OUR STORY
The Creran Celebration Story began over 100 years ago around the beginning of the 20th century at the corner of 3rd & Market Sts. in Gloucester City. We can only speculate that our founder, Charles E. Etherington, Sr. started his apprenticeship with William Franklin, Undertaker, and had worked his way up to partner. Charles, Sr. graduated from the Eckels School of Embalming & Sanitary Science, in Philadelphia on March 12, 1910, and received his practitioner's license on April 15, 1912. Mr. Etherington had served as a Director of the Gloucester branch of the Camden Safe Deposit A Trust Co. as well as the Victory Building and Loan Association of Gloucester. Chas was a member of the Gloucester-Cloud Lodge #101 F & AM, the Arwames Lodge of Odd Fellows, and the Washington Camp of the Patriotic Order Sons of America, both in Gloucester
Charles, Sr. built a large home and carriage house at 700-702 Powell St in 1911 and in a few short years, opened the Etherington Funeral Home to its Gloucester City neighbors. The funeral home hosted its first funeral for Master Ferrell on January 17, 1915. Charles E. Etherington, Jr. graduated from the Horace E. Dolan College of Embalming & Sanitary Science in Philadelphia on December 8, 1933 with a plan to join his father in the family business. He received his practitioners license on February 15, 1934 However, Charles, Jr. passed away on May 2, 1935. Shortly thereafter, Charles Etherington, Sr’s surviving two sons, William & Howard would join the family business.
Charles E. “Chas” Etherington, Sr. passed away on October 26, 1937 at the age of 53.
William P. “Bill” Etherington graduated from the Eckels School of Embalming & Sanitary Science, in Philadelphia on June 14, 1941 and received his practitioners license on August 18th, 1941. Just a year later the Etherington Funeral Home would contribute to the manpower of our nation. Bill upheld the ideals of our American freedoms as a Staff Sergeant, during WWII, in the Army Air Corps until his honorable discharge in October of 1945. Bill served the Gloucester City community working as a second generation Funeral Director for 42 years until his retirement in 1983. Through the years, Bill had been a member of the Gloucester City Rotary, a member of the Vestry of the Episcopal Church of the Ascension and the Collingswood-Cloud Lodge #101 F & AM. Mr. Etherington passed away in August of 2008 at the age of 89.
Howard F. “Duke” Etherington graduated from the Horace E. Dolan College of Embalming & Sanitary Science in Philadelphia on June 23, 1944 and received his practitioners license on August 15, 1944. Little has been documented about “Duke’s” time in the family business. We do know that he aspired and moved on to other ventures including managing Evergreen and New Camden Cemeteries as well as working as part of the Bradbury Vault Co.
Duke passed away on September 26, 1974
Howard W. Creran, Sr. graduated from the Eckels School of Embalming & Sanitary Science, in Philadelphia on September 9, 1949 and received his practitioners license on June 22, 1950. He purchased a 1900 Victorian home from the Linck family, who were pattern makers for the textile industry. In August of 1952, Howard, Sr. opened the Howard W. Creran Funeral Home and raised his family at the corner of the White Horse Pike and W. Haddon Ave. in Oaklyn. The funeral home hosted its first funeral for Mr. Heller on September 29, 1952. During the business’ formative years Howard, Sr. supported the Etherington Funeral Home in Gloucester City and succeeded Bill Etherington as the co-owner, operator and Funeral Director with his son Howard W. Creran, Jr. in 1983. Mr. Creran served as the Camden County Coroner from 1954 to 1964 while managing the Creran Funeral Home and had been a member of the Oaklyn Democrat Club. Mr. Creran was actively involved in the Oaklyn Lions Club and served as President in 1962. He was a founding member and past President of the Oaklyn Business Association as well as the Oaklyn Swim Club where he served as Trustee. Howard, Sr. protected his community as a member of the Welcome Fire Co. in Oaklyn and served as a member of the board of directors of Oaklyn Bettlewood Savings and Loan which went on to become Audubon Savings & Loan Bank. Mr. Creran was a showman. He had been the Emcee for the Garden State String Band as well as the Gloucester City String Band. Howard, Sr. passed away in March of 2003 at the age of 78.
James C. Henry contributed to the manpower of our nation and served in the U.S. Army from October 1946 until his honorable discharge on February 10, 1948 at Camp Kilmer. Jim Graduated Eckels School of Embalming & Sanitary Science, in Philadelphia on September 8, 1950 then attended Franklin Marshall College in Lancaster pursuing pre-med, graduating class of 1951 followed by Rutgers University. Jim received his Pennsylvania practitioners license on January 12, 1954 after serving his apprenticeship at William Rowen Grant Funeral Homes in Southampton, Bucks County and the Fishtown neighborhood of Philadelphia, PA. Following embalming school Jim purchased Dr. McConaghy’s office at 152 W. Atlantic Ave. in Audubon on August 30, 1954 that was built in 1905. He received his New Jersey practitioners license on June 6, 1956 and opened the Henry Funeral Home in 1957. Mr. Henry was a lifetime member of the Audubon Lions Club and the Parkside Lodge #218 F&AM, the Excelsior Consistory in Collingswood, served as the Vice President of the Audubon Independent Business Association and was a member of the Murray-Trout American Legion Post 262. He was a longtime congregant and had served as Warden at St. Mary’s Episcopal Church in Haddon Heights as well as a member and secretary of the Camden County Juvenile Court System where he worked part time at the Camden County Juvenile Detention Center in Pennsauken. Jim’s daughter Patricia Henry DiGenni started her apprenticeship under her father in 1983. She attended Camden County College between 1981 and 1983 and graduated Mercer County Community College in May of 1985. Patti received her New Jersey practitioners license on July 1, 1985 followed by her Pennsylvania license on January 30, 1989. Patti had been a member of the Audubon Celebrations Committee, the Audubon 4th of July Committee, The Audubon Library where she served as Vice President and as a member of the Board of Trustees, a parishioner and lector at Holy Maternity Church in Audubon where she served as Church Council Secretary, Treasurer and President. She was also a member of the Audubon #191 Order of the Eastern Star. Professionally, Patti worked as both funeral director and Manager of the Henry Funeral Home. She was a member of the National, New Jersey, West Jersey and Philadelphia Funeral Directors Association and a member of the Society of Women Morticians until her retirement. The Henry Funeral Home at 152 W. Atlantic Ave in Audubon was closed on May 12, 2021 and merged with Creran Celebration Etherington & Creran Funeral Homes in Oaklyn & Gloucester City.
James C. Henry passed away on December 30, 2017.
Howard W. Creran, Jr. served his apprenticeship under his father in Oaklyn and Gloucester City. He graduated from Mercer County Community College in June, 1977, received his practitioners license on January 17, 1978 and joined both funeral homes as a Funeral Director. Howard purchased the Etherington Funeral Home with his father in 1983 and succeeded his father as exclusive owner, operator and Funeral Director of The Creran Funeral Home in 1986 followed by the Etherington Funeral Home in 1989 where both were incorporated under the Creran Name. Creran Funeral Home and Etherington-Creran Funeral Home. Howard has been a longtime parishioner and usher at St. Joseph The Worker Parish Aloysius Church. Had served on Oaklyn Borough Council. He is a Member and Past President of the Gloucester City Lions Club and member of the Brooklawn-Gloucester City Rotary Club.
After 41 years, Howard W. Creran, Jr. entered retirement on October 15, 2019. He passed the history and success of the Etherington & Creran Funeral Homes to licensed Funeral Director Dennis C. McGee, Jr. As Chief eXperience Officer, Dennis unified the Etherington & Creran names, including the Henry Funeral Home business and re-introduced the businesses as Creran Celebration Etherington & Creran Funeral Homes in Oaklyn and Gloucester City.
Dennis began his apprenticeship at Henry Funeral Home under Patricia Henry DiGenni in March of 1996 and graduated from Mercer County Community College on May 15, 1999. Dennis received his New Jersey practitioners license on September 20, 1999 followed by his Pennsylvania practitioners license on February 11, 2010. Currently Dennis oversees the day to day operations of Creran Celebration as Manager and Funeral Director. Dennis is a member of the National, New Jersey State and Burlington County Funeral Directors Associations. He is a member and sits on the board of directors of the Philadelphia Mummers Aqua String Band, President of the Audubon Lions Club and member of the Gloucester City-Brooklawn Business Association, Gloucester City-Brooklawn Rotary Club and the Greater Audubon Business Association.
