Terzich & Wilson Funeral Home

Terzich & Wilson Funeral Home, located at 225 East Rose Street at Lyons Street in Sonora, California, is a cornerstone of the Mother Lode community. As Tuolumne County's oldest locally owned family business and its oldest and largest continually family-owned and operated funeral home and crematory, Terzich & Wilson has served families with compassion and integrity for over a century. The funeral home offers a comprehensive range of services, including traditional funeral services, memorial celebrations of life, graveside services, direct cremation, and burial services. They also assist with long-distance arrangements, cemetery services, and headstones and markers, ensuring families receive personalized care during difficult times.

The history of Terzich & Wilson is deeply rooted in community service. It began in 1919 when Josie Borzini Terzich, following the death of her infant son and husband, entered funeral service with W.B. O'Beirne Funeral Parlour. Josie was one of the first women embalmers in California and in 1926 became the first woman in the state to be elected coroner, serving three terms until 1938. In 1935, she partnered with Frank Bigelow to buy out the retiring O'Beirne. After that partnership dissolved in 1938, Josie built the Terzich Funeral Home, which opened in April 1940. Norbert "Holly" Wilson began working part-time for Josie in 1936. After serving in WWII, Holly returned, earned his embalmer's license in 1947, and became a partner in 1950, forming Terzich and Wilson. The firm also provided ambulance service from 1947 to 1978. They opened a second chapel in Tuolumne City in 1966, which continues to serve that community. In 2012, they opened Mother Lode Crematory in Jamestown, allowing cremation services to be performed locally by their own staff. Josie Terzich was honored in 1972 as Northern California's oldest funeral director. She passed away in 1974, and Holly Wilson in 2003, but their legacy of dedicated community service lives on through their descendants. Today, the business is managed by Holly's children, Kathy Wilson Sells and Jeff Wilson, along with the next generation: Kathy's son, Brian Sells (licensed funeral director since 1999), and Jeff's stepson, Chris Smyth, who manages the crematory. The dedicated team includes long-time employees John Moore (since 1974) and Donna Watson (since 2001), as well as newer associates. Terzich & Wilson is known for its accessibility features, including wheelchair accessible entrance and parking, and offers pre-planning services, resources for grief and coping, and a transparent pricing structure with casket and cremation urn price lists available online. The funeral home holds an impressive 4.8-star rating on Google Maps, reflecting the trust and appreciation of the community. Whether families need immediate assistance or wish to pre-arrange services, Terzich & Wilson Funeral Home provides professional, compassionate care honoring the traditions of the Mother Lode.