Our History

Addison Stewart Turner was born on August 29, 1873, in Rockdale County near the present Turner Hill Baptist Church on Turner Hill Road. His father, Rev. Elijah L. Turner had a farm of about 500 acres and marked off ten acres for a church cemetery and a Baptist church, where he preached for 40 years.


In 1895, A.S. Turner married Myra Haygood, the great niece of Methodist Bishop Atticus Greene Haygood Sr., who was elected Bishop in 1890 and for whom Haygood Drive, which goes in front of Druid Hills High School, was named. Myra's father was Orion Stroud Haygood, who was attached to the Army of Northern Virginia and went unscathed through Malvern Hill, Second Manassas, Antietam, Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville, Gettysburg, Spotsylvania Court House, and the Battle of North Ana.

Addison Stewart Turner was born on August 29, 1873, in Rockdale County near the present Turner Hill Baptist Church on Turner Hill Road. His father, Rev. Elijah L. Turner had a farm of about 500 acres and marked off ten acres for a church cemetery and a Baptist church, where he preached for 40 years.


In 1895, A.S. Turner married Myra Haygood, the great niece of Methodist Bishop Atticus Greene Haygood Sr., who was elected Bishop in 1890 and for whom Haygood Drive, which goes in front of Druid Hills High School, was named. Myra's father was Orion Stroud Haygood, who was attached to the Army of Northern Virginia and went unscathed through Malvern Hill, Second Manassas, Antietam, Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville, Gettysburg, Spotsylvania Court House, and the Battle of North Ana.

After his marriage, A.S. Turner sold sewing machines for a while and in 1903 was financially able to form the partnership of Turner & Johnson, mainly a hardware store that sold caskets in Conyers. He learned to embalm at the “Boss” Platt School in Augusta.

Many times, farmers would drive their wagon into town, purchase a casket, and go back to the farm to have a “do it yourself at home” funeral. Neighbors would come in, help dress the body, and dig a grave on the farm or at the churchyard. Family cemeteries and city cemeteries abounded in the South. If Mr. Turner was employed to embalm a body, it was always done at the home of the deceased.

Many times, farmers would drive their wagon into town, purchase a casket, and go back to the farm to have a “do it yourself at home” funeral. Neighbors would come in, help dress the body, and dig a grave on the farm or at the churchyard. Family cemeteries and city cemeteries abounded in the South. If Mr. Turner was employed to embalm a body, it was always done at the home of the deceased.

In 1913, the Turner & Johnson partnership moved to Decatur into a rented building on North McDonough Street, directly across from the present new DeKalb County Courthouse. The building had about 90 feet of frontage – 30 feet for the hardware store, 30 feet for a furniture store (a new business), and the last 30 feet for the funeral home. The old North Decatur Streetcar Line to Atlanta stopped in front of the business. Most of the funerals were within a radius of a few miles. Even then, Mr. Turner still had a horse-drawn hearse. This consisted of a carved-side, enclosed wagon and two beautiful white horses.

Not long after moving to Decatur, Mr. Johnson sold his half interest in the partnership to Mr. George Everitt in about 1915. Mr. Everitt liked the hardware business and in 1917 sold his part of the partnership to A.S. Turner. Mr. Everitt later opened his own hardware store on the East Court Square.

Not long after moving to Decatur, Mr. Johnson sold his half interest in the partnership to Mr. George Everitt in about 1915. Mr. Everitt liked the hardware business and in 1917 sold his part of the partnership to A.S. Turner. Mr. Everitt later opened his own hardware store on the East Court Square.

The oldest son of A.S. Turner, A. Mell Turner, was born in 1898, and his daughter, Myrtice, was born in 1900. Mell became active in the business as a teenager, especially with embalming at the home, even at all hours of the night. When the great flu epidemic came in 1918, embalming virtually everyone who had died of the flu was mandatory as a way to prevent the spread of the epidemic. Soon after, Mell was drafted into the Army. He trained at Ft. Gordon, which was in the Chamblee area at the time.


Ralph S. Turner, the third son of A.S. Turner, was born in 1920. He graduated from Decatur Boys High School, attended Emory University, graduated from the Cincinnati College of Embalming, and began working for the firm soon after.

About this time, Mr. Turner was able to purchase the property on North McDonough Street for $17,000 payable at $100/month to the seller. With the Industrial Revolution in full bloom, many families had children working in factories in other cities, which meant the funeral often had to be delayed a day or two. With this shift, embalming became more prevalent and necessary. The motor hearse was now universally used, and funeral directors became part-time ambulance operators.

About this time, Mr. Turner was able to purchase the property on North McDonough Street for $17,000 payable at $100/month to the seller. With the Industrial Revolution in full bloom, many families had children working in factories in other cities, which meant the funeral often had to be delayed a day or two. With this shift, embalming became more prevalent and necessary. The motor hearse was now universally used, and funeral directors became part-time ambulance operators.

The funeral business grew to a point where more space was needed, and in 1926, the furniture store was taken over by the funeral business and a chapel was added. The funeral business was handling about 175 calls per year. A second son, Carlton, joined the business. By 1936, the business was beyond the capacity of the North McDonough Street location, and Mr. Turner looked at various properties to purchase a new location.


In 1936, he purchased a small church, the former home of Holy Trinity Episcopal Church at the corner of Trinity and Church Streets in Decatur. He had the church sanctuary remodeled for the chapel and built state rooms, offices, and a showroom on the west side of the church. The new location opened on January 1, 1938.


A. S. Turner was only in the new facility for a few days. Doctors found a tumor in his brain in January 1938. It was removed, but another tumor grew, and he died on May 28, 1938. Mell and Carlton took over operations of the firm, which had five employees. Mrs. Ann Shealy became the firm’s secretary and worked with the funeral home for 60 years before retiring in 1998.

When World War II came along, Carlton Turner went into the U.S. Navy, and Ralph became a pilot with the U.S. Army Air Corps. Mell ran the funeral home single-handedly until 1945. In December 1945, all three sons of A.S. Turner were helping run the business.

When World War II came along, Carlton Turner went into the U.S. Navy, and Ralph became a pilot with the U.S. Army Air Corps. Mell ran the funeral home single-handedly until 1945. In December 1945, all three sons of A.S. Turner were helping run the business.

The business continued to grow, and after 20 years, the chapel on Trinity Place was becoming too small for the business. No sizeable piece of land existed inside the city of Decatur. The funeral home purchased property on Lawrenceville Road from the Scott Estates, and plans for a new funeral home were developed. Later, the Scott family was asked to mark off about 40 to 50 acres on Lawrenceville Road for a shopping center. The property purchased for the funeral home was in the middle of the projected center. So, the Scott family asked the brothers to switch to the same amount of land on the future extension of North Decatur Road, which at that time stopped at Church Street. The brothers agreed. Since there was no road to the property, all materials for the new building came down a road through the Scott Family Farm from Sycamore Drive, through what is now DeKalb Medical Center. The new location was officially opened on July 16, 1959.

Carlton Turner died in 1968, and Mell Turner died in 1977, leaving Ralph as the new Chief Operating Officer. In 1972, Ralph’s only son, Fred Turner, graduated from the University of Georgia and joined the firm. In 1982, the size of the building was increased by 9,000 square feet for a total of 38,000 square feet. In 1996, Ralph’s middle daughter, Jane Turner, joined the firm after seven years in the Peace Corps in Nepal.

Carlton Turner died in 1968, and Mell Turner died in 1977, leaving Ralph as the new Chief Operating Officer. In 1972, Ralph’s only son, Fred Turner, graduated from the University of Georgia and joined the firm. In 1982, the size of the building was increased by 9,000 square feet for a total of 38,000 square feet. In 1996, Ralph’s middle daughter, Jane Turner, joined the firm after seven years in the Peace Corps in Nepal.

Today, A.S. Turner & Sons remains as one of the largest family-owned funeral homes in Georgia. The tradition continues and we hope that you can be a part of it.