Atchley Funeral Home A tradition of Caring 118 East Main Street
History Staff Locations Services Preplan Obituaries






Atchley Funeral Home was established in March 1920 by James H. Atchley, Sevier County's first licensed embalmer. Like many other funeral homes of that era, Atchley's evolved from a furniture store that went from only making caskets, to actually providing funeral services. The furniture and funeral business were able to operate out of the same building, because at that time everything related to the funeral service took place either in someone's home and/or in a church.

A typical scenario at this point in history of Atchley's would be for Mr. Atchley to go to the place of death of the deceased, usually at the home, and perform the embalming there. After that process was completed, the body would be dressed and placed in a casket brought by Mr. Atchley, or perhaps one made by the family or someone in the community. Friends wishing to call on the family would come to the house, where the body would be displayed most likely in the living room. When it was time for the funeral service everyone would go to the church and from there to the cemetery. As time went by and traditions changed, those things that were once done in the home began to take place at the funeral home, which eventually separated from the furniture store and became a business of it's own.

After operating at three separate locations on Main Street, Atchley Funeral Home moved to it's present location at 118 East Main Street in Sevierville in 1948.

James H. Atchley was married to the former Blanche Kyker, and they had three sons, Blaine, Bill, and Harold, all of which helped their father in the family business. Of these three, only Blaine and Harold made the funeral business their career. It was these two men who guided Atchley Funeral Home out of it's infancy. To accommodate a growing and progressive community, a modern chapel and large receiving rooms were added to the old victorian house the was home to Atchley Funeral Home. Atchley's also provided Sevier County with ambulance service until the early 1970's.

By this time, the third generation of Atchleys, Jim, Chuck, and Albert Atchley began to be a part of the funeral home's activities. The 1980's brought in a new wave of leadership. Jim and Albert Atchley became partners with their fathers at a time when the funeral industry itself was changing drastically. The types of funeral services and merchandise available to the public were becoming more varied than at any time in history, while new concepts such as prearranged funerals were on the horizon. Jim and Albert kept ahead of the pace, however, making it an easy transition into this new era of funeral service. In 1988, D.J. Atchley joined Blaine, Harold, Jim, and Albert in full time service to the funeral needs of Sevier County. Going into the 1990's the Atchley family was prepared to keep up with the growing needs of one of the fastest growing areas in the country.

The deaths of Blaine in 1991 and his son Jim in 1992, along with the semi-retirement of Harold put the reins of Atchley Funeral Home into the hands Albert and D.J.. This too was an era of change in the funeral industry, when large corporations were buying family funeral businesses at an extremely fast pace. While many established funeral homes gave up in trying to compete with their new international competitors, the Atchley family concentrated solely on how best to continue serving the people of Sevier County. Atchley Funeral Home bucked the trend of selling out to big corporations, and actually did a reversal by buying a funeral home/cemetery combination from one. In 1997, the Atchley's acquired Smoky Mountain Memory Gardens and Funeral Home in Pigeon Forge, TN. Having two locations and operating a cemetery of it's own gave Atchley Funeral Home an even better opportunity to assist Sevier Countians during their hardest hours.

As the new millennium begins, yet another generation of the Atchley's enters the family business. Albert's son, Adam Atchley, has now joined his father and uncle in full time funeral service. The people served by Atchley Funeral Home can rest assured that the same caring service offered by James H. Atchley is still, and will always be available by the Atchley family.




Web Design by FuneralNet
Copyright © 2000, Atchley Funeral Home and FuneralNet