Boone County, KY - Obituary, Grubbs, Wallace K., 1975

Thursday, 23 September 1999



Submitted by:  lharbing@worldnet.att.net  (Buddy & Linda Harbin-Grubbs)

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Obituary of Wallace K. Grubbs

 

The Kentucky Post, Saturday, Mary 17, 1975

 

Deaths:  "Wallace K. Grubbs.....won a wife and found a career - 

By Bert Workum, Kentucky Post Staff Writer:



Wallace K. Grubbs went courting Mary Scott Chambers more than 50 years ago 

in Walton, and won himself more than a wife.  He found a career.

At that time, Mary Chambers was the first woman embalmer in Kentucky.  She 

got her license in 1925, the next year, Wallace Grubbs, married her, and

began developing an interest in Chambers embalming business.

 

Back in those days, they'd work out of the homes of the deceased---and 

90 per cent of the funerals were in the churches, " said Grubbs' youngest 

son, Jim, a funeral home director himself.



Grubbs started in the business in 1928, and got his license in 1930, after 

graduation from the Cincinnati College of Embalming.



But times were changing, and in 1936 Grubbs built the Chambers & Grubbs 

Funeral Home, in Walton, which was also to be his home from then on.



"It was the first funeral home in Boone County," Jim Grubbs said.

He spoke about his father's 47 years of being "active in the business from 

the word go" with pride.  After the first funeral home was opened in 1936, 

Grubbs smoothly directed operations and was instrumental in the opening of 

the Florence home in 1946--where his oldest son, Wallace Scott (Buddy) Grubbs 

is director--and a third home in Independence in 1961.



"He never retired--he devoted most of his time to his work," said Jim Grubbs, 

who is director of the Independence funeral home.



The middle son, John "just never was interested in the funeral home business," 

Jim said, and went on to become superintendent at Walton-Verona High School.

Thursday morning found Wallace Grubbs working in his office at the home, 

45 N. Main St., Walton, as usual, despite his 73 years.  Then he walked down 

for a bite to eat at a nearby restaurant. 



"When he got back, he didn't feel very well," Jim Grubbs said.  At 12:30 p.m., 

the Walton-Verona ambulance took Wallace Grubbs to St. Elizabeth Hospital.

He died there at 10 a.m. Friday, of an apparent heart attack.



Grubbs was a member of Walton Christian Church; Walton Masonic Lodge; 

Kentucky and National Funeral Directors Associations; and past member of 

Florence Rotary.



Survivors, in addition to his widow and three sons, include: daughters, Mrs.

Jeanette G. Clore, Grant; Mrs. Elizabeth G. Poore, Walton; sister, Myrtle 

Chapman, Phoenix, Ariz.; 14 grandchildren and one great-grandchild.



Services 11 a.m. Monday, Chambers & Grubbs, Walton. Burial Highland Cemetery. 

Visitation 3 to 9 p.m. Sunday. 



Buddy & Linda Harbin-Grubbs

Boone County, Kentucky

lharbing@worldnet.att.net

http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Park/1280/index.html

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