History & Staff

James McMullen started working in Columbus as a young man in his father's business, McMullen Garage and Service Station located on Andrews Road in Columbus, Ga. He attended Rosemont Elementary and was a 1958 Graduate of Jordan Vocational High School. After graduating from high school, James attended Georgia Southwestern College. He was a U.S. Army Veteran serving in Germany. After returning from Europe in 1961, he began his career in Funeral Service. In 1964, James graduated from Dallas Institute of Mortuary Science in Dallas, TX. and worked locally for many years. In 1987 he and his son Allen and their family opened McMullen Mortuary. Mr. McMullen, who died in 2015, served thousands of families in this community over the past 50 years.

The roots of McMullen Funeral Home and Crematory go back to 1987. The original business was located on 13th Street and Webster Ave. in downtown Columbus, Georgia. "It is important to improve the level of service available to Muscogee County families, and establish more of a community oriented business," states Allen McMullen. In March of 1995 a groundbreaking was held for the new facility on Gentian Blvd. On July 15, 1996, an open house and dedication ceremony was held for the new funeral home. The 18,000 square-foot facility features a spacious chapel, viewing rooms, a family lounge, and more than 200 parking spaces. The building also contains handicapped accessible facilities. The chapel area is designed not just to accommodate wheelchair users, but to make sure that they can participate in services in a meaningful fashion.

"In a community like Columbus," noted Allen McMullen, "it's almost impossible to separate friends, neighbors and family. We're honored and humbled that so many people look upon the McMullen family and staff as an extension of their own family. It's a compliment-and a deep trust-that we sincerely try to uphold in everything we do. Our life is more than just neighbors helping neighbors, its friends caring for friends every day, all the time, not just in times of need."