Our History

Our family-run funeral home in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Clyde and Ruth Pelzer opened up their family-run funeral home in 1936 at 5th and Christian Street. Clyde Pelzer apprenticed at a relative’s funeral home in West Philadelphia for several years before opening up his own funeral home in South Philadelphia. At the time, Mr. Pelzer ran the only black-owned funeral home in the Queen Village section of Philadelphia; filling a vital niche in the social structure of the neighborhood.

In 1970, Mr. Pelzer moved the business two blocks to its present day location at 3rd and Christian Street.  The building was originally built as a synagogue, which is reflected in unique architectural features such as the skewed ceiling pointing to the East. When Clyde Pelzer passes away in 1987, his sons, William (deceased) and Claude took over the business. Claude Pelzer now runs the funeral home along with his wife, Laura and son Walter Michael. Now Pelzer Funeral Home regularly serves people from all over the tri-state area.