Earthman Baytown Funeral Home

Personalized funerals and celebrations

Our contemporary Garth Road funeral home has a large chapel and plenty of room for a gathering with friends and family. Catering services allow you to host breakfast, lunch or dinner. And because we know that each life is different and every family is unique, our team is trained to listen carefully and help you design a perfectly personalized funeral or memorial service.

Whether you’re seeking an intimate gathering of close family and friends, a traditional funeral service with a catered reception or a creative celebration (complete with a live band, favorite foods and funeral favors), we handle every detail. From scrapbooking to sailboats, guitars to golf balls, barbecue to balloon bouquets, we take the things that mattered to your special someone and string them together to create a singular, heartfelt memorial.

Guiding with purpose and heart

Our mission is to take families through tender moments with empathy, professionalism and care. We believe every life deserves a meaningful farewell, and we work closely with your family to reflect your values, culture and faith. Families from a wide range of religious and cultural backgrounds choose us.

Earthman Memory Gardens Cemetery

If cemetery services are part of your plans, we can work with our sister location, Earthman Memory Gardens Cemetery—also known as Baytown Memorial Cemetery—on Garth Road. This serene setting offers a variety of memorial options, from traditional in-ground burial to cremation niches, as well as aboveground entombment in a beautiful mausoleum. We can also coordinate with another cemetery.

Our role remains the same, no matter where you purchase property: to advise you with compassion and expertise.

The history of Earthman funeral homes and cemeteries

James Bradshaw Earthman Sr. began his career as a blacksmith and livery service provider in Taylor, Texas. In those days, funeral homes were rare, and it was common for those in horse-related trades to lend a hand when a death occurred. When the town purchased a horse-drawn hearse, families often turned to Earthman, the trusted proprietor of the local livery stable, to help with their funeral needs.

In 1889, providing funeral services became James’ full-time profession. His company was among the first licensed providers in Texas.

A move to Houston

In 1904, James and a friend, railroad surveyor J.C. McCarty, moved to Houston and established the Earthman and McCarty Undertaking Company at 715 Main St. The company did well and, in 1924, James and J.C. built a funeral home at 2420 Fannin St. After J.C.’s death, the company became the J.B. Earthman Company.

After James B. Earthman Sr. died in 1931, James B. Earthman Jr. (J.B.), a St. Thomas High School and Rice University graduate, left his successful architectural career to manage the company. His wife, Blanche Bastien Earthman, worked with J.B. on daily operations. When Blanche earned her funeral director’s license, she was among the first women in Texas to do so.

A family tradition expands to Baytown

J.B. pioneered funeral pre-planning, founding a burial insurance company in the 1930s. Growth continued through the decades.

The couple opened their Baytown funeral home in 1948, in what was downtown at that time. A few years later, in 1953, they founded Earthman Memory Gardens Cemetery on Garth Road. The first burial took place there the following year. In 1978, they moved the funeral home to its current location, less than 5 miles south of the cemetery.

Together, J.B. and Blanche built Earthman Funeral Directors & Cemeteries into one of the largest family-owned-and-operated funeral companies in the United States. Their children and grandchildren joined to manage and expand the business. Some of them are still involved today.