[email protected]

Scott is a native of Van Buren, Arkansas, and began his career in the funeral profession while still in high school by washing cars and answering phones for the Edwards - Fentress Funeral Homes of Van Buren and Fort Smith. Scott went on to obtain his Funeral Directors license from the state of Arkansas in 1985.

Scott gained valuable experience managing funeral homes and cemeteries throughout the region including Longview, Texas and Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. In 1999, Scott was offered the opportunity to move back to Arkansas to manage Nelson’s Funeral Home and Crematory and Fairview Memorial Gardens.

Paula was born in Fort Smith, Arkansas and moved to Illinois as a youngster where her parents pastored a church. She later began traveling and singing as a soloist in churches across the United States. It was while singing at her grandfather's funeral in 1987, Paula met her future husband, Scott, who was the funeral director for her grandfather’s services. They were married in 1989.

Paula feels called to help families through the important process of pre-planning and worked as a prearrangement counselor in Oklahoma City and in Northwest Arkansas. Today, Paula manages the Fairview Memorial Gardens in Fayetteville.

In 2002, Scott and Paula purchased Nelson’s Funeral Home. In 2010, the Bernas’ purchased Moore’s Chapel Funeral Home, a Fayetteville institution providing funeral planning and services since 1889. Together Scott and Paula feel blessed to offer their focus, empathy and guidance to families as they celebrate and honor their loved ones.

Scott and Paula have two children, Colby and Calli, and three wonderful grandchildren, Grayson, Charlie, and Chase. Scott is an member of The Rotary Club of Fayetteville and serves on the board for the Arkansas Funeral Directors Association. During their free time, Scott and Paula enjoy spending time with family.

[email protected]

Scott and Paula Berna’s son Colby joined the family business in 2011 as an apprentice funeral director and embalmer and now serves as a funeral director and embalmer after receiving a Funeral Science Degree from Arkansas State University Mountain Home in 2014.

Colby grew up in Fayetteville and graduated from Fayetteville High School in 2009. In 2012 he graduated from the University of Arkansas with a Bachelor’s in Criminal Justice. He and his wife Jessica Shepperd live in Fayetteville and have a son, Grayson and a daughter, Lillian.

[email protected]

Robert began his career in funeral service at Edwards Funeral Home in Fort Smith in 1988 while in high school. He graduated from the Dallas Institute of Funeral Service and received his Embalmers and Funeral Directors license in Arkansas in 1990.

Robert has worked for funeral homes throughout Arkansas including Griffin Leggett Healey and Roth in Little Rock, Fentress Mortuary in Fort Smith and currently is the manager at Moore’s Chapel in Fayetteville. Robert and his wife Tammy have one daughter, Emily, and two sons, Hunter and Andrew. He enjoys biking and spending time with his family.

[email protected]

A native of Rector, Arkansas, Mark Huggins has over 37 years of experience as a funeral director and embalmer. His wife, Sandra, is originally from Fayetteville, and the couple moved here from southeast Arkansas in 2019.

Mark graduated with a degree in funeral service from Southern Illinois University at Carbondale in 1983. They have two children, Gennie and Elizabeth, and a grandson David Slade.

Bruce has worked in funeral service for over 35 years. He was born and raised in Marshall, Arkansas and graduated from the Dallas Institute of Funeral Service in 1986. Bruce has worked with Nelson-Berna for four years.

He is married to Rose Carol (Cooke) Smithson and has two children, Jamey Smithson and Leslie Fett and six grandchildren. He enjoys spending time with his family and flying his airplane.

[email protected]

Mark has been in funeral service for over 35 years and is a graduate of Dallas Institute of Funeral Service. He moved back to Northwest Arkansas in 2014 after having owned funeral homes in south and central Arkansas.

He and his wife Marilyn live near West Fork and close to a daughter and son-in-law and grandchildren. He’s a avid hunter in Arkansas and Kansas.

Joe is a native of Springfield, IL, where he graduated from Springfield High School, then began working at a local funeral home.

In 1976, he graduated from Southern Illinois University School of Mortuary Science and Funeral Service. He landed in Peoria, IL, married his childhood sweetheart, Mary Lou, and worked for local funeral homes until purchasing the businesses in Princeville, Wyoming and Toulon, Illinois, with his business partner, Bob DeBolt. They moved to Princeville, where they operated Hammitt-Hott Funeral Home.

In 2017 they made the decision to move to Northwest Arkansas to be near their daughter, son-in-law, and grandchildren. He also decided to come back into funeral service on a part-time basis with Nelson-Berna and Moore’s Chapel.

They are members of Central United Methodist Church, Fayetteville, where they both sing in the choir. He enjoys spending leisure time with his family, boating, fishing, riding his motorcycle; and has been an Amateur Radio Operator for over 45 years.

I am honored to be able to work with such a dedicated and respectful group of funeral professionals who are truly committed to the needs of the families we serve.

Growing up in central Arkansas, Tim Davis has been a licensed funeral director and embalmer in Arkansas for 16 years. He graduated from Arkansas State University of Mountain Home mortuary school in 2006. He also holds a funeral director license in Oklahoma.

He and his wife, Aimee, have made Northwest Arkansas their home since 2006. They have one son, Everett.

[email protected]

Barbara joined the staff as office manager at Nelson-Berna Funeral Home after having worked in the ophthalmology field for several years.

Dianna Whittington started working for Nelson-Berna in September of 2020. She works in the Rogers location as the Office Manager. Her family had recently moved from Fort Smith to Bentonville.

Dianna is originally from Alma. She is married to her husband, Mike, and they have 2 children: Bailey and Stratton. She loves the North West Arkansas area. She enjoys riding her bike, concerts at the AMP and Razorback sports.

Jackie Black joined the Nelson Berna Funeral Homes team in Spring of 2022 accepting the position of Office Manager for Moore’s Chapel.

After relocating to Arkansas from her home state of Kentucky, she continued to utilize her Business degree to continue advancing her career in Sales and Customer Relations related positions. All the while absorbing knowledge from great contributors along the way.

Jackie is the youngest of only two girls in a family of eight children. She now has two daughters of her own, Alexis and Gabriella, and a son Oliver Jack. You can find her on the weekends camping, playing cornhole or a game of cards with family and friends and Of course spoiling her only granddaughter Suri every chance she gets.

Jackie will be waiting to greet you with a smile at the door or a kind word on the phone anytime she has the pleasure to do so. She looks forward to assisting the community of Northwest Arkansas in anyway she can.

Gracie has been an important part of our "staff" for several years. She enjoys being pet and is a great and non-biased listener. She helps bring comfort to the families and guests we serve.