Our History


     

  The A.J. Cunningham Funeral Home, (a three generation family owned funeral home) was established in 1898 by A.J. Cunningham. He purchased two horse drawn hearses and an open wagon from Elmer Hunt (the local undertaker) and began his funeral home. He had attended the Massachusetts College of Embalming and qualified himself for Embalming and Preserving the Dead. He received his diploma on June 24, 1898 signed by A.J. Dodge & G. Dodge. For a while he also had a furniture business and sold farm machinery and feeds along with the funeral business. He limited the scope of his former businesses and concentrated on his funeral home.


A.J. Cunningham

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Funeral Bill from 1903


      Funeral Bill from 1931

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His stepson Leland A. Cunningham was born on July 25, 1913, graduated from the Greenville Free Academy, Albany Business College and the Worsham College of Embalming and joined his stepfathers business in 1935 as a licensed Undertaker & Embalmer. He worked up until his mid 80's and passed away on Nov. 11, 2006.

                                                                                                     Leland A. Cunningham

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Present Day


       Leland's son Curtis A. Cunningham, graduated from Alfred State Tech. & the Simmons School of Embalming,
       graduating in 1963 and joined in the operation of the funeral home. 

      

       Scott M. Zielonko, a licensed funeral director since 1986, joined the funeral home in August of 2008
and also serves as the licensed manager of the Greenville Branch. Scott purchased the business from Curtis in April 2016 and is now the current owner.


       Emily N. Evans-Sumner began her residency on September 1, 2013 and, following successful completion of the requirements of the New York State Department of Health, Bureau of Funeral Directing, received her license on September 12, 2014. She is the manager of the Ravena Branch.

Jennifer Ann McKeon Completed her residency program here at A.J. Cunningham Funeral Home in November 2022, in December she became the third Licensed Funeral Director with us.


       The funeral home is still located in the same building and was completely renovated both inside and out in 2008.


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