About Us
About Us
The Whitcomb Funeral Home was started by Myron James Whitcomb in 1908 when he moved with his family from Morrisville to East Barre and purchased the funeral and furniture business from B.F. Davis.
Myron began his working career as a grocery deliveryman, making $3 per week. He struggled to support his family on that salary, so he decided to take the risk and opportunity, purchasing the business from the Davis’s.
For the first few years both businesses operated in the same building. In 1928 the funeral business moved to the former Cheney house in East Barre, which was remodeled into a modern establishment. Myron was very proud that he was the first funeral home in the area to purchase a motorized hearse. At this time, most funerals were held in homes and a few churches.
In 1936 a need for a Barre funeral home branch prompted the purchase of a house at 189 Washington Street. Myron’s son, Harold A. Whitcomb joined the business in 1943, but moved to Arizona due to an illness. In 1947, Robert J. Whitcomb joined his father and the businesses continued to grow, becoming known as “Vermont’s largest country furniture store”. In 1948, Myron purchased the Fletcher T. Kenyon Funeral Home on 102 Washington Street. In 1972, Myron’s grandson, R. Brent Whitcomb entered the business after finishing his schooling at UVM and New England Institute.
The Hooker Funeral Home held its grand opening on February 22, 23, and 24 in 1935 by G.A. Bixby and C.M. Smith. A newspaper article read “Announcing Barre’s First Funeral Home”. During this time, funerals were transitioning from being held in homes to being held in a separate facility.
In 1957 the Whitcomb Funeral Home purchased the Hooker Funeral Home combining the businesses into one location, where it currently resides on Academy Street in Barre.
