About Us
Our History
Buch Family of Funeral Homes History
1898: Establishing Roots in Manheim
In 1898, Thaddeus S. Beck partnered with David Hummer to establish a furniture and undertaking business at 16–18 East High Street in Manheim, Pennsylvania. Operating under the name Beck and Hummer, the business provided both furniture and funeral services, as was customary at the time.
1912-1923: Transition to T.S. Beck and Son
In 1912, David Hummer sold his share of the business to Elmer B. Beck, Thaddeus's son. The firm was then renamed T.S. Beck and Son. During this period, the funeral home relocated to 9–11 North Main Street in Manheim.
1923-1949: Formation of Beck Bros. Funeral Home
Upon Thaddeus Beck's retirement in 1923, Elmer's brother, Paul Beck, joined as a partner, and the business became known as Beck Bros. Funeral Home. After 35 years in the business, Elmer Beck retired, and Abraham B. Beck and Rufus B. Weidman became shareholders with Paul Beck.
In 1949, John F. Buch began working for Beck Bros., marking the beginning of the Buch family's involvement in the funeral home.
1953: Expansion to Manheim and Lititz
In 1953, two new properties were acquired: one at 21 Market Square in Manheim, which remains the funeral home's location today, and another at 216 South Broad Street in Lititz. Both properties were converted into modern funeral homes to better serve the communities.
1962-1969: Separation and New Ownership
In 1962, Rufus B. Weidman sold his shares to the other Beck Bros. owners. Subsequently, the holdings of the two locations were separated, with Abraham Beck managing the Lititz funeral home and Paul Beck overseeing the Manheim location.
In 1969, John Buch purchased the Manheim location from Paul Beck and renamed it Buch Funeral Home.
1984: Theodore J. "Ted" Beck Joins the Team
In 1984, Theodore J. “Ted” Beck, a seventh-generation funeral director from New Holland, received his funeral director license and joined John Buch to help run the Manheim location.
1988: Merger with Heilig Funeral Home in Mount Joy
In 1988, John Buch expanded the Buch Family of Funeral Homes by formalizing a years-long cooperative relationship and merging with the Heilig Funeral Home in Mount Joy. Jim Heilig founded the Mount Joy funeral home in 1949.
1992: Ted Beck Acquires Buch Funeral Home Corporation
On January 1, 1992, Ted Beck purchased the Buch Funeral Home Corporation from John Buch. The corporate holdings included the Manheim and Mount Joy funeral home locations. Eventually, the facility at 21 West Main Street in Mount Joy was renamed to join the Buch Family of Funeral Homes.
2002: Aaron S. Abbott Joins the Buch Family
In 2002, licensed funeral director Aaron S. Abbott joined the Buch Family of Funeral Homes. Working alongside Ted, he originally served as the Supervisor of the Mount Joy funeral home.
2016: Lititz Location Rejoins the Family
Since 1947, the Lititz funeral home at 216 South Broad Street had been run by the third Beck brother, Abraham. He had started as an assistant at Beck Bros. and took over ownership of the location until 1973. That year, Richard Heisey became the owner and licensed supervisor of the Lititz location.
In 2016, the funeral home in Lititz became the third location of the Buch Family of Funeral Homes when Ted Beck and Aaron Abbott acquired it from Richard Heisey. This acquisition reunited the Lititz and Manheim locations, along with Mount Joy, under the Buch name.
2019-2021: A New Generation and Leadership
The Abbott family began their own multi-generation tradition of funeral service in 2019 when Aaron’s daughter, Allissa, joined the Buch Family of Funeral Homes. After graduating with her mortuary degree, she began interning at Buch, working alongside her father. She earned her funeral director license in 2019.

After nearly twenty years of working side-by-side, Aaron Abbott joined Ted Beck as a shareholder in the Buch Family of Funeral Homes in January 2021. Aaron serves as Chief Executive Officer and Supervisor for the Manheim location. As Chief Operating Officer, Ted manages the day-to-day operations of the three funeral home locations. Ted also continues in his role as Supervisor of the Lititz location.
“You only get one chance to do it right,” explained Ted. “I want to make sure that everything is perfect each and every time for the families that we serve. It was important that the succession plan for the Buch Family of Funeral Homes provided for continuity of the excellence that we have provided since 1898.”
