J. L. Woods' Undertaking Company
Somerville, Burleson County, Texas
Marker Inscription
Jebb Lee Woods (1872-1932) came to Somerville in 1900. He began working for his uncle at the Cowboy Merchant Store, where he sold coffins. In 1911 he became the town undertaker and started the first funeral parlor in the county. The practice of embalming first began in 1914 and coffins were purchased from traveling salesmen. A horse-drawn hearse was used until 1929. Woods family descendants continued to operate the business after his death. Later known as Strickland Funeral Home, Inc., it remains a family business.
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Jebb Lee Woods arrived in Somerville in 1900 and got his start selling coffins at his uncle's mercantile store. In 1911 he became the town undertaker and opened the first funeral parlor in Burleson County, adding embalming by 1914 and using a horse-drawn hearse until 1929. His descendants carried on the business, which endures today as a family-run funeral home.
Why it matters
The shop's evolution—from coffins on a store shelf to a modern funeral home—mirrors how the American undertaking trade professionalized across the early twentieth century.
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Related people
- · Jebb Lee Woods
Themes & tags
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