Losing someone is heavy. It's a weight that doesn't just sit on your chest; it reshapes the room you're standing in. When you're looking for kendall funeral home obits, you aren't just "browsing content." You’re usually looking for a specific name, a piece of a story, or perhaps a time and place to say a final goodbye.
But here’s the thing: people often get frustrated because there isn't just one "Kendall Funeral Home." If you type that into a search bar, you might end up looking at a service in Boscobel, Wisconsin, when you actually meant to find someone in Pembroke, Virginia.
It’s confusing.
Finding the Right Kendall Funeral Home Obits
Most people searching for these records are looking for one of two primary family-run establishments. Honestly, the legacy of the Kendall name in the funeral industry is pretty deep, stretching across different states.
First, you've got the Kendall Funeral Home in Pembroke, Virginia. This place is a staple in Giles County. It’s located at 605 Snidow Street. If you’re looking for Mary Elizabeth Vaught, who passed away recently in January 2026, or perhaps someone like Lonnie Freeman from a few years back, this is your spot. They handle a lot of services for folks in Ripplemead, Pearisburg, and the surrounding New River Valley.
Then there is Kendall Funeral Service Inc. in Boscobel, Wisconsin.
Located at 209 Mary Street, this Wisconsin branch is where you’ll find recent 2026 notices for people like Chad E. “Wick” Rogers or Rick Rice. They’ve been part of the Boscobel community for a long time. They even have a "James Kendall Jr." in their recent archives—a man who served in the Navy and moved to Seattle but eventually came "home" to his roots in the obituaries here.
Why the Details Matter So Much
An obituary isn't just a death notice. It's a bio.
When you read through the kendall funeral home obits from the Pembroke location, you see names like Phillip Porterfield or Dana Poteet Porterfield. These aren't just names; they are lives spent on family farms in Newport or careers driving buses for Giles County Public Schools.
If you're trying to find a specific person, you have to be precise.
- Location: Check the state. Is it VA or WI?
- Dates: Many funeral homes keep "recent" obits on the front page but tuck older ones into an archive.
- Maiden Names: Often, people search for a woman's married name and miss the record because the obituary leads with her birth name.
The Historic Roots of the Kendall Name
If you’re a history buff or doing genealogy, the Kendall name goes way back. Over in West Virginia, the Lohr & Barb Funeral Home actually carries the legacy of Zachariah Kendall. He started a funeral home in 1889. Back then, furniture makers and undertakers were basically the same business because, well, if you could build a cabinet, you could build a coffin.
His son, Marcellus Alonzo Kendall, even served as the president of the West Virginia Funeral Director’s Association. This family basically helped professionalize how we handle death in the Appalachian region.
How to Actually Use the Online Guestbooks
One of the most valuable parts of the modern kendall funeral home obits is the digital guestbook. It’s a place for "distant hugs," as one obituary beautifully put it during the pandemic years.
Don't just look for the service time.
Families often check these guestbooks weeks or months after the funeral. Leaving a memory about how someone once helped you fix a flat tire or shared a recipe for apple butter means more than a standard "sorry for your loss."
For the Pembroke, VA location, they often use Legacy.com to host their tributes. You can sign up for email alerts there so you don't miss a neighbor's passing. It's a bit "small town," but in a way that keeps the community tightly knit.
What to Do Next
If you are currently searching for a loved one's information, start by confirming the city. If it's Pembroke, head to their Snidow Street office or their specific website. If it’s Boscobel, check the Mary Street listings.
Actionable Steps:
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- Verify the Location: Double-check if the deceased lived in Virginia or Wisconsin to save yourself a headache.
- Check Social Media: Local funeral homes often post "service updates" on Facebook faster than they update the official website.
- Note the Service Venue: Many times, the funeral isn't at the home itself but at a local church, like Riverview Baptist in Ripplemead for the Pembroke folks.
- Download the Program: If the funeral home offers a digital PDF of the service program, save it. These disappear from websites after a few years.
Finding kendall funeral home obits shouldn't be a chore. It's the start of remembering someone. Whether you're sending flowers to Boscobel or attending a graveside service at Birchlawn Burial Park in Pearisburg, getting the details right is the first step in showing up for the people who are left behind.