Business Details
48 Years
experience
Emergency
services
Your Trusted Partner for Personalized Funeral Services
Since 1978, Wells Funeral Home has been dedicated to helping families create personalized funeral experiences that honor their loved ones. With over four decades of experience in Panola County, we combine compassionate care with comprehensive services including burial arrangements, cremation options, and veterans' benefits coordination. Our 10,000-square-foot facility in Batesville features both traditional and modern spaces for gatherings, while our on-site crematory services have set industry standards since 2009. The family-owned business expanded Forrest Memorial Park with four mausoleums and a VA section, demonstrating our commitment to community needs.Our certified staff provides 24/7 support while offering grief resources through Circle of Friends+ and the GriefPlan Video Program. We specialize in preplanning consultations and VA burial benefit guidance, ensuring families receive both practical assistance and emotional support during difficult times. With transparent pricing and flexible personalization options, we help clients create meaningful memorials through music, readings, artwork, and customized gathering spaces.
Services
Funeral Services
Cremation Services
Veterans Services
Preplanning Consultations
Grief Support Programs
Memorial Park Services
Personalization Options
Burial Arrangements
Cemetery Services
24/7 Emergency Assistance
Details
- Year established: 1978
Highlights and features
- We offer 45+ years of family-owned funeral service expertise in Panola County
- Our on-site crematory became the first in Panola County in 2009
- We provide 24/7 compassionate support during times of loss
- Specialized veterans burial benefits coordination available
- Grief support resources include the GriefPlan Video Program by Dr. Jason Troyer
What people say
Compassionate staff
Personalized memorials
24/7 availability
Veterans support
Grief resources
Services
Funeral Services
We coordinate traditional funeral services with viewing, visitation, and graveside ceremonies that honor individual lives. Our services include preparation and transfer of remains, funeral director support, transportation to cemeteries, and gravesite committal oversight. We offer customizable options including music selection, readings, and personalized artwork to create meaningful memorials that help families begin the healing process.
Cremation Services
Our crematory services include direct cremation and memorial services following cremation. We assist with online obituaries, arrangements for gathering spaces, and options for handling cremated remains. The process includes preparation and transfer of remains, funeral director support, and memorialization options that can incorporate veterans' benefits when applicable.
Veterans Services
We specialize in coordinating VA burial benefits and military honors for veterans including burial allowances, government-issued headstones, presidential memorial certificates, and flag presentation ceremonies. Our staff helps families navigate VA requirements and arrange military honors like Taps playing, three-volley salutes, and color guard presentations at either national or private cemeteries.
Grief Support Programs
We provide ongoing grief support through the GriefPlan Video Program featuring 65+ expert videos and activity sheets to help individuals heal after loss. Our Circle of Friends+ program offers text and email resources to support grieving families, available to anyone in our community free of charge regardless of service utilization.
Memorial Park Services
Our Forrest Memorial Park offers burial spaces, four above-ground mausoleums, and a dedicated VA section for veterans. We provide personalized cemetery arrangements with over 18 acres available for traditional burial, cremation niches, and customizable memorialization options that honor each individual's life story.
People
Tommy Wells
Founder
Established Wells Funeral Home in 1978 after working in the funeral industry since 1965. A graduate of the Dallas Institute of Mortuary Science, he expanded the business through multiple facility upgrades and founded Forrest Memorial Park to better serve local families.
Chris Wells
Licensed Funeral Director
Joined the family business in 1992 after earning his Mortuary Science degree. He brings specialized expertise in funeral arrangements and cremation services, maintaining Mississippi State Board of Funeral Service licensure to ensure professional service standards.
Dr. Jason Troyer
Grief Care Specialist
Creator of the GriefPlan Video Program offered through Wells Funeral Home, providing expert-led resources for navigating loss. His program includes over 65 videos and activity sheets developed specifically for supporting bereaved individuals and families.
Questions
What funeral service options do you provide?
We offer traditional burial services, cremation options, veterans-specific arrangements, and customizable memorial ceremonies with personalized healing elements.
Do you offer preplanning services for future arrangements?
Yes, we provide complimentary preplanning consultations to help individuals document their wishes and protect assets while ensuring families understand VA benefits.
What veterans burial benefits can you help coordinate?
We assist with VA burial allowances, government headstones, presidential memorial certificates, military honors, and cemetery options including our VA section at Forrest Memorial Park.
What grief support resources are available?
We offer the GriefPlan Video Program with 65+ expert videos and Circle of Friends+ resources providing ongoing support through text/email.
What payment options do you accept?
We work with families to create personalized arrangements that fit their budget and can discuss payment options during our complimentary consultation meetings.
How can I schedule a visit with your staff?
Schedule a free preplanning meeting through our website or call us anytime at 662-563-5700 for immediate assistance.
Reviews (2)
Eddie Eidson
Aug 22, 2021
Report
I cant say enough about Chris Wells and his funeral home. He went above and beyond when my father past away and dont think for one minute that he doesnt pay attention because he does. The day when we did the arrangements we picked out two caskets and the day of the funeral, the casket we picked out was on a truck broke down so he took it upon himself to go with the first one and might I add it was about a 3-$4000.00 difference and I offered to pay the difference and he refused for me to pay for it. Thank you Chris and the rest of your staff for taking a bad moment and shedding a positive
Dustin Gordon
Aug 21, 2021
Report
I dont know the guys name , I am sure It was one of gene owners of Wells Funeral home , but they were very rude during my uncles funeral. It wasnt up to me to use them but my relatives did. It was all I could do to keep my composer and remember that all my family was there and I didnt want ppl to remember that about my uncles funeral , but I dont recommend anyone use these hillbillies for anything .
