History of Keith & Keith Funeral Home
In September of 1939, Donald C. Keith and his wife, Melva M. Keith, purchased Hamm Funeral Home and renamed it Keith & Keith Funeral Home. Royal Keith, Don's son associated with the firm in 1958. Virgil Umbarger joined the firm and became a part owner in 1971 and continues to work for the funeral home.
From the early days, Keith & Keith has built its foundation of serving our community through the hard work and dedication of the Keith and Umbarger families. Our tradition of service, as developed by Don Keith, has been instilled in the staff and this tradition of service lives today through the excellence and professionalism given by our staff.
The funeral home building itself has been drastically changed since 1939 through three remodeling projects: in 1947, 1962 and in 1976. The Keith & Keith Chapel in Terrace Heights was constructed in 1971 to help serve those families who have property in Terrace Heights Memorial Park. We have since expanded this facility to include a reception center to better meet the needs of those we serve at both of our locations.
The number of families being served by Keith & Keith has consistently increased over the nearly sixty-five years we have served Yakima. This increase is attributed to the improvements of our facilities and the commitment to community involvement established by the the founding families -- as well as the the appreciation of the personal service as developed by Don Keith as an extension of the Golden Rule. We serve each family as we ourselves would wish to be served if we were experiencing a death within our own family.
Our commitment to those we serve is the foundation on which this firm and our company is built. Although we honor and care for departed loved ones, we truly serve the living; those left behind to continue the celebration of life. Our commitment is to create a meaningful, and everlasting memory or someone very special.
Don C. Keith
1909 - 1980