonage that originally housed many Episcopalian Rectors has also been transformed into a uniquely decorated bed and breakfast. In both buildings, we were surrounded by many antiques that John collected and beautifully restored. Our host used old family recipes to prepare a delicious lunch that he served in the Enchanted Abbey. After lunch, John shared with us some interesting history about the buildings and its occupants that he had carefully researched and documented.
Armstrong Habitat for Humanity continues to manifest God’s love in acting through a life-changing home-building ministry that uplifts everyone it touches. Volunteers and community partners have spent months working along side the Slagle family to complete the AHFH sixth housing build. Harry and Amanda Slagle and their three children: Anthony, David and Tyler have seen their dream of becoming a homeowner of a newly built home materialize.
The community outreach group initiated by Bauer Family Funeral Homes; Bauer’s Steps Ahead Group met at Lenape Technical School on April 20. Fourteen members of the group attended and enjoyed lunch in the Culinary Arts dining room. The lunch was delicious and prepared by the senior class girls who are studying Culinary Arts under their instructor, Mrs. Andrea Fahlor. The senior girls also prepared the feature presentation on the fundamental characters, nutritional value, history, and fun facts all about chocolate. The highlight of the presentation was seeing the demonstrations and tasting of recipes made with chocolate. The demonstrations included a chocolate facial, tasting of chocolate dipped fruit and pretzels, and peanut butter chocolate bars. The group all agreed that the senior girls and Mrs. Fahlor did an all around fantastic job and made for a really fun filled event for the group.
Following the funeral of a loved one, survivors often may have a hard time taking part in outings and social activities. That was the fundamental reason why Bauer Family Funeral Homes introduced a new community outreach program called, “Bauer’s Steps Ahead”. This program is designed to offer a fellowship of friends that also includes an enjoyable planned outing every month. In addition to those that receive special invitations, this opportunity was also extended to ministers and anyone in their church family.
The Bauer Funeral Home of Kittanning was honored to have been able to offer professional but compassionate guidance to the Gould family when they planned for the funeral of their beloved father, Dr. Eugene Gould who died Dec. 19, 2009. He was a well known eye doctor in Kittanning and the family wanted to design an event, his funeral to be a loving tribute to his life. Claire Gould, Dr. Gould’s daughter who is also a columnist and event planner, writes of staying focused on the positive aspect when planning a funeral for a loved one. Read “The Unspoken Event” by going to the web site link: