For 150 years, Burton Quinn-Scott Cremation & Funeral Services Inc. in Erie, Pennsylvania, has been there for families wishing to honor and celebrate the life of a loved one they have lost.
What started back in 1876 — by founder Alured Plimpton “A.P.” Burton — has since grown into four affiliated locations across Erie County: in downtown Erie, Millcreek on West Ridge Road, Wintergreen Gorge area and Girard. Each location serves families of all faiths, backgrounds and financial circumstances with the same compassion and care.
“It’s been an honor to carry on our family business,” says Peter Burton, son of the late G. David Burton, a fourth-generation family owner. “We have learned from our predecessors, we are embracing technology, and we are adapting to customer wants in order to be successful for another 150 years.”
Today, Burton Quinn-Scott is led by Peter and his sister, Karen Burton Horstman, representing the fifth generation. The sixth generation, Peter’s daughter, Jenna Burton, is now actively involved.
The Evolution of Funeral Service: From Tradition to Personalization
For generations, funeral services were deeply rooted in tradition, religion and cultural customs, with structured rituals. In the Erie area, families went to their ethnic funeral home. Today, funeral services reflect a broader shift in society — moving away from standardized ceremonies toward highly personalized celebrations of life. Along the way, cremation, changing family dynamics and even the pandemic, have reshaped how people honor and remember their loved ones, making the funeral service less about following a prescribed formula and more about telling a unique story.
One of the Oldest and Largest Funeral Homes in Erie County
Families today seek meaningful experiences that reflect the unique lives, personalities and wishes of their loved ones. At the same time, they continue to seek compassion and professional guidance during life’s most difficult moments.
Burton Quinn-Scott Cremation & Funeral Services Inc. has adapted to these changing needs by
combining deep experience and a commitment to excellence, with an understanding that every family’s needs are different.
“When families call on us, they get a whole team of professionals taking care of them,” Karen says. Serving hundreds of families each year provides the firm with an invaluable perspective across a wide range of traditions, faiths, cultures and personal preferences; the staff helps families create tributes that are comforting and deeply personal.
As an active member of Selected Independent Funeral Homes and both the National and Pennsylvania Funeral Directors Associations, continuing education allows Burton to learn new ideas and track trends. The company was the first in the Erie area to install a crematory in 1980; start a pre-planning program
in the mid-1980s; build a funeral home with an in-house chapel in 1992; create Whispering Pines Cremation Garden, a garden-like setting for the placement of cremated remains, in 1998; participate in the Green Burial Council since 2018; and livestream services since 2020.
Now all four affiliated locations have onsite chapels, making it easier for families to gather in one place. “That gives the intimacy of a church-type setting without going to a church that seats 400 people,”
Peter says. “Our stained-glass window and live organist provide a reverent yet uplifting setting.” Three of the four affiliated locations were built with the same blueprint, to make people feel at ease when they walk in.
Today, online pre-planning, virtual arrangements and digital memorials have made things more convenient, especially for out-of-town families. “People expect to be able to do more remotely now,” Peter said, “but many still want that human connection, too.”
“We give them the whole picture, but then walk them step by step through it, making decisions for the funeral service, and making it special for their individual family,” Karen explains.
Strength Through Partnership
The decision for Burton Funeral Home to purchase Quinn Funeral Home and Scott Funeral Home was rooted in a vision for the future: combining resources, staff expertise and community trust to better serve families in an ever-changing profession.
Each of the funeral homes and owners, Bill Lyden and Jim Scott, who remain on staff, brought with them a respected history. Individually, each firm had established strong relationships within the community and built a reputation for personalized care. The partnership has created something even stronger — a unified organization capable of offering expanded services and enhanced support for families.
By bringing the organizations together, Burton Quinn-Scott is able to combine generations of funeral service under one umbrella. Funeral directors, support staff and leadership teams from all three firms contribute their unique knowledge and strengths, creating a collaborative environment focused on continuous improvement and exceptional service.
Other Service Opportunities
For many people today, pets are no longer simply animals that live in the home — they are companions, protectors, emotional supports and true members of the family. The loss of a pet can be just as profound and emotional as losing any cherished family member, and families often want reassurance that their pet is being handled respectfully. Burton understands the importance of honoring that trust.
“Burton Quinn-Scott has been offering pet cremation for years, providing families with an opportunity to say goodbye, and the option to keep the cremated remains close by in an urn or memorial jewelry,” Karen states. “We provide a picture frame with a pawprint and a clip of fur for a keepsake.”
Ericson Memorials, located at 3803 West 26th Street, is also a part of the Burton family businesses. Peter’s son, Ben, has taken on a key role in the professional monument company. “There’s not a whole lot of things that withstand the test of time, but the memorials certainly will,” Ben says. Not only does Ericson offer headstones, but they also do laser-engraving, memorial garden stakes and other keepsakes. Having that connection in-house helps families handle everything seamlessly. Ericson is also represented by Erie City Memorials on the East Side of Erie on Buffalo Road.
The funeral home at Wintergreen also has a dedicated cremation garden, Whispering Pines, located on two acres in the Belle Valley area, across from the Wintergreen Gorge Cemetery. Whispering Pines offers in-ground burial of ashes, above-ground niches or memorial stones. Even if ashes are scattered elsewhere, loved ones can still be honored with an engraved plaque on the cremation garden’s waterfall memorial, one of the more than a dozen unique settings designed for the placement of cremated remains.
Future of Funeral Service
Cremation is now the dominant form of disposition in the United States. Direct cremation and price transparency have driven down average revenue per sale for many firms. The traditional model —embalming, visitation, hearse, casket, vault, cemetery — can no longer sustain many funeral homes on its own.
Yet, when a death occurs, families still need help with transportation, paperwork, guidance and coordination. Even with direct cremation, families often feel overwhelmed and emotionally vulnerable. The funeral director’s role remains essential. Funeral homes of the future will be ones that consider themselves professional guides through grief and remembrance.
As compassionate professionals staying in step with families’ needs and current trends, Burton Quinn-Scott is uniquely poised to be successful for many years to come. “There’s always something new — more personalization, more technology,” Peter says. “But, it’s still about taking care of people.”
For Jenna, that’s what stands out most about being part of the sixth generation. “I watched my dad, and it always came pretty natural for him, and the way he liked helping people,” she says. “It also seems natural for me.”
After 150 years, that’s really what has kept Burton Quinn-Scott going — history and relationships. Generations of families who have called on them, trusted them and come back again when it mattered most.
