Putnam Funeral Homes Beginnings

Putnam Funeral Home Inc., is one of the oldest businesses in the Sequatchie Valley. It was established by Mr. R.G. "Roscoe" Putnam with one of the early locations being in the back room of Putnam Grocery Store in Pikeville, TN. Mr. Putnam also established locations in Dunlap, TN and Whitwell, TN. Putnam-Standefer Funeral Home was established in Dunlap and Putnam-Whit Funeral Home was established in Whitwell, TN. Mr. Putnam died in 1951 leaving the business to his son Jack H. Putnam, who operated the business until 1979. It was then purchased by George and Treva Reed. Since their passing the business has been handed down to their children, Eric Reed and Heather Reed-Poston.

Putnam-Reed Funeral Home

Putnam Funeral Home Inc., is one of the oldest businesses in Bledsoe County. It was established in 1916 by Mr. R.G. "Roscoe" Putnam in the back room of Putnam Grocery Store. In 1922, Mr. Putnam saw the need to upgrade funeral services and opened a new establishment on Cumberland Avenue providing a motor hearse and all the modern conveniences of up-to-date funeral homes of that time. Mr. Putnam also purchased funeral homes in Dunlap, TN and Whitwell, TN. Mr. Putnam died in 1951 leaving the business to his son Jack H. Putnam, who operated the business until 1979. It was then purchased by George and Treva Reed, who continue to operate the business as Putnam-Reed Funeral Home, Inc. In 1986, Putnam-Reed Funeral Home moved to its current location on Highway 127 South. At the new location, the funeral home was able to offer more space for everything from parking to visitation, along with a chapel which is large enough to serve the community. The funeral home has had four locations, three on Cumberland Avenue and the present location on Highway 127, South, Pikeville, TN..  We are a full service funeral home and offer several funeral prearrangement options along with a full line of monuments. We would be happy to sit down with you in your home, at your convenience, to discuss these options with you. We also honor all existing prearranged plans that you may already have made, even if they were made with another funeral home. Currently, the Reeds' daughter, Heather Reed-Poston, is the manager as well as a fully licensed embalmer and funeral director.  Our office hours are Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday, from 8:00 am. to 4:00 p.m., or we can be reached 24 hours a day, 7 days a week if you need assistance, by simply calling (423) 447-2835. 

Reed Funeral Home

George and Treva Gann Reed’s purchase of Hooper Funeral Home in January 2001 brings our family full circle in the Whitwell community. George first started in the funeral home business working for Harry Joe Hooper in the 1960s, and Treva is a native of the Victoria community. Their granddaughter, Victoria Housley Rodriguez, has joined to help serve the families of the Sequatchie Valley during their times of need.

When the Reed family purchased the funeral home from a private company, they changed the name to Hooper-Reed Funeral Home and then to Reed Funeral Home, when we moved to our recent location in 2005. 

Since Reed Funeral Home is now 100 percent owned by the Reed Family, you can be assured that your individual wishes will be carried out in the most sensitive manner possible. We are understanding of your situation, and we do all we can to ease your burden. Reed Funeral Home is, “Our Family Serving Your Family”.  Victoria Housley Rodriguez is currently the manager as well as licensed funeral director at this location.  Contact her at 423-658-5516.

Standefer-Reed Funeral Home

George Alexander Standefer was born January 24, 1873, the son of Thomas and Martha Elliott Standefer from the Cagle Community. His Parents died when he was born and he lived with relatives. George married Josie Louella Ewton (born February 10, 1875) in 1898. Around 1900 George and younger brother Billie operated a barber shop at Dunlap.

In 1902, George Standefer left the barber shop and opened the first Undertaking Establishment. At the south west corner of Cherry and Walnut stood a very large, two-story frame building. At ground level was a furniture and hardware store while the second story housed the funeral business. The combination business was owned and operated by George Standefer and W. L. Smith until about 1917 when Mr. Smith took the hardware business and joined forces with B. F. Groover to form the Smith and Groover Hardware. The furniture and funeral business became Standefer and Son and operated from the same location until 1936. George Standefer died in 1935, leaving his son Gordon P. Standefer in charge. Gordon entered a partnership in the funeral home with R.G. Putnam in 1936 and the funeral business was moved to Rankin Avenue. Mr. R.G. Putnam died in 1951 and his son, Jack H. Putnam, became a partner. Later Jack H. Putnam purchased the entire interest of the funeral home, but Mr. And Mrs. Standefer remained to manage the business. Roy Joe Walker became an employee of the funeral home in 1952 after he married the Standefers’ daughter, Sarah Jo. In 1979, George H. Reed and his wife, Treva Gann Reed, formed a corporation and purchased the entire stock from Jack H. Putnam. In 1983 they built a new modern facility on Highway 28 South, and the business became Putnam-Standefer-Reed with Roy Joe Walker as the manager. In 1994, after Mr. Walker’s retirement, the Reeds’ son, Eric G. Reed, a graduate of John A. Gupton College in Nashville and a licensed funeral home director and embalmer, became the manager and is currently in that position.  Contact him at 423-949-2325.