Our Story

John Edward Hafer, Sr. of Wetzel County came to Kanawha County to work in the oil fields in 1912. He went into the Army in 1916 and was honorably discharged in 1918. Going home by train he met Zora Augusta Hudkins from Pleasants County, they married in 1919. They had two sons, John Edward Hafer, Jr. and Henry Beauregard Hafer.

John E. Hafer Sr. went to the Columbus Training School for Embalmers in 1925. He and Zora both being licensed funeral directors and embalmers established a furniture store and Hafer Funeral Home in Elkview, that same year.

After returning from World War II where they both served in the Navy, John Edward Hafer, Jr. and Henry Beauregard Hafer went to the Pittsburgh Institute of Mortuary Science School in 1948 thru 1949 and both were licensed in 1950. In 1952 John, Sr. turned the business over to them with a check to pay any outstanding bills.

Ed and Henry had an ambulance service for many years, which built the funeral home business, having contact with the people; they built the business by their hard work and dedication. The funeral home garage was a well-known loafing place for the teen age boys in the community.

Henry Beauregard Hafer died on April 8, 1983 with a heart attack at the age of 59. John Edward (Ed) Hafer, Jr. followed Henry's death, on March 1, 1986 at the age of 65 with a heart attack. Their wives Mary J. Hafer (Ed's wife) and Audrey Hafer Hunt (Henry's wife) still own the Funeral Home. John Hafer Thaxton, grandson of Mary Hafer and nephew of Audrey Hafer Hunt is the licensed Funeral Director and Embalmer for the Funeral Home.