Our Heritage

The History of the Historic Hewett Funeral Home & Building

Arthur Hewett and George Christian started Hewett Funeral Home at the corner of 2nd St & Ave A in downtown Temple in 1911.  Two years after the start of the business Mr. Hewett bought out Mr. Christians part.  Mr. Hewett kept his funeral home here until 1920 when he moved to a location on S 1st St in downtown.  Mr. Hewett ran the business with his two sons Clyde and Roy as well as Cecil, Roys wife.  In 1936 Clyde passed away.  Mr. Hewetts youngest child Margaret married a gentleman Mr. Sam Davis.  Mr. Davis joined the funeral home in 1944.  At this time Mr. Hewett, Roy, Cecil and Mr. Davis were operating the funeral home.  In 1942, one year after Mr. Hewett passed away, a new funeral home building was built at 14 W. Barton Ave, which is where the funeral home still is today.  The funeral home operated in the new air conditioned building (which was a big deal back then) with Roy, Cecil, Mr.Davis and Dan Harper (Mr. Davis' son-in-law) until 1964 when Mr. Harper ventured off to form his own funeral home.  In 1968 Roy and Cecil sold the business to Harry Lewellen but the building and property stayed in the Hewett family.  Throughout the years after the sale in 1968 the Hewett Funeral Home was run by several different persons and companies.  The Temple Funeral Home was in the building from 2004-2008 until the business was purchased by Justin and Amanda Arney.  The sale of the building was completed by Amanda Arney in 2014 leaving the business and the building now the property of Hewett-Arney Funeral Home.  Unfortunately 4 years after Justin and Amanda opened for business, Justin was diagnosed with terminal cancer.  Justin did not live long enough to see the actual building be the property of the business he built.  Justin passed away in Feb. 2013.  Amanda, Margaret (Justin's Mother), Carlton Godfrey (who has been with the Hewett family since 1965) and Dave (an EMT Justin met in the back of an ambulance while he was sick) are dedicated to keeping Justin's dream of offering compassionate, personal and caring services to families at respectable rates alive by serving them to the highest of standards in the funeral profession for years to come.