OUR HISTORY

Our History

Established in 1936 by Eugene Turner, Turner Funeral Home was located on Dodds Ave in the community known as Ridgedale. Sitting at the foot of Missionary Ridge, the Turner family started their funeral home in a small, quaint, white house. Several years and several building additions later, Mr. Turner, his wife Nell, and his family acquired some more property beside the original white house. They then built a much larger, metropolitan, red brick Williamsburg-Style Funeral Home in the early 1950's. It was the largest funeral home chapel in the Chattanooga area of its time, and over the years, thousands of families were served there.

As the business progressed, Eugene's brothers Cecil, Bryant, and Bookie all helped in its success even as they were building other personal careers of their own. Cecil, until he passed away, ran the ambulance service for Turner Funeral Home. Bryant continued to help with the funeral home alongside his job as a county processor after retiring from Southern Railroad. Bookie went on to have a successful political career as Sheriff and Fire & Police Commissioner with the help and love of his wife, Virginia Turner, who ran their shoe store in the meantime. Their daughter, State Representative Brenda Turner, was also elected and enjoyed a wonderful and long 20-year career in politics with the TN state legislature. She was politically active in many social issues, along with overseeing the funeral director's association for the state.

In the mid-1960's, Bookie's young son Mike started helping around the funeral home, cutting the grass and helping with whatever other chores he could do to earn a little spending money. As he washed and cleaned the funeral home cars and limousines daily, his Uncle Gene decided to give him the "official" title of "Industrial Engineer," much to his excitement. He had been elevated from the nickname "Sonny-boy". That young boy, Mike, is the owner and operator today and has been since he bought the business from his uncle in 1977. Mike's father, a TN Licensed Funeral Director, had recently retired as the State of TN Director of Veterans Affairs and wanted to work alongside his son. Mike's mother, Virginia, also a TN Licensed Funeral Director, was "drafted" by Mike to help with the office bookkeeping. Mrs. Turner was active for many years overseeing the office duties, while Mike, his dad, and the great staff took care of many funeral arrangements and services each day.

In 1990, Mike and his wife Sandy purchased 2 acres of property on Highway 58 at Webb Rd, known as the Lakeside community, and opened the second Turner Funeral Home Chapel. It's located at the 4th traffic light, south of Hwy 153 between the Lake Hills and Murray Hills area.  Mike dedicated the chapel to his father, Bookie, who passed away in 1986. This "Golden Rule Funeral Home" is centrally located in the Chattanooga area and is still independently operated by the same founding family. 

"Our Family Serving Your Family Since 1936" is our Golden Rule principle and values the saying, 'Do unto others as you would have them do unto you'.