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Family Funeral Business Shares History with StoryCorps

Richard and David Wedekindt stand outside of Story Corps recording trailer in downtown Buffalo
Richard and David Wedekindt stand outside of Story Corps recording trailer in downtown Buffalo

By Eileen Buckley

http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/wbfo/local-wbfo-733662.mp3

Buffalo, NY – Western New Yorkers are getting a chance to tell their special stories to NPR's StoryCorps. StoryCorps arrived in Buffalo late last week.

The Airstream trailer with a recording studio is stationed outside the Buffalo and Erie County Public Library downtown. WBFO'S Eileen Buckley stopped by the trailer Monday to find out who is recording with StoryCorps.

A father and son team emerged from the recording trailer late Monday morning thrilled to to preserve a story about their family business. Richard Wedekindt owns and operates Wedekindt Funeral Home in Amherst with is brother Raymond.

They are carrying out the business that was stared by their great-grandfather in 1887, that makes Wedekindt's the oldest family funeral business in the area. Richard Wedekindt grew up learning the business through his father. It was a time when people would wake the dead in their own homes, not a funeral parlor.

Wedekindt asked his son David Wedekindt to interview him. His son serves as the director of marketing at UB's Center for the Arts.

Click the "listen" icon above to hear Eileen Buckley's story now or use your podcasting software to download it to your computer or iPod.