General Discussion

marble falls (71,399 posts) Sat Feb 7, 2026, 09:49 AM

Henrietta Duterte, African-American funeral home owner, philanthropist, and abolitionist from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

After her husband's death, Duterte took over the funeral parlor and became the first American woman to operate such a business. The funeral home earned a reputation for quick undertaking service, which was necessary for the time before modern-day embalming methods. The business was estimated to gross $8,000/year (about $211,500 as of 2017) under her ownership.

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