Scales & Sons Funeral Home

Scales & Sons Funeral Home, located at 314 East State Street in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, stands as the oldest African American family-owned funeral home in Rutherford County. Founded in 1916 by Henry Preston Scales as "H. Preston Scales Undertaker," the business has served Middle Tennessee families for over a century, with a legacy built on integrity, compassion, and personalized service. The funeral home has remained under continuous family ownership through five generations: Henry Preston Scales (1916–1946), Willie Burkeen Scales (1946–1971), Robert "T-90" Scales Sr. (1971–2000), Mary C. Scales (2000–2012), and current owners Tonya Scales-Haynes and Pastor Derrick Jackson (2012–present). In its early years, the funeral home used horse-drawn buggies to transport the deceased, and Henry Preston Scales often embalmed bodies in rural homes before transporting them to churches and cemeteries. He also established the Helping Hands Mutual Burial Association, which provided $100 burial benefits to families who paid with chickens, crops, or installment payments—a testament to the financial flexibility that remains a core value today. When Henry Preston Scales died suddenly in 1946, his 20-year-old son Robert left college to help continue the business. Since then, Scales & Sons has served more than 7,000 families across Middle Tennessee, earning a 100-year reputation of trust and satisfaction. The funeral home offers a comprehensive range of services, including personalized funeral and memorial services, cremation arrangements, pre-planning options, veterans and Social Security benefits assistance, monument sales with personalized engravings, and notary public services. The staff is dedicated to providing affordable, compassionate care tailored to each family's needs, with flexible payment options. The facility, located in Murfreesboro, is designed to accommodate meaningful celebrations of life, and the team welcomes families to tour the location. Scales & Sons also provides grief resources, eulogy guidance, and support for creating meaningful services. The funeral home encourages pre-planning to ease the burden on loved ones and offers resources such as a pre-plan form and information about why planning ahead is important. Recognitions and awards highlight the funeral home's commitment to excellence. Recent obituaries on their website reflect an active role in the community, serving families from Murfreesboro and surrounding areas including Smyrna, Nashville, and Brentwood. With a legacy spanning more than 100 years, Scales & Sons Funeral Home continues to honor its heritage while providing dignified, compassionate care to every family it serves.