One of the oldest continually operating Ballard businesses, Wiggen and Sons Funeral Home, is up for sale. The funeral home at 2003 NW 57th St. has been open since 1914. But, because of Ballard’s rapidly shifting demographics, the owner Bonney-Watson has decided to put the property up for sale after purchasing it in 2000. “In the last 13 years, Ballard has changed substantially, with a shift in demographic towards younger-aged people and with extensive real estate development in the area,” Bonney-Watson tells us in a press release.
Cameron Smock, president of Bonney-Watson, says the funeral home business itself is not for sale, and he expects that they will remain open for the next 18 months. “Our business remains healthy and regardless of whether we hold property in Ballard, Bonney-Watson remains committed to Ballard families,” Smock says. However, Smock says the increasing number of young families in Ballard do not have the same need for the services the funeral home offers. “Therefore, we have decided to take the proceeds from this property sale and reinvest in new facilities in Seattle that will offer families more flexibility and more amenities.”
Bonney-Watson owns four Puget Sound-area locations on Capitol Hill, SeaTac, Federal Way and Ballard. They purchased Wiggen and Sons after it changed hands several times over the past century. It was originally Graham and Engemann Mortuary, but was then purchased by Jack Pheasant, who went into business with Olaf Wiggen in 1914.
