History & Staff

We have years of experience caring for families, from all walks of life. Each family comes to us because they know we are leaders in our profession, dedicated to excellence in service, and have the highest integrity.

OUR HISTORY

Heartland Funeral and Cremation Services is dedicated to providing services with care and compassion to the families of the Early, Brownwood and Comanche areas.

We serve every familiy in our communities with great pride. We are able to offer a wide range of services to meet your family's needs and customs. We will listen to you and your wishes to help plan a celebration consistent with your expectations. We will take the time to plan every detail and help to relieve the burden on your family during your time of loss.

Our website contains information about our caring staff, our services and links to resources to help you get through this tough time. Please give us a call at either location to see how we can help.

Our Valued Staff

  • Jim Lucas

    Jim Lucas Funeral Director & Owner

  • Jimmy Lucas

    Jimmy Lucas Funeral Director & Owner

  • Sam  Stewardson

    Sam Stewardson Location Leader & Funeral Director - Early

    Sam Stewardson was born and raised in Brownwood and graduated from Brownwood High School. He attended Texas Tech University and graduated from Dallas Institute of Funeral Service. While attending Texas Tech, he began working for Rix Funeral Directors and Franklin-Bartley Funeral Home. Sam returned to Brownwood to work for Davis-Morris Funeral Home as a funeral director and embalmer. Sam worked for Davis-Morris for approximately eight years. In July 2012, he joined the staff of Heartland Funeral Home. Sam is married to his wife Laura, and they have two sons, Thomas and Will. He is an active member of the community as a member and past-president of the Kiwanis Club of Brownwood. He currently serves as chairman of the Airport Board for the City of Brownwood and is president of the Brownwood Education Foundation. Sam and his family are active members of the Austin Avenue Church of Christ where he serves as a deacon.

  • Tye Langehennig

    Tye Langehennig Funeral Director

  • Regina Langehennig

    Regina Langehennig Funeral Director

  • Brendan Stephens

    Brendan Stephens Provisional Funeral Director

    Brendan is a Brownwood, Texas native. He graduated from Brownwood High School in 2019. He began working in the funeral industry in August of 2017. Brendan is currently a licensed provisional Funeral Director at Heartland Funeral Home where he serves families as an apprentice while he is studying to receive his final licensure.

  • David  Twiford

    David Twiford Location Leader & Funeral Director - Comanche

    David was born and raised in Brownwood, graduating from Brownwood High School in 1965 and Auburn University at Montgomery, Alabama in 1987. He returned to the area after retiring from the Army Air Force Exchange Service in 1996 and built, along with his wife Deborah Daniel Twiford, a country home near Goldthwaite. David began his funeral service career in 1999 at Brownwood’s Davis-Morris Funeral Home with the first four years there spent doing transport work along with Deb. As the work environment and personnel changed so did David’s duties and participation in the funeral service. David felt that he was being lead to work more closely with families and began pursuing the licensing requirements to become a Funeral Director. He attended mortuary school at Amarillo College in 2005 and received his Texas Funeral Director’s License in April 2006. David began working part time for Heartland Funeral Home in May of 2009 and became full time in November that year. He works primarily at the Comanche location and manages the daily operations. David’s interest for the Comanche location has grown as he has come to meet and know the people there. David can still be seen in the Early-Brownwood area as he fills in there during expanded work requirements.

  • Deb  Twiford

    Deb Twiford Funeral Assistant

    Deb (Daniel) was born and raised in Brownwood, graduating from Brownwood High School in 1967 and received her Certificate as Paralegal from the Huntingdon College/Jones Law School in Montgomery, Alabama in 1982. After graduating from high school, Deb moved to Dallas with her husband David in 1967. They moved several times with his job in the Department of Defense going to Munich Germany, Montgomery Alabama, and Dallas Texas before returning to this area in 1996. Deb and David have one daughter, Amy Lea, who lives in Dallas. Deb has various duties at the funeral home, helping with funeral services, transportation, and general office work. Her delightful voice greets callers with an eager desire to help and inform.

  • Harvey Jackson

    Harvey Jackson Funeral Assistant

  • John Tunnell

    John Tunnell Funeral Assistant

  • Larry Drury

    Larry Drury Funeral Assistant

  • Scotty Isham

    Scotty Isham Funeral Assistant

  • Catherine Ross

    Catherine Ross Funeral Assistant

    Catherine is familiar to many residents of Comanche and De Leon as she was born and raised here. She attended and graduated school in Comanche. After living in other locations, she returned a few years ago and is happy to be back in Comanche County. Catherine has taught school for many years and continues to educate the children of both Comanche and De Leon school districts.

  • Juanell  Boyd

    Juanell Boyd Visitation Assistant

  • Jeannie Ailshie

    Jeannie Ailshie Visitation Assistant

  • Susan Jones

    Susan Jones Receptionist

  • Ed 	  Bessent

    Ed Bessent In Memory

    Clarence Edwin “Ed” Bessent was born December 4, 1946 to Clarence and Jo Ruth Lindsey Bessent in Brownwood, Texas. Ed passed away on Monday, February 15, 2016 at the age of 69.Ed was a member of First Baptist Brownwood where he also served as a deacon. He was a member of the Early Lions Club and a board member of the West Texas Funeral Directors Association. He graduated from Priddy High School. Ed was a deputy sheriff for Mills county for a number of years. Ed also taught children’s Sunday School and Royal Ambassadors for many years.Ed retired from the Texas Youth Commission and then went back to college to attain his Associates degree in funeral directing. He was employed by Davis-Morris Funeral home for a number of years. Ed was presently a funeral director with Heartland Funeral Home.Ed enjoyed his family, especially his grandchildren. He was known as “Pops” to them. He looked forward to each year when the family spent several days at Lake Brownwood State Park. Ed was a good builder of many things. He built a train out of oil drums, bought a train whistle, and pulled this behind his lawn mower loaded with his grandchildren. Later he bought a “57” Chevrolet golf cart for his grandchildren to replace the train.On June 1, 1968 Ed married Linda Fuller in Dunn. He is survived by his wife Linda Fuller Bessent of Brownwood, daughter and son-in-law Shanna and Mitch Stovall of Corinth; son and daughter-in-law Brian and Sonja Bessent of Abilene; grandchildren Abby and Si Stovall of Corinth, Jenna, Molly, Caroline and Will Bessent of Abilene. A brother-in-law and sister-in-law Lynn and Sheri Fuller of Willow Park, two nephews Justin and Julie Fuller of Colorado and Jared and Michelle Fuller of Ft. Worth; one great niece and one great nephew. Ed is also survived by his aunt Marie Hamilton of Goldthwaite and numerous cousins.He is preceded in death by his parents Clarence and Jo Ruth Bessent and his father-in-law and mother-in-law W.J. and Jerry Fuller.