Kersey Funeral Home & Crematory

Kersey Funeral Home, once a privately owned home and one of the largest in Auburndale, Florida, was built in 1913 at a cost of $7,500. This home was built for Mr. Mikell Baynard, a local businessman, rancher and citrus grower of the times. As the story goes, Mr. Baynard and his wife Nettie wanted a larger house than an acquaintance of theirs at the time, so they constructed an estate on 7.5 acres of citrus groves overlooking Lake Stella.
The home consisted of 19 original rooms and eight fireplaces, each with a unique mantle. The huge pillars on the front of the building were brought down the Mississippi River and across the Gulf of Mexico. They were hoisted into place on the wrap-a-round porch.

Mr. Baynard was killed in 1933 when his car was struck by a train in Auburndale. When he died, the estate went to the banks, and a man named Harry Penn ran the estate for the banks, until Walter Kersey started leasing the property in 1950.
"Except for enclosing the porch and adding a chapel, I've tried to keep the home just as it was when I purchased it," said Walter Kersey. He, along with Herbert Peyer established the funeral home in 1950.

"The first year it was rough getting started, we had about seven calls that year. The next year we had 50 calls and every year after that we started to grow."

The late Walter and Kathryn Kersey lived in the funeral home raising their three children, Jim, Mary, & David. In 1990 Walter Kersey retired and son, David Kersey and daughter, Mary Kersey Wright took over operating and managing the Kersey Funeral Home. Mary Kersey Wright retired in 2000 making David Kersey the full-time manager in charge where he still stands today. David's son, Eric Kersey, graduated Mortuary School in 2015 and will be starting his funeral career as third generation Funeral Director as well.