(MURFREESBORO)  Milestones mark "achievements" in lives. When a couple celebrates its Golden Anniversary, that's a major accomplishment. It's rare for businesses and individuals to become a centenarian. This Sunday (10/15/2023) afternoon,

a 6-generation family-owned local business celebrates its 130th anniversary, and they're inviting the public to "share the joy with them". 

The community celebration will be under a big tent beside Woodfin Funeral Chapels at 1488 Lascassas Pike in Murfreesboro.

Shannon Woodfin Parsons told WGNS... Parsons noted that she was trained for life through the love of her parents Bubba and Kay Woodfin. 

In a WGNS broadcast, she talked about how her father instilled the importance of being a caring, friendly, and humble servant to all--and to always answer the phone with a staff member, not a recording machine or answering service. 

She noted that with time, traditions change. As the number of cremations has increased, many years ago Woodfin Funeral Chapels built an onsite crematory in Murfreesboro.

"By maintaining custody of your loved one through the entire cremation process, we feel that this helps to assure our high standards of dignity and respect. We believe it provides the Peace of Mind that firms using third-party cremation providers can’t offer."  

What Was This Area Like in 1893? - This local funeral home came along at a time of rebirth in Rutherford County. In 1893 the community was still suffering from the destruction of homes, churches and businesses brought about by the Civil War, 29-years earlier.

Keep in mind, 1893 was only 3-years after Tennessee's state capital was moved from Murfreesboro to Nashville. 

The Tennessee Red Cedar Woodworks Company was the major industry here, and in 1893 it received worldwide fame with the placement of "the world's largest cedar bucket" in the Chicago World's Fair.

In 1893, agriculture was the main business in this rural county, and the pre-Civil War railroad tracks, roads and the county's geographic location spurred Rutherford County forward.

When the funeral home began in 1893, the main mode of transportation was either "foot" or "horse/mule". Henry Ford's model-T didn't come around until 15-plus years later. 

In addition, much data from the 11th US Census (1890), was destroyed in a fire. More reliable information was found in the 1930 census (37 years later). At that time, Rutherford County had a total population of 7,993 residents. That's a far cry from the 360,619 persons shown in the 2022 census estimates. 

Congratulations on 130-Years! - Congratulations to the families at Woodfin Funeral Chapels for achieving this milestone. The family business is located 1488 Lascassas Pike in Murfreesboro, and in Smyrna at 203 N. Lowry St.