History & Staff

A Bulloch County native, Tracy graduated from Gupton Jones College of Funeral Service in Atlanta. He is a graduate of Southeast Bulloch High School. Tracy is the past president of Independent Funeral Directors of Georgia and the Academy of Graduate Embalmers of Georgia. He has two children, Tyson and Tyler.

Mark is a native of Bulloch County, he is the son of the late John Servant (Jake) Anderson and Merle Godbee Anderson. He graduated from Statesboro High School in 1981 and graduated from Georgia Southern University with a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration in 1985. Mark also graduated in 2003 with a Funeral Service degree from Ogeechee Technical College. He is a past Chairman of the Board of the Statesboro-Bulloch County Chamber of Commerce and serves on the Ogeechee Technical College Board of Directors. He also currently serves as a member of the Board of Directors for Morris Bank. He is past president of the Kiwanis Club of Statesboro and a past president of the Independent Funeral Directors of Georgia. Mark has two children, Morgan Anderson Sonnier and Allison Anderson.

Charlie “Bland” Mathews Jr., son of Charle and Susan Mathews, is a native of Statesboro. He was a 2005 graduate of Bulloch Academy, then attended Auburn University where he graduated in 2010 with a degree in Business Administration, and later graduated from Ogeechee Technical College in 2012 having completed the Funeral Service program. Bland is married to Jessica Mathews who is an RN and they have two children, a son Tripp and daughter Perry. Bland began working with Joiner-Anderson Funeral Home in late 2010 and in November 2012, became a partner in the business. Bland is a member of Rotary Club of Statesboro, The Academy of Graduate Embalmers of Georgia, Georgia Funeral Directors Association, the Bulloch Bowmen Hunting Club, and First Baptist Church Statesboro.

A native of Bulloch County, Tessa NeSmith Martin is the daughter of the late Eudene and the Melva NeSmith of Denmark. She is a 1982 graduate of Southeast Bulloch High School. In 2005 she earned a degree in Culinary Arts and a certificate in Catering from Ogeechee Technical College. She returned to school and graduated with honors in 2011, after completing the Funeral Service program at OTC. Tessa began working at Joiner Anderson Funeral Home in December of 2010. She is married to Chuck Martin and they have four children, Charlie, Madelyn, Jon and Sarah and four grandchildren. She is a member of Nevils United Methodist Church.

Jarrett Cartee, son of Brian & Amanda Cartee, is a native of Bulloch County. Jarrett graduated Stateboro High School in 2014. He then attended Georgia Southern University and Ogeechee Technical College where he graduated having completed the Funeral Service program in 2017. Jarrett began working with Joiner-Anderson in February of 2016.

Barry is a life-long resident of Bulloch County, growing up in the Nevils community, and graduating from Southeast Bulloch High School. He has worked in funeral service since 1977, and graduated from Gupton-Jones College of Mortuary Science in Atlanta in 1980. He has a Bachelor degree in Business Administration and a Masters degree in Organizational Management. His funeral service career includes being a former owner of Hodges-Turner Funeral Home, Smith-Tillman Mortuary, and Bulloch Memorial Gardens. In 2007 he founded the Funeral Service Education program at Ogeechee Technical College, and after several years working with that program, he transitioned to public relations work at the College, and will soon retire from his position as Vice President for College Advancement at OTC. A licensed funeral director and embalmer, Barry has 42 years of experience serving the funeral service needs of Bulloch County families.
Very active in community service organizations, boards he has served on include the Averitt Center for the Arts, the Downtown Statesboro Development Authority, the Statesboro-Bulloch Chamber of Commerce, the United Way, the American Cancer Society, the Hearts & Hands Clinic, and the Statesboro Kiwanis Club, where he is still an active member. He is currently serving on the board of the Statesboro Convention & Visitors Bureau, and is an ex-officio member of the Main Street Farmers’ Market board.
Married to Marilyn for over 36 years, they have a daughter, Whitney Lavoie (Andrew), son Brooks, and grandchildren Ansley and Collier Lavoie.

Phil Graham is a licensed funeral director and co-owner of Joiner-Anderson Funeral Home Screven Chapel in Sylvania, Georgia. Phil became licensed as a funeral director in May 2006 and graduated from Ogeechee Technical College’s Funeral Services Education Program in July 2004. While attending Ogeechee Technical College, he was employed by Massey Framke Funeral Home in Garden City, Georgia and Hubert Baker Funeral Home in Savannah, Georgia. He joined the staff of Fairhaven Funeral Home in 2006 and worked with their firm for a year before joining Joiner-Anderson Funeral Home in October 2007.

A native of Oliver, Georgia, Phil is the son of Duane Graham and the late Diane Onofrio Graham. He graduated from Screven County High School in 2002 and is married to Audie Burns Graham. The couple resides in Sylvania and they have two daughters, Sophie Anne and Sadie Adaline. He is a member of the Sylvania Rotary Club, where he is a Paul Harris Fellow and multi term board member, a past member and volunteer with the Ogeechee Technical College Board of Trustees, The Sylvania Downtown Development Authority, and with the Friends of Screven County Animal Shelter.

Ed Thompson, a native and lifelong resident of Screven County, is the son of Leo E. Thompson, Sr. and Catherine Tebeau Thompson.

A 1970 graduate of Screven County High School, he received an Associates Degree from Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College in Tifton in 1972 and a Bachelor of Business Administration Degree from Georgia Southern College in 1975. He then attended Gupton-Jones School of Mortuary Science in Jonesboro and graduated with honors in 1977. He was licensed by the State of Georgia as a Funeral Director and Embalmer in 1978.

He returned to Sylvania and joined his father’s business, Thompson Funeral Home, which was established in 1922 by his great-uncle, Randolph H. “Bill” Thompson, and had been under the ownership of his father since 1955.

After Leo Thompson died in 1980, Ed assumed ownership and continued operating Thompson Funeral Home. His employees at that time included James M. Strickland and W. Ronnie Waters. Mr. Strickland and Mr. Waters left in 1981 and opened Strickland-Waters Funeral Home, purchased from Terry C. Massey Funeral Home.

Thompson Funeral Home and Strickland-Waters Funeral Home continued to operate separately until October 1992 when the owners of both sold to Loewen Corporation, a corporate giant based in Canada. The businesses were combined and Thompson-Strickland-Waters was established. All continued full-time in the business until in 2006 when Ed began to work part-time as a consultant. The corporation had by that time been sold twice more and was owned by Service International Corporation with headquarters in Texas. In 2008 Ed made the decision to give his support to Joiner-Anderson Funeral Home and became one of the owners of Joiner-Anderson Screven Chapel, which opened in December 2008.

In the community, Ed has been a member of the Sylvania Lions Club since 1977, has chaired the local chapter of the American Heart Association Bloodmobile and continues to help with publicity, and has chaired the local American Cancer Fund drive for many years. He is a member of United Way of Screven County where he has served in many capacities, and is a past president of the Screven County Chamber of Commerce. He is currently serving as a mentor for a student at Screven County Elementary School.

Ed and his wife, Lee, live on North Main Street in Sylvania.

Cindy is a native and lifelong resident of Bulloch County, growing up in Brooklet. She is the daughter of Barney Culp Jr. and Mary Ellen Culp. Cindy is married to Charlie F. Hulsey and is a member of Clito Baptist Church, presently serving as the Adult Sunday School Teacher and the assistant music leader. She attended Southeast Bulloch High School, graduating in 1976, and later earned an associates degree in Funeral Service from Ogeechee Technical College in 2009. She has completed sophomore year of the ICCFA University in Memphis Tn., obtaining Certification in Cemetery Land and Management and in Cremation services. Currently, she is a licensed Embalmer, Funeral Director and Pre-Need Sales Agent with state of Georgia. Cindy is a member, former secretary, and past president of the Brooklet Kiwanis Club, being the only female president in the 70-year club history, and is serving as President-Elect for 2018-2019, and has also served on the Board of the Georgia Cemetery Association.

Sandy was born in Manchester Connecticut, but lived most of her life in Georgia. She graduated at Jenkins County High School in 1980 and in 1981 she married Annon Forehand. They have two children Annon Forehand Jr. and Rachel Forehand Saxon, and five grandchildren, Annon Forehand III, Lindsey Brooke Forehand, Jake Saxon Jr., Greyson Forehand, and Rayne Saxson
Sandy has worked for over 25 years in accounting. She began her career with Joiner-Anderson in 2005.
She had her husband live in Millen, Georgia.

Autrey moved to Bulloch County in 1965 and is married to Jean Robertson Moore, a retired teacher. They have three married children and eight grandchildren. He earned a Bachelor of Science in Education, Master of Education, and Education Specialist degrees from Georgia Southern University. He worked 35 years in the public school system and then 8 years with 3 private schools, as a math teacher and administrator, three years as a math instructor at GSU and 12 years for the State Department of Education. After retiring he began working with Joiner Anderson Funeral Home and Curtron Removal Service. Autrey is a member and Deacon at First Baptist Church, Gideon International, and Statesboro Kiwanis where he is currently serving on the Board of Directors

A native and lifelong resident of Statesboro, Ronnie retired from Georgia Southern University after 32 years of service. In 1991 he was chosen GSU employee of the year. After his retirement he co-founded Curtron Removal and has served 20 years in funeral service. In 2001 Ronnie received a Deen Day Smith service to mankind award. As an old car enthusiast he is a charter member and past president of Southern Cruisers Car Club. Ronnie's community involvement include past president of the Kiwanis club of Statesboro and in 2010 received the Hixson Fellowship Award. Ronnie sings with the Statesboro community choir. He's an active member of Statesboro First Baptist Church where he serves as a deacon and sings in the celebration choir. In his free time Ronnie enjoys working with wood. He and his wife Sharon have two grown children and three grandchildren.

Sandra Stall is a native of Bulloch County and graduated from Southeast Bulloch High School and Ogeechee Technical College with a diploma in Business Administration
Technology. She is a member of Trinity Baptist Church in Nevils. She is married to Bill (retired) and they have two children Daniel (married to Alison) and Dustin.

Sherri Allen Akins is the daughter of the late Math and Josie Allen. She is a native of Bulloch County, graduate of Southeast Bulloch High School and was married to the late Herman Akins. She has two children, a son and daughter-in-law, Jared and Jahala Akins and a daughter and son-in-law, Jodi and Marcus Nesmith, two grandsons, Grayson and Gavin and two stepdaughters, Autumn and Emma. After 44 years serving as Clerk of Court for Bulloch County, Sherri retired and enjoys volunteering at Ogeechee Area Hospice, spending time with her family and time alone at home with her cats and dogs.

Laura is a native of Jenkins County but has resided in Bulloch County for most of her life. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Early Childhood Education from Georgia Southern University and a Masters Degree from Walden University in Reading & Literacy. She is currently employed with Bulloch County Schools System at Mill Creek Elementary, is a past member of Statesboro Service League, and member of Scarboro Baptist Church. She is married to Noel Brown and has two children, Hunter Deal and Cole Deal.

Ernie was a Jenkins County native for over 30 years before moving to Bulloch County in 2009. He is a graduate of Jenkins County High School and received a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration in 1993 from Georgia Southern University. Ernie has been employed with Joiner Anderson since 2015.

Irene Groover Hodges, a native of Bulloch County, was married to the late W.C. Hodges of Statesboro. She is a graduate of Southeast Bulloch High School and attended Georgia Teachers College. She started playing the piano at age 5, started playing at churches at age 11 and funerals at age 16. Irene taught music lessons for several years and for the past 69 years she has played for many churches in the area. She has worked in funeral services for many years and has been with Joiner Anderson since 1996. She is the mother of Wade, Paul, Jayne, and Glenn Hodges, and has two grandchildren, Amber and W.C. Hodges.