Scales & Sons Funeral HomeObituaries · Murfreesboro, TN

Scales & Sons Funeral Home is the oldest African American family-owned funeral home in Rutherford County, founded in 1916 by Henry Preston Scales as "H. Preston Scales Undertaker" in downtown Murfreesboro. The business has remained in 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 established the Helping Hands Mutual Burial Association, which provided $100 burial benefits to families who paid with chickens, crops, or installment payments. When Henry Preston Scales died suddenly in 1946, his 20-year-old son Robert left college to help continue the business.

The funeral home has served more than 7,000 families across Middle Tennessee. Services include pre-need planning, veterans and Social Security benefits assistance, monument sales with personalized engravings, and notary public services. The staff provides funeral and cremation arrangements with flexible payment options.