Our History

1849 – Benjamin Wheatley opened the Wheatley Funeral Home. It was originally located on the waterfront and moved to 807 King Street in Alexandria.

1909 – Mr. Wheatley died and the younger Mr. Ben Wheatley continued the business until his demise in 1919.

1919 – Mr. Ben Wheatley died and his widow inherited the Funeral Home.

1928 – Mr. Ben Wheatley’s widow sold Wheatley Funeral Home to Stover’s Funeral Home in Strasburg, Virginia.

1933 – Mr. Josiah Stickley Everly bought the Funeral Home from Mr. Stover. Mr. Everly had served his apprenticeship with Mr. Stover. He kept the name of Wheatley Funeral Home until 1959.

1959 – Mr. Josiah S. Everly relocated to 1500 West Braddock Road and changed the name to Everly-Wheatley Funeral Home. His son John C. Everly operated the home in the fine old manner, with the warmth and compassion tradition dictates, until the Everly Family sold to Stewart Enterprises, Inc. in 1990. Both Julian and John continued to work as funeral directors until their retirements.

1945 - Mr. Josiah S. Everly purchased the E.W. Groff Funeral Home and changed the name to Everly Funeral Home. Julian Wilson Everly, Sr. managed this home until it was bought by Stewart Enterprises, Inc. in 1990.

Both homes have staff that boasts over 200 years of combined experience. The Everly Funeral Homes are also proud to have employed two women funeral service licensees who were on staff before the women’s movement was an issue.

Everly knows stories of the Wheatley family of cabinet and coffin makers and how they made their own caskets, the first ones resembling ice boxes with ice in the bottom to preserve the body.

Everly said the family was one of the first to do embalming in the country and helped prepare bodies for Northern and Southern troops during the Civil War to preserve them until they could be sent home.