About Us
About Us
Brannen-NeSmith Funeral Home has supported families in Dooly County and nearby communities for more than 75 years. The funeral homes in Unadilla and Vienna began as separate businesses before joining together in 1982.
In the 1920s, funeral services were often tied to furniture or hardware stores. In Unadilla, Ernest Shepherd ran Shepherd Funeral Home above his hardware shop, later purchasing the house that still serves as the funeral home today — once the parsonage of Unadilla Baptist Church. Ernest Odom joined the staff in 1950, purchased the business in 1957, and added a chapel in the 1970s using the former Smyrna Independent Methodist Church building. He sold the home in 1982 to Rooney Bowen, who merged it with his Vienna location.
Vienna’s funeral home began in the early 1930s under R.C. Akin. He sold it in 1962 to Rooney Bowen and Talmadge Everett. Originally located just off Vienna’s square, where the Bank of Dooly now stands, the business moved to its present site in 1976. In 1986, Bill NeSmith bought both funeral homes and renamed them Bowen-NeSmith Funeral Home.
Bill NeSmith stepped back from daily operations in 1994 to pursue a law degree, and Rodney Brannen — who had joined the staff in 1987 — became manager. In 2001, Brannen purchased half the business, leading to its current name: Brannen-NeSmith Funeral Home.
