Dual businesses: Century-old Geyserville retailer also runs local cemetery

The interior of Bosworth & Son Store shrieks history.

The mercantile building was built in 1902 as a buggy shop and mortuary by Harry Bosworth’s great-grandfather. George Bosworth, Harry’s grandfather, opened Olive Hill Cemetery in 1900 at 349 Canyon Road.

George, along with his son, Obed, opened the store as Bosworth & Son, in 1911, continuing the mortuary until 1925 and maintaining the cemetery office.

These days, to find out about the Olive Hill Cemetery just visit the office right inside the store.

For the past century-plus the store has offered a variety of services, changing as the needs of the community changed. Early on, the post office was at the venue, along with groceries and sweets.

Over time, Obed Bosworth added animal feed and clothing to the store’s inventory.

When Obed died in the 1980s, his son, Harry Bosworth, who had not worked with his father, merged his hardware store into his father’s venue, along with continuing the cemetery.

In 2018, the store was streamlined and attuned to the community’s needs once again.

And now, there’s a Bosworth and daughter, though they won’t change the name of the store. Gretchen Bosworth Crebs, envisioned a store that was updated and completed in June.

That includes a hat cleaning and crushing services and sales of a wide variety of western hats, sun hats and Mexican-style hats, along with brands like Stetson, Resistol, Dorfman and Atwood.

In addition, there are leather goods like wallets and belts, plus T-shirts, western shirts and Wrangler jeans, and local honey and jellies, books by area authors and greeting cards. They carry Western-themed children’s apparel, as well.

Bosworth & Son Store and Olive Hill Cemetery office are located at 21060 Geyserville Ave. Geyserville. Store hours are 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Thursday through Sunday.