Earl Smith

Earl is a lifetime resident of Mississippi County and a 1959 graduate of Blytheville High School. He married Martha Jo Howard in 1960 and spent three years with the Blytheville Police Department before beginning his life's work in funeral service. He is a 1966 graduate of John A. Gupton College in Nashville, Tennessee, where he served as President of his class. Earl is a licensed embalmer, funeral director, and certified eye enucleator. He is National Board certified and holds licenses in Arkansas and Missouri. He served many years on the Arkansas Board of Burial Associations and is a current Board Member for the Great River Medical Center in Blytheville and Osceola. Earl has given his life to funeral service and the families he has served.

Martha Jo Smith

Born in Leachville, Martha Jo is the granddaughter of our founder, the late E. M. Howard, and the daughter of the late Buddy and Nola Howard. A lifelong Mississippi County resident, she is a 1960 graduate of Blytheville High School and the wife of Earl Smith since 1960. Funeral service is the only life she has ever known. Martha Jo holds an Arkansas Funeral Directors License an Arkansas Insurance License and is our most experienced pre-arrangement counselor. She and Earl have two sons, Brian who lives in Ft. Smith, and Greg who has been with the company since 1983. They also have three grandchildren, Andy, Lindsey, and Matt.

Greg Smith

Greg is a fourth generation embalmer and funeral director. He has spent his entire life in funeral service. A 1982 graduate of Leachville High School he married Melinda Laffoon in 1984. Greg is a 1985 Honor Graduate of the Mid-America College of Mortuary Science in Jeffersonville, Indiana and is National Board certified holding embalmers and funeral directors licenses in Arkansas and Missouri. Greg also holds an Arkansas Insurance License. He is the longest tenured Deputy for the Mississippi County Coroner's Office having served in that capacity for 25 years. Greg and his wife, Melinda, have two children, Lindsey, a Senior at Arkansas State University majoring in biology, and Matt, a Freshman at Arkansas State University.

Rev.Mark Wheeler

Mark is a native of Kennett, Missouri and has been with us since 1996. A 1982 graduate of Kennett High School, Mark has become vital to our company and community. He holds an Arkansas Funeral Directors License, and has served as Deputy Coroner for the Mississippi County Coroner's Office since 2002.

Karan Hill

Karan has been with us since 2007 and immediately became part of the Howard family. She has been a Manila resident for most of her life and is married to Manila Police Chief, Jackie Hill. Together they have been very active in Manila sporting programs and civic events. They have one son Justin, and one granddaughter, Aubrey.

Brenda Laffoon

Brenda is a lifelong Leachville area resident and has been with us since 2009. She serves as our visitation receptionist at the Leachville and Manila locations and was formerly employed by the Monette Nursing Center. Though Brenda has only been with the funeral home for a short time, she has been family for over 25 years, she is Greg's mother-in-law. She will also be working in our pre-arrangement program.

James Skinner

James is the newest member of the Howard Staff. Born in Newport he is a 1982 graduate of Weiner High School and a 1989 graduate of the Arkansas Law Enforcement Training Academy. He served many years with the Mississippi County Sheriff's Department and has been with the Manila Police Department since 2006. James also serves as a deputy for the Mississippi County Coroner's office. He and his wife, Karen, are proud to call Manila home.