Our modern, state-of-the-art center provides personalized funeral, cremation, memorial and celebration of life services designed to reflect each family’s traditions and preferences.

We invite you to visit and experience a place where lives are honored, and where families find connection and community.

Personalized Memorials and Celebrations of Life

At M. J. Edwards Riverdale Life Celebration Center, we believe that every service should be as unique as the life it honors. That's why personalization has become the standard in everything we do. We sit with you to listen and learn what made your loved one special. From there, we design a service that truly reflects their spirit by incorporating personalized touches.

That might mean incorporating a favorite Elvis song into the service, encouraging attendees to wear Grizzlies merchandise, or organizing a BBQ contest as part of the service. The possibilities are endless and personal to every loved one.

A Modern Gathering Place

Our event center was thoughtfully designed as a multi-use space, custom fit for the growing needs of the greater Memphis community. It features a spacious chapel that can seat up to 200 people, two stunning estate rooms and a calming fellowship hall. Each space is equipped with flat-screen TVs and a fully customizable sound system, as well as broadcast capabilities for remote attendees. 

As a versatile venue, M. J. Edwards Riverdale Life Celebration Center welcomes a wide range of gatherings beyond funeral and memorial services, including formal events, fundraisers, family reunions and other community functions. While the facility is modern, the values behind it remain deeply rooted in legacy.

History

M. J. Edwards Funeral Home served the African American communities in Memphis for decades. M. J. Edwards Sr. opened the first of three Memphis-area locations in March 1980, along with two associates, the Rev. David Craft and his long-time companion, Evelyn Cooper. 

Initially he had one hearse, one limousine and one sedan. In the first month, the funeral home on Airways Boulevard handled 12 services. Back then, the average funeral was $795, but M. J. also offered a special $250 package. He wanted to be sure that everyone could afford a dignified service. Today, M. J. Edwards Funeral Home has more than a dozen hearses, even more limousines and a half-dozen sedans at locations in Orange Mound, Southaven and Raleigh—and still works hard to provide affordable funeral services

A Legacy That Lives On

During his life, M. J. created a foundation and made generous donations to Memphis institutions, including Hanley Elementary School (where the library is named after him), Melrose Alumni Association and Beulah Baptist Church. In Coldwater, Mississippi, the M. J. Edwards (Health) Center sits in the spot where one of his funeral homes once sat.

M. J. Edwards Sr. died in 2019, after more than 70 years of funeral service. His legacy of compassion lives on with his funeral homes, and M. J. Edwards Whitehaven Funeral Chapel, along with M. J. Edwards Funeral Home Stage Road Chapel, is now a member of the Dignity Memorial^® network.