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Shell Funeral Home Inc.
The Shell Funeral Home, Inc. was founded by Jerome W. Shell, Sr. Mr. Shell had been employed as an embalmer at, and manager of, the Harold S. Gleason Funeral Home from 1945 to 1963. In 1963 Mr. Shell went into partnership with Mr. Russell Ray. These two men operated the Ray and Shell Funeral Home for two years before Mr. Ray retired. The funeral home was originally located at the corner of Morgantown Street and Lebanon Avenue, the site of the present Yum Yum Donut Shop. In 1970 the Shell family moved to their present location at 164 S. Mt. Vernon Ave. The funeral home now consists of two buildings: the former Rider home built around 1910 and the Charles & Elizabeth Hill residence, now referred to as Hospitality House.
Mr. Shell, Sr. died in 2005. Prior to his death the funeral home was purchased in 1987 by his son Jerome W. Shell, Jr. who had worked with his father since 1974.
Jerome Shell, Jr. graduated from the Uniontown Area Senior High School in 1965, served honorably in the United States Marine Corps from 1965 to 1969, and attended the Pennsylvania State University from 1969 to 1973 graduating with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business. In 1974, he graduated with honors from the Pittsburgh Institute of Mortuary Science. He is a member of the Christ United Methodist Church, the American Legion Post 51, Amvets General Marshall Post 103 and is a Past Master of Fayette Lodge No. 228 F & AM.
His daughter, Laura Allison Sawyer-Villers, graduated with honors in 2007 from the Pittsburgh Institute of Mortuary Science and hopes to continue the family business for another generation. She too is a graduate of the Uniontown Area Senior High School and the Pennsylvania State University where she again graduated with honors earning a Bachelor of Science degree in Marketing. She also attended the Katz Graduate School of Business at the University of Pittsburgh where she earned her Master’s Degree. Laura was employed for several years at Allegheny Technologies and is presently employed with Westinghouse Corporation.