About Us

Upton-Hay Funeral Home was originally organized in 1922 by H. Turner Netherton in Moss, Tennessee. Netherton also owned a cabinet shop, and as was common at that time, he built the coffins used in the area. Since cars were scarce, he also used a horse-drawn hearse for transportation. In 1943, Netherton sold the business to Charlie Rich, who moved it to south Celina, on Highway 52. In August of 1949, Rich sold the funeral operation to Mr. and Mrs. Butler Upton and Mr. and Mrs. Estil Burnette. Butler was a graduate of Gupton-Jones College of Mortuary Science, and one of the first professionally trained embalmers in the area.

In 2002, Phillip Anderson bought the funeral home from Butler and Edwina's daughter and son-in-law, Jim and Betty Briggs.

In February 2016, Jimmy Hay, along with his daughter and son-in-law Monica and Rob Weir, purchased the funeral home. They changed the name to Upton-Hay Funeral Home. Jimmy started his funeral career with Butler Upton when he was 20 years old and continued to work at Upton Funeral Home for 46 years as a licensed funeral director and embalmer.

The beautiful old building which now houses Upton-Hay started out as Montvale College. Several dignitaries attended the college, including Cordell Hull, who helped create the United Nations, and was a recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize. Over the years the building served as a school, a hotel and a private dwelling.

"No one is useless in this world who lightens the burdens of another." -Charles Dickens