Ninde Funeral Directors

Richmond, Indiana – 1930

At twelve-years-old, Charles Henry Ninde got his first exposure to funeral service when he lost a friend to a disease and Charles served as a pallbearer. That experience made a lasting impression. He decided he wanted to be in funeral service, and he never changed his mind.

During the Great Depression, the Ninde family moved frequently in the early 1930s, eventually settling in Tulsa. Following graduation from Tulsa’s Central High School in 1937, Charles went to work for the Winterringer Funeral Home on 6th Street, later renamed Tulsa Whisenhunt Funeral Home.

In 1939, Charles had the opportunity to purchase the Martin Fleming Undertaking Co. at 9th and Boulder in downtown Tulsa. Originally founded in 1917, it was then renamed Ninde Funeral Home. Charles and Vivian Simpson were married in 1940; they lived and raised their young family in the funeral home building for several years. That original building still stands today.

Charles was too young to secure a bank loan for the purchase, so his mother, Mary Beatrice (North) Ninde co-signed the note in exchange for 50% of the stock. His father, Francis Earl Ninde soon left his bookkeeping work to join the family enterprise. The Ninde family served Tulsa from that location for 18 years.

In 1957, the Ninde family moved south to a building at 39th and South Peoria, in the heart of the Brookside area. In 1968, Charles added an adjacent chapel, remodeled the funeral homeand added a flower shop.

Francis Earl “F.E." Ninde passed away in 1970 and "Mary Bea" Ninde passed away in 1971.

In 1976, Mr. Ninde purchased Tulsa Whisenhunt Funeral Home, where is career began. Charles was active in numerous civic and professional organizations, including the Tulsa Downtown Lion's Club, Tulsa Men's Club, Tulsa Executives' Association and Preferred Funeral Directors International.

Charles H. Ninde, Sr. was fortunate to remain active in the business until his death March 4, 2001, at age 82.

Charles H. (“Charlie”) Ninde, Jr. formally joined the company in 1981, while attending The University of Tulsa and obtained his funeral director's license in 1984. Charlie married Mary Dee Richardson in 1989. As cremation became more common, Charlie consolidated Ninde into their original Brookside location. In 2001 Mary Ninde remade Ninde Flowers into Brookside Blooms, one of Tulsa’s most respected and innovative floral design shops.

Ninde Funeral & Cremation and their dedicated staff, are recognized for providing funeral, cremation and memorial service excellence for over eighty-seven years.