About Rogers Funeral Homes

Rogers Funeral Homes, originally known as J.B. Rogers & Company, was founded by Jesse Burr Rogers in early 1925. Burr Rogers had graduated from the Cincinnati College of Embalming in 1916, and had worked for an undertaking establishment in Manchester before the time of his military service in World War I. When he returned after the war, he decided to return to Cincinnati College of Embalming for a post-graduate course in funeral service.

Jesse Burr Rogers

In 1925, J.B. Rogers formed a partnership with Braden Brothers and Company and they purchased the business and goodwill of Mr. Baumgartner. Later, J.B. Rogers & Company acquired the A.V. Havron Undertaking Establishment at Jasper, which was then called Braden & Rogers Funeral Homes. The business was originally located at 219 Cedar Avenue in a two-story store building, with furniture, stoves, heaters and other household goods.

In 1926, J.B. Rogers & Company gave South Pittsburg and the Sequatchie Valley their first ambulance and continued to add the necessary equipment to, in the words of J.B. Rogers, “give our clientele the best possible service in their hour of need.” They continued to provide ambulance service to the area until Marion County began providing that function in 1971.

In 1938, the building at 219 Cedar Avenue was destroyed by fire, and J.B. Rogers moved the business to a store building at 235 Cedar Avenue. Marvin Rogers joined his father in business in 1947. In 1950, in keeping with their desires to give the very best and most up-to-date service, they built a new building at the corner of 4th Street and Laurel Avenue to house Rogers Funeral Home. It was the first building in the Sequatchie Valley built to be a funeral home. In 1968, the South Pittsburg Chapel was renovated and enlarged to its present size, which is approximately twice that of 1950.

In 1962, Rogers Funeral Homes purchased the assets and goodwill of Braden Funeral Home, and they began construction of a new building on 5th Street in Jasper. This facility was opened in 1963 and enlarged in 1982.

James Marvin Rogers, Jr., “Jim”, graduated in 1977 from the University of Minnesota with a bachelor’s degree in Mortuary Science and returned home to join his father in business.

J.B. Rogers died in 1969, Marvin died in 1993, and Jim continues the operation of Rogers Funeral Homes, with the capable and devoted assistance of the employees with which the firm has been blessed throughout the years. Jim’s daughter, Meegan Rogers Burton joined the firm in 2000. They are both pledged to a future of continuing the work begun by Burr Rogers over 80 years before them – to, in J.B. Rogers’ words, provide to the families they serve, “the best possible service in their hour of need.”