Our History

The Waltner-Simchak Funeral Home, formerly the Jacobs-Waltner Funeral Home, was founded in 1917. It remains one of Canton and Stark County’s oldest businesses that still resides in its original location.

On July 5, 1917, William (Bill) Jacobs founded the Jacobs Funeral Home that started the tradition of serving families. When Bill Jacobs decided to retire in July 1945, he sold his business to his valued employee, Homer Waltner, who further carried on the rich tradition of the Jacobs-Waltner Funeral Home. Homer was revered as a leader in his profession, known for his hard work and compassion toward those he served.

In July 1985, Ronald Simchak purchased the now Waltner-Simchak Funeral Home. Ron brought new life to the business, remodeling, updating technology and always inserting new ideas that makes the funeral process a lasting memory for his faithful clients that he serves diligently.

With 100 years of dedicated service to the Canton community, Ronald Simchak and his staff strive to provide wisdom and guidance to those experiencing the loss of a loved one. We desire to serve our clients with dignity and the utmost respect providing a memorable funeral experience. Making final arrangements for a loved one is never easy. Our staff will provide the compassionate service you deserve, providing guidepost for decisions at every level.

Please visit Our Services section for a more detailed explanation of Funeral and Cremation Services that we offer, and please don’t hesitate to call if you have any questions, we are always here to help. It’s what we do… It’s who we are…

Ronald Simchak, Director