Our History

Our History

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The tradition of caring for families began when Leonard C. Arn moved to Norwich to purchase the Addison Funeral Home from Byron Addison in June of 1907. The funeral home was then named L.C. Arn Funeral Residence. In 1925, Anson B. Arn, son of Leonard, obtained his embalmer’s license. Anson joined his father as a partner of the funeral residence, which then was named L.C. Arn & Son Funeral Residence.

In 1931, the Arn’s rented a building, converted one half into a funeral chapel, the other half into furniture sales. In 1938, the Couzen’s residence, which was located beside the funeral residence, was purchased. In the fall of 1938, the new location was open as a modern funeral residence. In 1945, Leonard C. Arn passed away. Anson then assumed ownership and changed the funeral residence name to A.B. Arn & Son. Anson’s son Roy, who became the third generation of the family business, became partner and operated the business with his father until Anson’s death in 1963.

Roy assumed ownership, changed the name to Arn & Son Funeral Residence. Roy operated the business till the summer of 1993. He then sold the family business to owner Bill Lockie, who renamed the funeral residence to The Arn-Lockie Funeral Home. Roy assisted Bill until his death in 2005. 

July 1, 2016, Bill and Sandy Lockie sold the business after 23 years of dedicated service to the town of Norwich and Oxford County. The Lockie’s sold the business to Allison and Mardy Fransen. Allison and I, and son Josh, moved to Norwich, and reside above the funeral home. A long-time tradition that was established by the Arn family. As the new owners, tradition is very significant to Allison and I, and we are not intending on making any changes to the funeral home, or the level of service, that Bill Lockie has provided to the community over the last 23 years.

It is my hopes, to carry on with the traditions that have been established, and to simply add my own personal level of care. I believe Bill and I have a similar philosophy with respect to the profession of Funeral services, that being to provide care and empathy to families in a dignified manner, at a very difficult time. I have been a licensed funeral director since 1997, where I started my Funeral services career at the McCleister Funeral Home, in Brantford. I served Brant county for almost 20 years, working at family and corporate owned funeral homes. Allison has worked at the Brantford Golf & Country Club since 2000, as an events coordinator. 
"We are grateful for the opportunity to serve the community of Norwich and Oxford County, as it is a privilege and an honor."

- Mardy Fransen Funeral Director/Owner

What Makes Us Unique

We are proud to embrace traditional values, diversity and innovation in honouring the spirit and life of each person we serve. We offer a full selection of:
  1. Funeral and memorial services, ranging from traditional to uniquely innovative and personal
  2. Burial services and cremation options
  3. Celebrant Services
Letting go of a loved one is usually a very difficult process. In order to provide your family peace-of-mind, our funeral home offers complete care, so you can focus on comforting each other as you prepare to say goodbye to someone dear to you.

Although there are many decisions you may have to make, we assure you that we will guide you through the entire process every step of the way. We promise to help you:
  • Design the most fitting memorial or funeral service to honour their memory and pay tribute to their life achievements and experiences.
  • Select the most appropriate products, including a casket, burial vault, cremation urn, cemetery or mausoleum, to fit your budget and suit your needs and desires.
  • Write a fitting obituary to honour your loved one’s life experiences and social connections.
  • Assist in the publication of the obituary in the newspapers of your choice.
  • Create a Book of Memories™, a beautiful, permanent online memorial, where you and your friends can build a legacy of memories by archiving treasured photos and memories.
  • Welcome your family and friends to our funeral home for your planned services, including a viewing, visitation, funeral or memorial service.
  • Make all arrangements with regard to the services whether they are held at your place of worship, our funeral home, cemetery, or alternate gathering place.
  • Provide you with beautiful funeral print materials, including memorial folders, prayer cards and book marks. We also offer personalized note cards for you to acknowledge the emotional support you received from friends, co-workers and community members.
  • Provide an elegant hearse and funeral cars, as well as arrange for escorts.
  • Help in the selection and on-site arrangement of floral tributes.
  • Provide access to grief education and support materials, and referrals to counselling services.
  • Prepare all paperwork, including vital record statistics, permits, filing and obtaining death certificates, and assistance with life insurance, veteran’s benefits and Social Security claims.
We hope you will turn to us for compassionate care and impeccable service. Our pledge is to honour your loved one and family with dignity, respect and personal attention to every detail.
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