A Long and Distinguished History

      Kimbrell-Stern was founded in 1880 by William Hamilton Wilder.  While in the furniture business, he became interested in the funeral industry.  He and his cabinet maker, Mr. McDaniel, started making coffins in the back of the furniture store.  His skill and reputation led him to establish, in 1880, the William H. Wilder and Son Undertakers, located in the furniture store in the 200 block of Broad Avenue.  Mr. Wilder died in 1895 and was succeeded by his son, Felix Love Wilder.  After the death of Felix Love Wilder in 1906, the name of the funeral home was changed to L. Vannucci Company.  Mr. Vannucci was an associate of William H. Wilder and Son and a licensed funeral director and embalmer.

      In 1914, when Mr. Vannucci died, the name of the funeral home was changed to Albany Undertaking Company and was operated by his widow, Viola B. Harris, who later married C. W. Thomas.  In 1927, the organization moved from 125 North Jackson Street to 323 Broad Avenue and continued to be operated by Mr. and Mrs. Thomas until Mrs. Thomas' death in 1950.  Our organization had the first automotive hearse and the first electric organ south of Atlanta.  On June 13, 1950 the company was sold to Charles M. Stern, W. R. (Bob) Kimbrell, and E. J. (Buck) Stern, Jr.; and the name of the funeral home was changed to Kimbrell-Stern Funeral Directors.

      In December of 1964, our present facility was built on Dawson Road, and we installed the first crematory retort serving Albany and southwest Georgia in March 1985.  In October of the same year, Crown Hill Cemetery, which was established in 1927, was purchased by Kimbrell-Stern and began offering monument and memorial work to the families we serve.

The Tradition Continues

      In April of 1990 ownership was transferred to longtime employees David M. Stern, R. L. (Bucky) Brookshier, Jr., William I. (Billy) Coleman, Jr., and S. S. (Sandy) Mackey, Jr.  As our organization enters its second century of service, we will continue to be progressive, offering the finest service to southwest Georgia.

Our Professional Approach

      The death of a loved one is a very difficult and confusing time.  That's why our attentive staff is trained to make you as comfortable as possible and help you through all phases of the funeral process.  We listen with sensitivity, answer all your questions, respect your choices, and fulfill your requests.  We're here to help you and your family--before, during, and after the funeral service.  And we're always ready to assist in filing insurance, pension, and benefits forms; as well as helping you select the appropriate monument.

      At Kimbrell-Stern, we believe in providing services of the highest quality and value.  This requires professionalism, thoughtfulness, creativity, and an eye for detail.  By visiting our funeral resource center, we can suggest many unique and meaningful ways to make the services you choose truly special.

      We can also help you understand that a funeral represents an opportunity to celebrate the life of your loved one--the memories, values, and accomplishments.  That's an important part of the grieving process.  Because everyone's needs are different, we offer a wide range of service options and have the flexibility to create services of remembrance that are most appropriate for each family we serve.

      As the local member of Selected Independent Funeral Homes, we have sworn to uphold its Code of Good Funeral Practice--a pledge that has become the standard in integrity for the funeral service profession.  The Code represents the qualities that set us apart from the rest, and you should not settle for anything less:

As funeral directors, our calling imposes upon us special responsibilities to those we serve and to the public at large.  An important obligation is to inform the public so that everyone can make knowledgeable decisions about funerals and funeral directors.

In acceptance of our responsibilities, and as a condition of our membership in Selected Independent Funeral Homes, we affirm the following standards of good funeral practice and hereby pledge:

• To provide the public with information about funerals, including prices, and about the functions, services and responsibilities of funeral directors.
• To afford a continuing opportunity to all persons to discuss or arrange funerals in advance.
• To make funerals available in as wide a range of price categories as necessary to meet the need of all segments of the community, and affirmatively to extend to everyone the right of inspecting and freely considering all of them
• To quote conspicuously in writing the charges for every funeral offered and to identify clearly the prices for the services, facilities, equipment and merchandise included in such quotations
• To furnish each family at the time funeral arrangements are made, a written memorandum of charges and to make no additional charge without the approval of the purchaser
• To make no representation, written or oral, which may be false or misleading, and to apply a standard of total honesty in all dealings
• To respect all faiths, creeds and customs, and to give full effect to the role of the clergy
• To maintain a qualified and competent staff; complete facilities and suitable equipment required for comprehensive funeral service
• To assure those we serve the right of personal choice and decision in making funeral arrangements
• To be responsive to the needs of the poor serving them within their means
• To comply fully with the requirements of the U. S. Federal Trade Commission Funeral Rule