Our History

History of Vaughan-Guynn Funeral Home

The History of Vaughan Guynn Funeral Home dates back to 1913, when J. Crockett Guynn began stocking coffins and caskets at his country store. In 1919, Crockett Guynn joined with C.L. Smith, the undertaker for Galax, to purchase a horse-drawn hearse that was used in both Grayson and Carroll Counties until the building of hard-surface roads. In 1923, realizing the need for updated funeral services, Mr. Guynn sent his oldest son, Gilman Guynn, to school to be trained as a licensed embalmer and funeral director. When hard-surface roads made their use practical in 1928, the Guynns purchased the county's first motor hearse.

Vaughan-Guynn Funeral Home in Galax was established in 1936 when Gilman Guynn, Glendi Guynn, Garnett Guynn, and Wayne Vaughan bought out the funeral business of C.L. Smith and established the Vaughan-Guynn Funeral Home in Galax. Mr. Vaughan, a native of Grayson County, managed the funeral home from 1936 until he died in 1957. Jack Guynn, the only child of Gilman and Cassie Guynn, after returning home from the Marines at the end of World War II and graduating from VPI, obtained his funeral director's license and became manager of the funeral home after Mr. Vaughan's death. Avis M. Vaughan, widow of Mr. Vaughan, became active in the business and remained Secretary/Treasurer of both the Galax Funeral Home and Hillsville Funeral Home until she died in 1996. Jordan Dawes McGrady became a partner in the corporation in 1936 and ran the Hillsville Funeral Business until he died in 1994. Jack E. "Jay" Guynn, Jr. became president of Vaughan-Guynn Funeral Home and Vaughan-Guynn-McGrady Chapel in April 1979 after the death of his father, Jack. Jay still serves in this capacity today.