About Us
Ponders Funeral Homes was founded in 1992 by Stoney Ponders. Since that time it has grown to be Dalton's largest funeral home serving the entire community.
We have a full service staff of professionals committed to serving your needs. You will find that there are many benefits of planning your funeral arrangements with us.
 Stoney Ponders, President of Ponders Funeral Homes, was born 1961 in Chatsworth, Georgia, son the late Clem A. Ponders and Dorothy Rogers of Dalton. He was a grandson of the late Prince and Ada Beam and L.A. and Roxie Ponders.
Stoney began his funeral service career September 1982 at Kenemer Brothers Funeral Home in Dalton. He is a 1985 graduate of Grupton-Jones College of Mortuary Science where he is a member of the Pi Sigma Eta national Morticians Fraternity. He has been a licensed funeral director and embalmer since 1985. He is a member of the Georgia Academy of Graduate Embalmers, Regional Chairperson for the International Order of the Golden Rule, a member of the Selected Independent Funeral Homes, Cremation Association of North America, Georgia Funeral Directors Association, Independent Funeral Directors of Georgia, International Cremation, Cemetery and Funeral Directors Association, and the Gordon Springs Masonic Lodge of F&AM #463.
In 1992 Stoney realized a lifelong dream of owning his own funeral home and established Ponders Funeral Homes Inc. on July 15, 1992. Then in 1998 he relocated the funeral home to its present location at 138 Melrose Drive in Dalton off the North Bypass.
In 1997 Stoney, along with Tim Rowe and Diane Howard, established the Colonial Hills Memorial Park Cemetery Inc., also in Dalton.
In 2000 he opened the Calhoun Chapel of Ponders Funeral Homes to better serve the families of Calhoun, Georgia. Now Stoney also has a location in Fairmount, which is also in Gordon County, the Fairmount Chapel of Ponders Funeral Homes, to serve the families of that area.
To further our commitment to funeral service in the North Georgia area Stoney purchased the Whitfield memorial Gardens in Dalton and the Murray Memorial Gardens located in Murray County. Mr. Ponders owns and operates the only perpetual care cemeteries in Whitfield and Murray Counties.
Also, Ponders Funeral Homes are the only funeral homes in Whitfield and Gordon Counties owning and operating their own Crematory which is located at the Melrose Chapel, which is only used to serve families that we serve.
Stoney has also established Dalton Florist to further assist our families. The florist is able to provide flowers for any occasion.
Stoney dedicated his life to funeral service at a very young age. He is very grateful to the families of our area who allow is to be of service to them during their time of need.
Timmy G. Rowe, Vice-President of Ponders Funeral Homes, is a lifelong resident of Gordon County. He is a graduate of Calhoun High School and has been with Ponders Funeral Homes since 1992. He is part owner of the Calhoun Chapel of Ponders Funeral Homes as well as Colonial Hills Memorial Park Cemetery. Tim is the son of the late T. R. and Mabel Rowe, brother of Tammy Hyde, Kim Rowe and Tony Rowe.
Robert Chambers, Vice-President of Ponders Funeral Homes and pre-need planning counselor, has been a part of Ponders Funeral Homes since 1992.
Robert is married to the former Sandy Jeffers, together they have two children, Missy Karabench, Shelly and her husband Greg Faucette, along with three grandchildren.
Michelle Petrino-Givens, of Chattanooga, Tennessee, a Georgia, Tennessee and Florida licensed funeral director and embalmer has been a member of the Ponders Funeral Homes staff since 2005, after relocating to the area from Nashville, Tennessee. Originally from West Palm Beach, Florida, she is the daughter of the late Albert and Betty (Foutch) Petrino. Michelle is a 1989 graduate of the College of Boca Raton (Lynn University) in Boca Raton, Florida, receiving an Associate of Science Degree in Mortuary Science.
After Mortuary College, the family moved to Nashville, Tennessee in 1989. Michelle was employed for many years with a funeral home in Nashville and with Tennessee Donor Services as a Tissue Procurement Coordinator and Manager of Processing Services, before relocating to the Chattanooga area in 2005 with her husband Brian Givens, who is also a licensed funeral director and embalmer. Michelle is a member of Metropolitan Tabernacle Church in Chattanooga, a member of Ooltewah Chapter #365 Order of the Eastern Star, the Georgia Funeral Directors Association, Tennessee Funeral Directors Association and the Tennessee Academy of Graduate Embalmers and is a Certified Tissue Bank Specialist.
Jason Gibson, a lifelong resident of the North Georgia area, joined his uncle, Stoney, at Ponders Funeral Homes in 1996. He is the son of Wendell Gibson and Cindy Tolliver. He is married to the former Jennifer Thomason and together they have two children, Duston and Morgan. Jason is a graduate of Murray County High School and Gupton-Jones College of Mortuary Science. He is a licensed funeral director and embalmer.
Ida Grace Henson, greeter at Ponders Funeral Homes, has been a lifelong resident of the Dalton area where she graduated from Dalton High School in 1961. She was a long-time employee of Shaw Industries where she had retired in 2005. Ida was married to Charles Edward Henson in 1964 and together they are the parents of Devan, David and Devona Henson. She enjoys working with people and having the opportunity to help others.
Kenneth Tate, a lifelong resident of the Dalton area has been a member of the Ponders Funeral Homes staff since his retirement from Mohawk Industries. He is married to the former Frances Evans. Together they have two sons, Glenn and Kendall Tate, and five grandchildren.
Ben King, a native of Gordon county, is a part-time staff member of the Ponders Funeral Homes. He is a 2005 graduate of Calhoun High School and currently attends Dalton State College where his major is Business Administration. He plans to attend Gupton-Jones college of Mortuary Science in the fall of 2008 to further his funeral service career.
Wayne Thompson
Mildred Olszyk
Jerry Coughlin, is proud to be the manager for Whitfield Memorial Gardens, Murray Memorial Gardens and Colonial Hills Memorial Park cemeteries. As you know, we are the only Perpetual Care Cemeteries in Whitfield and Murray Counties. We are continually making upgrades to our Gardens and buildings: from new above ground personal mausoleums, to repaving roadways, to statue renovations and to installation of irrigation systems to keep our lawns healthy and green. We recently renovated our office to include full wall displays for Matthews Bronze flat markers, full line of York caskets, full line of Clark vaults, as well as an upright granite marker selection on the the grounds. We also have beautiful flower arrangements available. Thank you for taking the time to visit.
Ponders Funeral Home has three convenient locations: Dalton, Calhoun and Fairmount.
Ponders Funeral Home is a member by invitation of the Selected Independent Funeral Homes providing outstanding funeral service throughout the United States, Mexico, Canada, and abroad and a member of the International Order of the Golden Rule. Ponders Funeral Home is also a member of CANA, Cremation Association of North America.
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