About Us

In 1925 Ernest H. Nickel was the manager of the Nickel Funeral Home in Duncannon, Pennsylvania. This was one of 7 family funeral home locations in Perry County. With the Nickel family having disagreements over the funeral homes, Ernest left the family funeral home and opened the Nickel Funeral Home on June 15, 1925 at the corners of South Church Street and West Second Streets in Waynesboro, Pennsylvania. Ernest ran the funeral home with his wife and two sons until the 1940's. In the 1940's one of Ernest sons died in a drowning accident on the Potomac River while swimming with the church youth group from Christ United Methodist Church. The family buried his son in the family plot at Bloomfield Cemetery in New Bloomfield. Ernest sold the business to Marlin Poe, a funeral director from the funeral home down the street. Marlin Poe, with his wife Genevieve operated the funeral home until 1972. Having no children to take over the business he sold the business to John S. Snyder, Jr., a funeral director from Pittsburgh. John operated the funeral home with his wife Dorothy until 1992. In the fall of 1991 John had a major heart attack and decided to retire. In May of 1992 the Snyder's sold the business to Paul Lochstampfor a duel licensed funeral director working in the Baltimore area. Paul, being a minster's son, had lived all over Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Massachusetts. In 1994, Paul married his wife Angella who he met while attending church in Baltimore. Since their wedding, Angella has been a major part of the business behind the scenes. Paul, in addition to managing his own funeral home, has worked as an independent funeral director and embalmer; consulting and preforming embalming for funeral homes on cases that were difficult or accidents, for firms who may not have the skills to attempt some cases. Paul obtained an additional licensee in West Virginia.

Ernest Nickel returned to Perry County, Loysville, after he sold the funeral home in Waynesboro, where the Nickel family had owned a funeral home and previously closed its doors. Ernest built the current location facility while going to Blain and purchasing a funeral home there, and moving the business to Loysville. Ernest operated the funeral home until the 1950's when his son Joseph H. Nickel joined the firm and took over the funeral home. During Joseph's time period he added an insurance agency, a furniture store and apple orchard. Joseph operated the funeral home until the 1980's when his son James F. Nickel purchased the funeral home and took over the business. Since the 1980's the business has continued to grow. In 2014, Jim asked Paul Lochstampfor if he could help him with the funeral home. Paul agreed and has helped with embalming, dressing, casketing and cosmetics as well as covered for him when there were multiple services and when Jim was out of town. In 2017, Jim approached Paul about taking over the business while Jim remained as Supervisor, on the board and financially.

On February 2, 2018 the Nickel-Lochstampfor Family Funeral Home, was incorporated as a restricted corporation.and the corporation was activiated by the State Board of Funeral Directors on March 2, 2018.

[HARRISBURG, PENNSYLVANIA] - June 11, 2013 – Paul T. Lochstampfor of Waynesboro, a licensed Pennsylvania funeral director for 25 years was honored for his dedication professional service by the Pennsylvania Funeral Directors Association (PFDA).

The reward was presented by JoAnn Pavlic, PFDA President at a special recognition ceremony event at the 131nd Annual PFDA Convention & Expo held on June 11 at the Holiday Inn Harrisburg/Hershey in Grantsville.

Mr. Lochstampfor was a graduate of the University of Maryland System, Statewide Mortuary Science Program at Catonsville and has owned and operated the Lochstampfor Funeral Home, Inc. for the last 21 years.

In addition to this award, Mr. Lochstampfor was also presented with an award from the Highmark Caring Place for his dedicated service to the Caring Place and children of south central Pennsylvania.. The Highmark Caring Place was founded by Fred Rodgers in Pittsburgh as a place for grieving children to go to work through their grief. Highmark Caring Place now has four facilities throughout Pennsylvania with one in central Pennsylvania in Harrisburg area.

Organized in 1881, the Pennsylvania Funeral Directors Association is the largest state funeral directors association in the nation, and a member of the National Funeral Directors Association. The Pennsylvania Funeral Directors Association exists to inform and educate the funeral director, the public and government about the value of funeral service and licensed funeral directors on pre-need, at-need and post–need basis

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