Doug Wortham, Manager, Funeral Director & Embalmer
Doug and his wife Tammy along with their two children Danielle and Seth moved to Cherokee Village in 1998. Although new to the area they have long family ties to Sharp county.
Doug began working in the funeral profession in 1989 at Heath Funeral Home in Paragould.
He attended Southern (now Williams) Baptist College in Walnut Ridge and then moved on to attend Dallas Institute of Funeral Service, graduating in 1992. He also graduated from
Leadership Arkansas program in 1994 under the late Governor Jim Guy Tucker. Doug is also a National Registered EMT, and assists the local ambulance service when needed. He has been very active in the community, serving as the Lt. Governor for the District 19 Kiwanis Clubs and Past President of the Spring River Area Chamber of Commerce. Doug is also a U.S. Army Veteran, serving in Operation Iraqi Freedom , and having 28 years of service with the Army National Guard, he also became a member of the Disaster Mortuary Response Team (DMORT) in July of 2000.  He also serves as a Deputy Coroner for Fulton County.  Doug and his family are members of Cherokee Village First Baptist Church. “I believe that the funeral profession is a ministry of helping people in grief and to assist them in a troubled time of their life. When not working I love to spend time with my family and grandchildren.”

Adam Bates, Funeral Director & Embalmer
Adam is a native to the Ash Flat area and joined the staff at Heath Funeral Home in 2004, working part time until summer of 2006. Before coming to the funeral home full time in 2006 Adam worked for Wal Mart Stores Inc. and Cherokee Village Water Works.
Adam is a 1999 graduate of Highland High School and received his Mortuary Science Degree from Arkansas State University in 2006. He is an EMT–A and has served with the Ash Flat Fire Department since 1999. Adam was hired by the City of  Ash Flat Fire Department in April of 2008 and continues to work at the funeral home on a part time basis;  he also serves as a Deputy Coroner for Fulton County.  Adam  is  a member of Wilson Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons  #432 in Hardy.
When not working Adam keeps busy with beekeeping, farming and trout fishing .
Adam and his wife Amy have a daughter Katlin and live in the Ash Flat area.

Wade Bellah, Funeral Director & Embalmer
Wade is a native to the Pocahontas area. He is a graduate of Pocahontas High School and The Dallas Institute of Funeral Service. He began his career in the funeral profession in 1973 at Heath Funeral Home in Paragould. In 1979 he left Paragould and moved to Northwest Arkansas where he worked until he retired to Alabama. In 1995 he moved back to this area and he started working part time at Heath Oak Hill Chapel.  Wade is a member of Imboden Baptist Church where he also serves as Sunday School Director,
Wade and his wife Pearl live in Imboden.
 

Harvey Smith, Funeral Assistant

 Harvey and his wife Wanda are natives of Thayer Missouri.  Harvey served 20 years in the U.S. Navy.  After retiring from the Navy he and his family moved to Cherokee Village where he worked in rental property management for another 28 years.  Harvey began working with Heath Funeral Home in 2000.  Harvey and his wife currently live in Ash Flat.
 

Ken James, Funeral Assistant

Ken is a retired funeral director and embalmer, licensed in Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Missouri.  Ken is a third generation funeral director, he graduated from The Dallas Institute of Funeral Service in 1962. He took courses at the Baylor Medical School Complex and then went on to Central State in Edmond, Oklahoma where he received a Bachelor of Science degree. Ken went to work for Service Corporation International in 1963 and retired in 1997, serving 18 of those years in management.  While working Ken completed a 2 year course in grief counseling and served with the Disaster Response Team, he specialized in identification of remains.  While serving on the Disaster Response Team he worked with the recovery effort after the Murr Federal Building bombing in Oklahoma City.  Ken has always been involved with the community, he was a scout master for The Boy Scouts of America for 19 years and served on the Boy Scout Council for 5 years, he is also a past Lieutenant Governor for Kiwanis, district 7.  Ken is member of Saint Michaels Catholic Church where he serves on the Columbarium Committee, teaches CCD classes and serves as a Eucharistic Minister.  Ken and his wife Hope live in Cherokee Village.

O C Wright, Funeral Assistant

O C is a native of the Paragould area.  He was a minister for many years in Paragould before moving to Wichita Kansas and eventually  to the Sharp County area.  O C has served as pastor to churches in the area for many years, and is now retired.  O C worked with Verlyn L Heath in the Paragould funeral home for a number of years, where he learned the values that Mr. Heath instilled in his employees.  Understanding the need for professional service O C was very important in helping to establish Heath Oak Hill Chapel, where he worked for a number of years and still helps out when he can.  O C and his wife LaVera are members of Highland Hills Baptist Church, and live in Hardy.