History & Staff

D. R. Bob Powell Founder of Powell Funeral Homes

1922 ~ 2006
Always In Our Hearts

Tyler Hyatt CPC Owner/President - Bald Knob ~ Searcy ~ Augusta, Arkansas

Tyler is the President/Owner of Powell Funeral Homes and is a licensed funeral director/embalmer and a Certified Pre-Planning Consultant (CPC). He is a native of Woodruff County and graduated from McCrory High School in 1991 and joined the Powell Staff in 1994. Tyler has three children: Peyton, Meredith and Camryn and three step-children: Bethany, Branson and Britain and five precious grandchildren, Braylynn, Austyn, Baylor, Lainey and Layton. He has served as Chamber of Commerce President as well as numerous years on their Board of Directors and is a past Bald Knob School Board member. He served 22 years in the White County Coroner's Office, several of those years as Chief Deputy and the county's first Medico-Legal Death Investigator . He is a member of the Bald Knob Rotary Club, the Shady Grove Cemetery Board where he serves as Cemetery Sexton and also serves as the Chairman of the L.J.Steward Addition Board of Directors. Tyler has been a member of the Bald Knob Volunteer Fire Department for a number of years and served as Captain for several years. Tyler served on the Board of Directors of the Arkansas Funeral Directors Association and as Association President, 2012-2013 and is a member of the National Funeral Directors Association. In 2021, he and his family were presented the opportunity to purchase the Powell Funeral Homes in Bald Knob, Searcy and Augusta. In 2022, they purchased their fourth location in Bradford, Arkansas. He and his wife Jada also own and operate "An Extra Closet Self Storage" in Bald Knob and enjoy spending time with family and friends and working on the farm where they raise a variety of animals. In his free time, Tyler enjoys deer hunting, fishing and spending time on the river in the summer with family and friends.

Jada Brooks-Hyatt Owner/Apprentice Funeral Director

Jada and her husband Tyler are the owners of Powell Funeral Homes. She is the biggest "people person" in the world and loves interacting with our families. Jada is a Bald Knob native and graduate of Bald Knob High School. She loves nothing more than being surrounded by her family. Jada hosts every birthday party, Thanksgiving and Christmas dinner and Easter gathering at her home. Her love of family and people extends to the funeral homes and her genuine love of people is felt by each family we are honored to serve. Other hobbies are spending time on the river, gardening, working on the farm and fishing.
She has 6 children, Bethany; Branson, Britain, Peyton, Meredith and Cami as well as 5 grandchildren, Braylynn, Austyn, Baylor, Lainey and Layton.

Brenda Basinger Accounting/Bookeeping

Brenda serves as the primary bookkeeper for all of our locations and is responsible for accounts payable. She is the glue that holds everything together. Brenda previously worked in banking in Bald Knob for over 30 years and is known for her soft spoken kindness. She and her husband Danny are natives of Bald Knob and are very involved in the community. Brenda serves on the Bald Knob Housing Authority Board and is a past Chamber of Commerce Board Member.

Meredith Hyatt-Davidson Funeral Director

Meredith is the daughter of the owners, Tyler and Jada Hyatt. She is a 2017 graduate of Bald Knob High School and 2019 graduate of the University of Arkansas Community College at Batesville, where she obtained a Registered Nursing Degree. January 2022, Meredith decided to change career paths and go into the family business. In September of 2023, Meredith became a Licensed Funeral Director. All of her life, her dad, Tyler, has been working in the funeral business, and she realized at a young age the difference that a funeral director can make on a grieving family during their time of need. In October of 2018, Meredith married her high school sweetheart, Hunter Davidson, and in January of 2020, they welcomed their first baby girl, Austyn Leigh into the world. In June 2023, they welcomed their second daughter, Lainey Paige. Meredith enjoys spending time with family, being at the lake/river, and deer hunting during the fall and winter months.

Britain Brooks-Sharp Administrative Assistant/Death Certificate Processing

Britain is the daughter of owner, Jada Brooks-Hyatt. She manages our Searcy office and handles all death certificate processing. Britain is a 2017 graduate of Bald Knob High School and began her career at Powell Funeral Home in February of 2022. She married the love of her life, Steven Sharp in September of 2022. In July of 2024, they welcome their son, Layton Coy, into the world. Britain enjoys spending time with her family as well as spending time outdoors.

Anna Browning Funeral Director/Embalmer

Anna is a licensed funeral director and embalmer. She received her degree in mortuary science from John. A Gupton in Nashville, TN. Anna grew up in the funeral home setting with her grandmother, who is a longtime funeral director/embalmer. She has one son, Teagan and enjoys the outdoors. Fishing, four wheeler riding and hanging out with family and friends are what she finds enjoyment in. Anna joined the Powell staff in 2022 and is a huge asset to the communities we serve.

Joanna Birchett Funeral Director/Embalmer

Joanna has served with Powell Funeral Homes for a number of years. She spends most days overseeing the operations at our Bradford location. She is a lifelong resident of the Bald Knob and Velvet Ridge areas. Jo, as we affectionately call her, is also a local beautician and has operated her shop for decades. In her spare time, she loves spending time with her grandchildren and spending time kayaking on the Spring River with her family. Joanna is very dedicated to the families she serves and is always very attentive to each detail.

Kelly Depaepe Funeral Director

Kelly Depaepe is a Licensed Funeral Director with several years of experience serving families and individuals in White County. With a compassionate approach and attention to detail, Kelly provides dignified and personalized funeral services that honor the lives of loved ones. Dedicated to supporting families during difficult times, she strives to create meaningful and memorable experiences that celebrate the unique spirit of each person.
When not serving her community, Kelly enjoys spending time with her husband, Thomas and their daughter, Rylie as well as exploring the outdoors.

Terry Staggs Funeral Assistant/Visitation Attendant

Terry is a resident of Searcy and a native of the Bald Knob Community. Terry is a vital member of our staff and is known by nearly everyone. He and his wife Margie have two grown children and they love spending time with their grandchildren. Terry retired from Entergy (AP&L) in 2012 after 42 years of employment. He joined the Powell staff in 2014. He enjoys the outdoors, especially fishing. He and his family attend Kennect City Church in Kensett. Terry is honored to serve the families of his hometown and all of White and Woodruff Counties.

Gene Martin Funeral Director

Gene is a licensed funeral director and assists the funeral homes, part-time, with funerals and visitations. He has owned and operated several sucessful businesses in White County throughout the years and been active in civic affairs. He and wife Freda are active memebers of the Westside Church of Christ in Searcy.

David R. Powell Jr. Former Owner/Advisor

David is the former Owner and President of Powell Funeral Homes. In August 2021, he passed the torch to long-time employee Tyler Hyatt and his wife Jada. David has been involved in funeral service his entire life. He is a licensed funeral director and embalmer and is currently serving as the White County Coroner. David has served his profession well through the years, having served on numerous boards on both state and national levels, including the Arkansas State Board of Embalmers and Funeral Directors, The Arkansas Funeral Directors Association (Past President) as well as the Conference of Funeral Service Examining Board. He has also been very active in many civic clubs and other causes serving the White County area.
David will remain active in the funeral homes as an advisor and will be critical in the ongoing success of the funeral homes.

Jim Newman Visitation Host/Funeral Assistant

Jim serves both locations and is a faithful part-time employee. He is retired from Wal-Mart and enjoys golfing in his spare time.

Rhonda Miller Office Manager-Augusta

Rhonda manages the office at our Augusta location and is a lifelong resident of Woodruff County. She enjoys spending time with her family, especially her grandchildren. Rhonda, better known by friends as Sissy, enjoys assisting the families of Woodruff County and loves serving in the community. She is known for her kind heart and her willingness to help anyone in need.

Rodney Westmoreland Pre-Arrangement Advisor

Sara Templeton Administrative Assistant/ Bald Knob

Sara serves as our Bald Knob locations' administrative assistant. She interacts with customers daily and assists the funeral directors with insurance claims, audio visual, printing and more. Sara has one son and resides in Searcy. She is a graduate of Bald Knob High School and has deep roots in White County. Sara is a very dedicated member of our team and can be depended on for any task that arises.

Kenny Knight First Call Support /Cemetery Services

Christina Knight First Call Support/Cemetery Services

Danny Holobaugh Funeral Assistant

Danny has served as a funeral assistant and visitation host since the 1980's and is a resident of Bald Knob. He is retired from GTE - Century Link after many years of service. Danny has served as Chief of the Bald Knob Fire Department for over 30 years and has been instrumental in the building of a new station and obtaining newer, more modern equipment. He helps with all communication and radio issues in the fire and police departments and is a very involved community member. He is a long time member of the Velvet Ridge Church of Christ.