We worked up an appetite walking the grounds of the Decatur Cemetery, using one of their printed…read moreguides to find the interesting residents here. We did notice four different errors in the guide, so there's that. The Decatur Cemetery is the oldest known publicly owned burial ground in metro Atlanta, believed to predate the city's 1823 incorporation. Rich and poor, free and slave, and yes, quite a few CSA soldiers laid to rest here. Most of the walkways are easily walkable but some are not. If you're mobility challenged, there is still quite a lot that is accessible. Military veterans, legislators, congressmen, authors and judges. Even one of the delegates to the Secession Convention. This is well worth your time to visit. Please be respectful as this is an active cemetery and there are people here encountering their own personal losses. [Review 234 of 2025 - 803 in Georgia - 23798 overall]

This is a popular place to exercise it seems. There's a lot of rolling hills. People were playing…read morefetch with their dogs among the graves which I think is kinda disrespectful, if not asking to be haunted, but you do you. You can drive your car in and park to the side of the road, considerately. I rode my bike through the paths which was peaceful. It's also a nice place to watch the sun set. There's a few geocaches here if you're into that. Obviously, there's super old historical graves as well. Anyway, if you like Oakland Cemetery, you should check the Decatur Cemetery out.

I came here for a Juneteenth celebration. The performance was great. I hope to come to more events.read more

South View Cemetery was founded in 1886 and contains over 100 acres of land. It is the oldest…read moreAfrican-American Cemetery in Atlanta and the oldest African-American cemetery not to be dependent on charity in the USA. It is the fruitful effort of nine black former slaves turned businessmen who wanted a safe, secure place to bury their loved ones with dignity. "Blacks had grown tired of the disrespect they were forced to endure in order to bury their family members and friends. They had to enter cemeteries through back gates, and even wade through swamps to conduct funeral services. They were told "If you don't' like it, start your own cemetery." And so they did." - Southview Cemetery Association history One monument sign in the cemetery reads: "A CEMETERY OF THEIR OWN - In February 1886, a group of formerly enslaved African-American men - Jacob McKinley, George Graham, Robert Grant, Charles Morgan, Albert Watts and John Render petitioned the State of Georgia for a charter to establish the South-View Cemetery Association. The new cemetery gave African-Americans  an alternative to Atlanta's segregated burial grounds and provided an environment where they could be buried with dignity. Originally 25 acres, Southview has expanded to approximately 100 acres and contains over 70,000 burials." [ THE EXPERIENCE ] My visit was short, but fruitful. While there, I ran into a woman in the lineage of John Wesley Dobbs. She took time to give me a brief family history as she tended the graves of multiple family members. It was a wonderful conversation that lasted so long I had to rush to find the other graves I intended to visit before closing. [ FAMOUS SOUTHVIEW RESIDENTS ] There are many notable African Americans buried here @ Southview from civil rights leaders & professional athletes to musicians and gold medalists. * HENRY "HANK" AARON (86) | 1934-2021 Notoriety: Baseball player who broke Babe Ruth's record BIO: https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/30761133/let-us-appreciate-grace-uncommon-decency-henry-aaron * ALONZO FRANKLIN HERNDON (69) | 1858-1927 Notoriety: Former slave who became Atlanta's 1st black millionaire and also founded Atlanta Family Life Insurance Co. BIO: https://www.blackpast.org/african-american-history/herndon-alonzo-franklin-1858-1927/ * JOHN ROBERT LEWIS (80) | 1940-2020 Notoriety: One of the "Big Six" leaders of the civil rights movement in the 1960s, John Lewis continued to fight for people's rights in Congress until his death. BIO: https://www.biography.com/political-figure/john-lewis * MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. FAMILY REV. MARTIN LUTHER KING SR. (84) | 1899-1984 - father ALBERTA CHRISTINE "MAMA" KING (69) | 1904-1974 - mother REV. ALFRED DANIEL WILLIAMS KING (38) | 1930-1969 (38) - brother * JULIAN BOND (75) | 1940-2015 Notoriety: Prominent Civil Rights Leader, former Chairman of the National NAACP, and former Georgia House of Representative who co-founded and lead the Southern Poverty Law Center BIO: https://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org/articles/history-archaeology/julian-bond-1940-2015/ * HORACE A. BOHANNON (80) | 1922-2003 Notoriety: Tuskegee Airman who who co-founded the Atlanta Chapter Tuskegee Airmen in 1976. * WILLIAM GUEST (74) | 1941-2015 Notoriety: R&B/soul singer best known as a member of Gladys Knight & the Pips along with his cousins Gladys Knight, Merald "Bubba" Knight and Edward Patten. * WHITMAN FAMILY: ALBERY ALLSON WHITMAN (50) | 1851-1901 Notoriety: Former slave, minister, orator known as "Poet Laureate of the Negro Race" Father to the Whitman Sisters. ALBERTA, ESSIE & MABEL Notoriety: Famous black vaudeville performers BIO: https://lithub.com/on-albert-allson-whitman-radical-black-poet-of-the-reconstruction/ * MOSES AMOS (62) | 1866 - 1928 Notoriety: Georgia's 1st licensed black pharmacist in 1914 BIO: https://codepen.io/indiamos/full/GZJdNo [ NOTABLE RESIDENTS ] Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Dr. Benjamin Mays. were both laid to rest at South View before being moved. Ludie Clay Andrews, the first nursing license granted to an African-American woman by Georgia is also here along with famous musicians, sports hall-of-famers, artists, poets, legendary educators, writers, doctors and a Tuskegee Airman.    [ FINAL THOUGHTS ] It is an honor & privilege to walk these hallowed grounds knowing the impact some of the residents here made on history, particularly my history. Forever grateful for their pioneering spirits and will to light a path. 2022 / 50 #BlackHistorySeries

my mom has recently passed away this month and Legacy Funeral Home did an amazing astonishing job…read morewith the arrangements handling the Flowers. My mom looked at oh my gosh, she looked Amazing. She didn't have Hair then and then they made sure she had Hair, when it was time to go to her resting place. She was just beautiful. I love legacy. I would recommend them to any and all persons.... Please see Mr. Elliott Wallace for your love ones "Home Going" ceremony.

Currently for the past 4 years Gus Thornhill funeral home has sent me a solicitation/ questionnaire…read morefor services. One would think after they gave substandard service when they have my mother's funeral a couple years ago. Every year they send me one of these letters/questionaires it's like they're predicting someone's going to die and they want to get in the ground floor before any other funeral home gets there. I'm writing this review because this doesn't make sense for them to keep doing this not to mention Mr Calvin so no respect for us last time it started out good but he showed his true colors as Time passed by and to make matters worse he has staff members I've been going around gossiping and slandering us. The only good thing is that this is a generational funeral home we've been using and the final product was good The service was lacking

Yes, I would recommend this place. They were professional and uplifting. They put on a memorial,…read morewhich my family from Durham North Carolina, was able to attend. They did well!

I can't thank Southern Cremations and Funerals in Fairburn enough for the compassionate,…read moreprofessional care they gave my family during my husband's funeral. CJ, the funeral director, guided us with patience, dignity, and clear expertise, making an incredibly difficult time so much easier. His staff were warm, respectful, and handled every detail seamlessly so we could focus on remembering my husband. I highly recommend Southern Cremations and Funerals to anyone seeking thoughtful, attentive service. Angela G. Mortel

This might be the most disorganized Funeral Home in the state. They keep horrendous record, so if…read moreyou don't have a copy of your contract good luck. They are on average 2.5 times the cost on headstones and urns. Do not buy direct from them definitely use a third party vendor. Quality is the exact same. The ownership changed 3 times in 5 years, and unfortunately the new owners have no cemetery experience. I wouldn't trust them with my loved ones if they were the only choice I had. Fortunately they are no!

I just wanted to say that Meadows made the worst time of my life easy to deal with. The funeral…read moredirector Star was amazing she helped me every step of the way. She helped me with the obituary pics her patience care and concern were just what I needed to get me through the loss of my sister. I want to thank Star personally and value the care that I was giving. Thank you Star and Meadows Mortuary for a wonderful experience.

This funeral home came highly recommended from family and friends . When my dad passed away they…read morewere the ones called. So far I have yet to feel any of this amazing customer services I keep hearing so much about. I am in my 30s and knew zero about this process. I never buried a parent before. My very first experience meeting with this business, 2 people kept walking in and out the room and talking because apparently the fax machine was in that room. Ok. Understandable. After we got to the bottom of my issues, I left with my little burgundy folder. And a handful of questions. As of right now it's has been a month and I have called at least 3 times with questions. They say "I'm with a family I'll call you shortly " they never do. I have found myself asking relatives about the process or googling my concerns. At this point I feel like I am bothering them, or not as important for a call back. Hopefully no one asked me about this experience. I would be forced to remain silent . We all know, if you do not have anything nice to say, do not say anything at all.

The service was excellent. The lady was kind and respectful she was patient gave us choices. The…read morecemetery 's ground is well kept My son died on August 12th 2026.

I have my husband laid to rest at Melwood Cemetery in 2010. His resting place has always been…read morecared for by the cemetery staff appropriately. In March 2020, my Mom passed and we laid her to rest there as well. Despite the challenges that came with COVID shutdown, delays, etc. for a couple of years, Mr. Amiker (the owner) and staff were able to construct, deliver and install the beautiful, customized monument for our Mom. It was a true closure to see the project completed. Our family greatly appreciate their customer service and understanding during the time of loss and continue through the process. From our own experience, we highly recommend the Melwood Cemetery.

The staff at Mowell were very sympathetic to my needs when I lost my wife to Alzheimer's disease …read more I had prearranged for cremation services with them upon our deaths . The process was seamless and it gave us time to have a private graveside service later this spring . Anthony went to great lengths to explain how they were going to take care of my wife's remains and I was left with great comfort , knowing that she was in good hands . Isabel was so good to me . She is a very sweet and caring person and helped me with the necessary paperwork . I won't forget her . I would highly recommend Mowell to anyone who is in need of care for a loved one .

My father passed away last month and I was totally unprepared to plan a funeral as I had never had…read moreto do so. From the moment I walked in the door at Mowell, I knew I was in the right place. Their caring staff led me through the entire process with absolutely no pressure. I am especially grateful for John Christopher and Dawn Dickson. Although it was a holiday weekend, they made sure everything was ready for a Monday visitation. I will always be grateful for the care and outstanding service my family and I received.