GOING BACK IN TIME

Our History

Located at 701 Central Ave, the McAllister Undertaking Parlor was the first of three locations to house O’Connor Funeral Home. When T.F. O’Connor purchased the building in 1911, McAllister was the oldest funeral home in Great Falls. At that time, Great Falls boasted a population of 22,000 and a downtown area of approximately six square blocks.

In 1925 the O’Connor family built a new funeral home at 709 Central Ave across the street from the first location. The funeral home included two 3-bedroom apartments, one for T.F. and his family and one for Bill and his family. A year later T.F. purchased a new 1926 Buick funeral coach (displayed in the photo above).

The present facility at 2425 8th Ave North was built in 1958 and dedicated in 1959. The new building included three viewing rooms, a spacious chapel, a drive through garage, and a sound system throughout. The cost was $125,000. The funeral home was featured in the January 1960 issue of Casket and Sunnyside Magazine as an example of a well-planned, modern funeral facility.

A crematory was added to the facility in 1985. The funeral home was expanded in 1998. The expansion included the addition of two arrangement offices, a new business office area, and two more offices for directors. The preparation area was expanded as well. In 2010, Steve and Carla Schnider of Great Falls, MT purchased O’Connors. In December 2021, Steve and Carla Schnider entered a partnership with Greg and Debra Rollings to purchase O'Connors and ensure it remains a family owned funeral home.