about us

With everything in life we do, necessity has always been the driving force behind the inventions we need. Mr. John A. Jones, an employee of Northeast Coal Co. in Auxier, Ky., and in charge of running the Coal Company General Store, witnessed a need firsthand. With the great flu epidemic of 1918, he saw a need for someone to care for all the dead. By supplying and selling coffins at the general store, he made the biggest life-changing decision of his life, and that was to leave the comfort and security of the coal company. Coming to Paintsville in 1921, he started in business with several other local gentlemen in the community in what at that time was called the Paintsville Furniture and Undertaking Company. Seeing the fast-changing needs and customs of the funeral business, he felt it was time to focus solely on funeral service in the Big Sandy area. In 1940, he opened “The Jones Funeral Home” located on Main Street in Paintsville next to the First United Methodist Church. With his wife Lexie and son Edwin "Pinky" Jones working with him in those early years, he started what has now lasted well over 75 years. Creating this successful story, Mr. John A. Jones, best known by all his friends and the community as "One Ear Jones, " was born in 1885 in Gallipolis, Ohio, and went home to be with the Lord on January 18, 1953.

Edwin H. “Pinky” Jones, Known best in the community as  “Funeral Home Pinky” because of the fact, one of his brothers, David S. Jones, was also known as “Pinky” or, to most, “Clothing Store Pinky”. Edwin was born on February 20, 1908, in Gallia Co., Ohio, one of five children born to John A. and Lexie Jones. Pinky worked for a short time in the funeral business in Columbus, Ohio. After returning home, he went to work for his father. Pinky received his Funeral Directors License in 1943 and his embalming degree in 1949. With the death of his father in 1953, Pinky began his role as overseer of daily operations of the Jones Funeral Home. In 1954, the name of the funeral home was changed for the first and only time in its long history. Becoming the Jones-Preston Funeral Home. Edwin continued in this capacity as the manager of the funeral home until his untimely death on August 10th, 1974.

In 1940, Mr. John A. Jones, known to all as "One Ear" Jones, opened the Jones Funeral Home at 52 Main Street, Paintsville, KY. The first phone number issued to the funeral home was 311. Along with the duties that came with operating a funeral home, there was always work to be done with the 24-hour ambulance service. In those early days, it was very common for the funeral homes to offer ambulance services as well as funeral services. The funeral home and ambulance operations were run from this location until 1956. In that year, the decision was made to move to another location. So the property located on the corner of Second and Church Street was purchased from the Harmon family. With renovations needed to turn the residence into a working funeral home, the task at hand was undertaken. But only one short year later came the historic 1957 flood. And so renovations were needed again. The daily operations of the funeral home and ambulance service continued until 1971, when the decision was made to sell the ambulance service and retain the funeral business only. With the yearly increase in the number of funerals performed, there came yet another decision: "expansion," and so in June of 1972 the Jones-Preston Funeral Home opened the first funeral home building built solely for funeral service in Eastern Kentucky. Now, with the passing of almost 40 years, the Jones-Preston Funeral Home Inc., located at 807 South Mayo Trail, Paintsville, Ky. 41240, is still continuing the tradition.

The Jones-Preston Funeral Home moved to its second location, at 2nd and Church Street, in 1957. Mr. James R. Preston and Edwin "Pinky" Jones made the final move to its current location on July 1, 1972. In the fall of 1974, "Pinky" Jones passed away.

Mr. James Andrew Preston now presides over the family business, in which he has worked for over 30 years. A native of Johnson County, he graduated from Paintsville High School and pursued higher education in two regional institutions, Mayo State Vocational School and Morehead State University. While studying Industrial Education, Mr. Preston found his true calling lay within his roots and changed course to pursue knowledge of the funeral industry. In March 1984, he enrolled in the Mid-America College of Funeral Service, Jeffersonville, IN, and received his degree in Funeral Service on February 1, 1985. James returned home to start his career in Funeral Service. In 1987, after two years of internship, he received his license in Funeral Directing and Embalming. By 1989, he was promoted to Manager of Jones-Preston Funeral Home, overseeing the daily operations of the highly successful business. In 2004, he took on part ownership and by 2008 had become the sole owner of the enterprise. 

Mr. Preston is highly engaged in the Johnson County community, having lived and served here most of his life. He is a lifelong member of the First Christian Church of Paintsville and has been a member of the Paintsville Masonic Lodge 381 F. &A.M. for 25 years. Civic-minded, Mr. Preston has served the city of Paintsville in the positions on the Board of Planning and Zoning as well as being elected several terms on the City Council. He is also credited for aiding in the development of Eastern Kentucky infrastructure through new roads and highways, leading with the relocation of several thousand graves. Additionally, he holds state honors including the title of Kentucky Colonel (1996) and membership in the Covington Scottish Rite and the El Hasa Shrine.

Professional affiliations include: the National Federation of Independent Business, the Better Business Bureau, Paintsville Chamber of Commerce, National Funeral Directors Association, Kentucky Funeral Directors Association, Kentucky Funeral Directors Burial Association, and Eastern Kentucky Funeral Directors Association.