The Somerset Undertaking Company is one of the oldest firms in business, not only in Somerset, but in the state of Kentucky. This company was incorporated in 1908 and was an outgrowth of the following firms:

Girdler-Whitehead Co., incorporated in 1904 as a furniture and hardware company;

Girdler Brothers was formed from this company in 1907 with Mr. O.W. Swaim as embalmer;

J.J. Frazure & Co. was formed in 1907 and operated until 1912 with Mr. Cliff Day as embalmer;

Girdler & Swaim Co. was incorporated in 1913 and operated by George Sallee, Everett Girdler and O.W. Swaim. Mr. Cliff Day joined this firm as the embalmer. Somerset Undertaking Company was organized later that same year by these men.

Mr. M.A. Gibbs purchased the interest of Mr. Swaim in January of 1935 and Kenneth Gibbs, his son, was elected Secretary of the firm. He worked along with Mr. Cliff Day until Mr. Day's death in 1951, when he assumed the position of Manager.

The funeral home operated at 124 North Main Street until 1952 when the home of Judge J.S. Sandusky, at 113 North Main Street, was purchased and converted into a larger funeral home. Mr. Max Zibell was employed in 1953 and Mr. Boyd Tucker was employed in 1955, both of whom later became stockholders in the firm.

Somerset Funeral Home 1954

In May of 1986, the funeral home was purchased from Kenneth Gibbs and Max Zibell by Alan Stringer and Gary Sloan. Mr. Stringer and Mr. Sloan continued to operate the business until they dissolved their partnership in 1988.

During the partnership, a second location of the funeral home was built at Nancy, Kentucky, which is 10 miles west of the main location, mainly in an agricultural area. This location performs approximately twenty to twenty-five services a year. The main location services approximately 140 families a year, 95% being traditional funerals.

In January of 1990, Alan Stringer sold the holding of the firms to Arlington Corporation, who one year later was acquired by SCI. Alan Stringer remained employed through both transactions as manager and consultant. In May of 1992, Alan Stringer bought the business back from SCI.

During the later part of 1993 and early 1994, the main facility underwent major expansion and refurbishment of the older section.