Jefferson County Funeral Homes

Extracted from an email:

"Most people still had funerals at their homes until late 1920's when attendees started arriving by automobile and parking became an issue. Then old mansions made into funeral parlors became more popular....

"Before that [the body was carried in a horse drawn hearse,] with several big capacity livery carriages following. Motor hearses began to be accepted about 1912, because 15 miles an hour was quicker than a horse."

There have been two funeral homes in East Jefferson County:
 
   One has existed continuously since the mid 1890s:
      Starrett Estate Company, ca 1895 - 1913, which became
      Port Townsend Undertaking Company, 1913 - ca 1920s, with name change to
      Port Townsend Mortuary ca 1920s - 1933, which became
      Stroud's Funeral Chapel, 1933 - 1963, which became
      Owyen Funeral Home, 1963 - 1982, which became
      Kosec Funeral Home, 1982 - present
 
   The other existed for about 20 years:
      Carroll's Mortuary, 1934 - 1956
 

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