History & Staff

Eddie Brown Owner, Funeral Director & Embalmer/ Preneed-Life Insurance Agent

Eddie is the founder and owner of Brown's Funeral Service. Having discovered at age 12 of having an interest in funeral service it was a lifelong dream to become not only a Funeral Director and Embalmer he wanted to own and operate his own Funeral Service. Eddie was the fifth child of seven (first son) born to A.E."Aus" and Annie (Goff) Brown, lifelong Marshall County (Madill-Kingston area) pioneers. Eddie graduated from Madill High School with the class of '67. Eddie served his first Funeral Director/Embalmers apprentiship in 1976 and worked everyday toward being licensed. After a 20+ year career in grocery and real estate business he made the opportunity happen to go back to college and then to Dallas Institute of Funeral Service where he was class president and recieved Scholastic Acheivement Award.
Brown's has grown to 5 locations since aquiring Durant Funeral Home in 1994. Eddie is a 33 year member of the Lions Club, a member of Atoka Masonic Lodge #4, Oklahoma Funeral Directors Association and The National Funeral Directors Assn. and all the area Chambers of Commerce where we have locations. Eddie served as City Councilman, Police and Fire Commissioner and as Mayor in Tishomingo. Eddie is a licensed Life Insurance agent and a pre-need councilor.

"Helping people has been a lifelong endeavor and Funeral Service has been the most rewarding part of my life because of the position I am in to help people, at their worst time."

Mike Overton FDIC, Funeral Director & Embalmer/ Preneed-Life Insurance Agent

Shanda Brown Funeral Director & Embalmer / Preneed- Life Insurance Agent

Shanda Brown, born in Ardmore, OK, to Tommy and Vickie Brown formerly of Madill, OK. Her brother is Grant Brown, currently of Illinois. After graduating from Madill High School, Shanda attended Southeastern Oklahoma State University and Dallas Institute of Funeral Service. She graduated in May 2002, but went on to work in Arkansas. She returned to Oklahoma in 2008. She is a licensed Funeral Director and Embalmer in Oklahoma, Texas, and Arkansas. She has one daughter,. Abby who attends the University of Arkansas.

Brook Murphree Licensed Funeral Director/Embalmer

Brook was born in Durant and was raised by Janet & the late John Rorex.
John and Janet raised her, her sister, and numerous foster children.
She is a Silo graduate of the class of 2012. Brook is a 2024 graduate of Dallas Institute of Funeral Service. She has one precious daughter, Veda Sue Murphree. She has one sister, Baylea Gastineau (husband Joey Gastineau), one niece, and two nephews who she absolutely adores. Her aspiration in life is to assist/serve others in any way that she can. She aims to provide families with an unlimited amount of compassion and the best possible care.

D'Ray Beauchamp Funeral Director & Embalmer

D'Ray Beauchamp was born in Norman, OK to Darrell Keith and the late Brenda Keith of Washington, OK. D'Ray has two siblings Kody and Lana Keith both of Washington, OK. D'Ray graduated from Washington High School then attended Carl Albert State College then went on to mortuary school at University of Central Oklahoma in Edmond. D'Ray met her husband Brandon while attending Carl Albert and after graduating from UCO they married and are now the proud parents of 2 children, Avery and Blane. D'Ray and her family live in Mead.

Chad E. John Licensed Funeral Director/Embalmer

Chad is a 1989 graduate of Bokchito High School where he loved playing basketball and was an All State baseball player. After graduation, he played baseball at Murray State College for two years. Chad attended the Dallas Institute of Funeral Service in Dallas in 1991, graduating with a Mortuary science degree in 1992. After his mortuary schooling, he served his apprenticeship in Oklahoma with funeral homes in Elk City, Sayre, Cheyenne and Erick, and attributes his work ethic, foundation of professionalism and attention to details to the licensed funeral directors during this time. Chad earned his Funeral Director/ Embalmer licenses in October 1993. Chad is a proud member of the Choctaw Nation.

After earning his license, Chad has worked in Skiatook, Durant, Denison/Sherman, and back to Durant. He has licenses both in Oklahoma and Texas. Chad has three awesome children, Emalee, Chay and Justin, and six beautiful grandkids, Riggin, Tate, Rylee, Kennedy, Sutter and Blakelyn. Chad enjoys working, being with his family, and is a huge Oklahoma Sooners fan. Boomer!!!

Email: [email protected]

Grayson Axsom Funeral Director & Embalmer

Scott Harper Family Services Coordinator, Pre-Need Counselor

Scott Harper was born in North Little Rock, Arkansas to Dub and Linda Harper. Scott is the oldest of five children, all from the North Little Rock area. He attended school in his hometown of Sherwood, Arkansas. Scott moved to Durant, Oklahoma in 2001 and currently lives in Durant. He has raised three great boys, Kevin, John and Raul. Scott has worked for Brown's since October of 2013.

Angela Phillips Office Assistant

Angela Phillips was born in Oklahoma City, OK and is the only child of Jim and Shirley Heil. She was raised in Moore, OK until her freshman year of high school when her and her family moved to Bokchito, OK. Her parents owned and operated Durant Optical, where she was employed for 23 years. She has one daughter, Whitney Dunegan and husband Eric. She now resides in Bokchito and loves spending time with her granddaughter, Heily. Angela joined the Brown's Funeral Service family in January 2018.

Loren Mason Maintenance/Cemetery Set-up

Fred Booth Funeral Assistant

Don Fentem Funeral Assistant/Chaplain

Don was born and raised in Ada Oklahoma. He spent 38 years as an executive in healthcare financial management before retiring and moving back to Oklahoma full time in 2017. He and his wife of 31 years, Tina, moved to Durant in 2022. They have four adult children, two of which live in Durant.

Don began working at Browns in early 2023 and quickly saw a need for a Chaplain. He began serving in that role and became a licensed minister in the summer of 2024.

“Helping families navigate the grief process has become a passion for me” he said. “This role helps me pay forward the many acts of kindness and support we received in 1999, when we unexpectedly lost our 14 year old son.”

Don is familiar with many denominational traditions and is happy to research and tailor his services to meet the needs of a family.

Les Walters Funeral Assistant

Les Walters is a resident of Durant, Oklahoma. He works EMS at the level of critical care. He worked as a paramedic for Bryan County EMS for 22 years and is now employed at Coalgate Fire Department. Les started working in the funeral profession in 2006 and became employed with Brown's Funeral Service in 2019. He is married to Susan Fouse Walters.

Kelby Owens Part- Time Funeral Assistant