Our History

We stand behind our reputation and will continue to serve our community with the values instilled by our funeral directors.

August Nied and his wife Margaret Ziegler Nied were born in Germany and came to this country in the late 1880's. They came to Swissvale in 1908, and started a grocery and meat market on Roslyn Street.

Joseph Nied Their third child operated a coalmine during World War 1 on the hill where Woodland Hills West is currently located. Several years later he attended the Eckles School of Mortuary in Philadelphia in 1920. When licensed he hung a sign in a real estate office reading "Joe Nied - Undertaker" in 1922. Two years later he moved into his father's building on Roslyn Street. The building was a five- room apartment. When there was a funeral he used the living room and when there were two funerals he used the dining room as well as the living room. However it was not much used because most funerals were held in the family's homes. In 1933 the funeral home on Washington Street was built. It was the first funeral home built from the ground up in the tri-state area. The bank of Swissvale told Joe Nied he would lend him the money, but that it was a waste since most people were laid out at home. Joe told him in not too many years it would not be large enough and it was true because it has been enlarged three times.

Joe Nied's oldest son Joseph Nied Jr. had a funeral home in Wilkinsburg on the corners of Rebecca and Swissvale Avenues. Joe Jr. died of a heart attack in the Braddock Catholic Cemetery at the age of 36. His wife sold the business several years later.

Thomas L. Nied received his license in 1948 and worked with his father until Joe's death in 1962. Tom Nied retired in 1993, but continued to be visible and oversee a lot of the business until his death in October 2000. Tom's son Charles Nied currently runs the funeral home.

Next year will mark the centennial for the funeral home.   We will celebrate having served the Swissvale area for 99 years. The tradition is three generations long. 

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