Our History
Daniel H. Girdner Sr. was a true gentleman in every sense of the word. He began the legacy of Girdner Funeral Chapel that is now spanning 4 generations.
In December of 1942, Dan Girdner Sr. became partners in Bills and Burton Funeral Home. It was one of the 2 funeral homes in Yreka at the time. His family continued to live in Redding where he had been employed by McDonald’s chapel. In early 1943, he was able to move his family to Yreka and bought out his partner in the funeral home in order to establish Girdner Funeral Chapel. The original funeral home was located on the corner of Center and Oregon Streets, next to the United Methodist Church.
Dan was heavily involved in the community and never knew a stranger. He loved to spend time with friends and family, loved camping and fishing and teaching his grandkids to do the same. He passed these characteristics down to the next generations. Dan Sr., and later Dan Jr., continued the tradition serving Siskiyou County families with the utmost care and compassion. Dan Sr. passed away in July of 1988 and he and his wife, Della are laid to rest in the family plot at Evergreen Cemetery.
Daniel H. Girdner Jr. was born to Dan Sr. and Della Girdner in 1931. He was raised in Redding until he was 11 years old and then moved to Yreka when his father started Girdner Funeral Chapel. He had a typical small town upbringing but upon graduation from Yreka High, he went to the big city. Following graduation from Stanford University in 1954 and San Francisco College of Mortuary Science in 1958, Dan Jr. came back to work in the family business. In 1970, after the Methodist Church had relocated, the Girdner’s bought and tore down the old church and the house next door and built the current building that houses Girdner Funeral Chapel. The original building was later demolished to make room for the current parking lot.
In the tradition of his father, Dan Jr. was also very involved in helping the community. He was involved in many boards and in many organizations that benefit others. He raised his family of 5 with the same values that were instilled in him. He and his wife, June, worked together at Girdner Funeral Chapel until his retirement in 2003 and June later retired in 2006. They enjoyed traveling in their retirement years and spending time with their children and grandchildren. Sadly, Dan Jr. passed away in December of 2015 at his home surrounded by his family. He is also buried in the family plot.
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Robert Girdner Location Manager - Girdner Funeral Chapel, Funeral Director & Licensed Embalmer
Robert is the 4th Generation of the Girdner Family in the funeral business. Rob is the son of Gregg, the nephew of Chris, and Dan Jr.’s grandson.Rob graduated from Yreka High School in 2007 and achieved his Bachelors of Science in Biology and Environmental Sciences from Santa Clara University in 2011. He then decided to pursue the family business, and he graduated from American River College of Mortuary Science in 2013. Rob is a licensed Funeral Director (FDR 3631) and a Licensed Embalmer (EMB 9454).Rob and his wife, Cicily, married in July of 2013. They have two daughters, Abigail and Emersyn. They make their home in Grenada, along with their dog, a blue heeler named Maycee May. Rob and his family enjoy hunting, backpacking, and spending time with their friends and family. Rob also serves on the board of United Scholarships, Inc. (a position his grandfather held for 51 years), and is a past member of the Grenada Elementary School Board. Rob is a sports enthusiast, following very closely his beloved San Francisco Giants, Denver Broncos, and Colorado Avalanche.
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Gregg Girdner Funeral Counselor
Gregg was born and raised in Yreka. He attended Yreka Elementary School and graduated from Yreka High School. He is a 1983 graduate from Santa Clara University. Gregg worked for 20 years in retail with Payless Drug Stores and Office Depot before returning to Yreka and joining the staff at Girdner Funeral Chapel.Gregg and his wife, Jeanne have two children, William and Robert. They live in Yreka. In his spare time, Gregg can often be found in his garage where he makes wooden toys and other wood projects.
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Toya Gobert Funeral Counselor
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Austin Deptuch Headstone and Cremation Technician
