History

Edwin Ayers 1912-2001 Favor Jennings - 1961 Favor Jennings and Edwin Ayers (1938) Packard Hearse

Jennings and Ayers Funeral Home, established in 1880 in the Greenvale community of Wilson County, Tennessee, was the brain-child of J.F. Jennings, Sr. Later, J. Favor Jennings, Jr. and Edgar F. Ayers became partners and moved the business to the Lascassas and Cainsville communities. The time was during an era when funeral services were conducted in churches, homes or even under a shade tree.
      Edwin Ayers was born in May 1912, the son of Edgar Freas Ayers and Ella Mai Pearcy Ayers and literally grew up in the business. Even as a youngster he helped his father and his uncle selling miscellaneous items and groceries from a peddling wagon. Edwin also worked in what was a general store and funeral facility located in Cainsville near the Rutherford and Wilson County  border.
       Edwin knew from these early years exactly what he would do professionally. After graduation from Lascassas High School he enrolled in Gupton-Jones Mortuary Science School, in Nashville, Tennessee. He later graduated in 1935. In 1936 Edwin purchased his father's share in the funeral home and moved the operation to Murfreesboro.                                                                                               
       The business was housed in two other locations before being permanently situated at 820 South Church Street, its present site. The former homes, one across the street from St. Paul's Episcopal Church on East Main Street and another next door to the Murfreesboro Woman's Club on East College Street are no longer standing. In 1961, Mr. Favor Jennings died. After Mr. Favor Jennings died, Edwin bought the beautiful antebellum home of the Ledbetter family and remodeled to accommodate an attractive facility with an abundance of parking space for the future of the business. Edwin Ayers continued to work and manage the business until his retirement in 1999. Edwin Ayers died on September 6, 2001.  
       Mr. Edwin Ayers and his wife, Blanche Knight Ayers had three children, Eleanor Ayers Teasley, Edwin Jr. and Donald K. Ayers. Donald K. Ayers and Edwin F. Ayers Jr. have been working in the business for over 40 years. Edwin and Blanche have five grandchildren. All of their grandchildren, George William Haynes III (Chip), Chadwick Ayers Haynes, Donald K. Ayers Jr., Edwina Ayers, and Amy Ayers are currently working at Jennings & Ayers.

The hearse pictured above is the only originally family owned hearse in Rutherford County. This carriage was last used to carry Edwin Ayers' mother to the cemetery in 1915.