History & Staff

Darrel & Jery Bethany, Owners

Our beliefs have directed and continue to direct our lives. After the loss of both of our spouses, we were brought together in 2009, upon the passing of Jery’s mother, Faye Groseclose. Jery’s family trusted Anderson Bethany Funeral Home and Crematory with the care of her mother’s services. Numerous high recommendations on the quality and personal care were received by the family in considering this funeral home. Immediately, a higher level of commitment, integrity and personalization of the Bethany Family were obvious. Darrel and Jery were married in January of 2010. Together they have continued to improve Anderson Bethany Funeral Home and Crematory, reinvesting funds in our establishment, the community and the lives of the families we are honored to serve. As the only family owned and operated funeral home in Roswell and Chaves County, we strive to continue to give the community the newest and best funeral home in this area as a benefit in a time of need. Together we have blended 4 children, 9 grandchildren, and 4 great grandchildren. It is our great pleasure and honor to be of service to our team of employees and the great families of Roswell and surrounding areas.

Jeremy Hurley, Vice President of Operations

Blessings beyond measure come in many different ways. When Jeremy made the decision to join our team, Anderson Bethany received a top executive who understands business and motivates employees. His extensive work in the field and in management has given him all the necessary talents to organize and run an operation in a structured and well thought-out manner. The forefront of Jeremy’s heart is service to families. Being born and raised in Roswell, Jeremy (the son of Darrel and Jery Bethany) and his family have returned to be a major part of our community. Jeremy is a calm and an extremely likable person. If talking business, pleasure or family needs, you will always find an open ear and a caring listener.

Liz Zeig, 2nd Vice President of Operations

Melaina Hernandez, Office Manager/Bookkeeper

Melaina Hernandez, or Mel, as she is affectionately known, was born in California. She moved to Roswell around age 11 and considers herself a true “Roswalien.” Mel graduated from Roswell High School. She enjoys living here and is fond of the small-town atmosphere. Mel credits her initial work in the service industry for helping her develop her professional hospitality skills. Mel loves visiting with people! And as Roswell is a popular tourist town, she has the opportunity to interact often with new people from around the world. Mel came to work at Anderson Bethany Funeral Home on a fortunate fluke. Her friend was originally offered the job but was unavailable to accept, and Mel found herself interviewing with Jeremy the following morning. She feels very blessed to have been offered the position. Mel loves her co-workers and has a wonderful rapport with all of them. She considers herself lucky to count them among her friends. Mel enjoys being useful and wears many hats at the funeral home. Her duties have evolved over the years, and she enjoys learning new skills and jumping into the work wherever she is needed. Mel adores her family and friends, and, above all else, she enjoys spending time with them. She especially enjoys the company of her sister and nephew. Mel loves participating in musical theater and is a self-proclaimed “theater nerd.” Additional hobbies include putting together puzzles, listening to fantasy and sci-fi audiobooks, and playing games on her Nintendo Switch. Mel’s love of people makes her a wonderful fit for the funeral profession. She is very social and enjoys working in a field that involves interacting with people. She states that her work has made her a better person. It has made her think deeply about life and helped her to become more patient and caring. She finds a great deal of satisfaction helping families in their time of need and treating them with compassion and kindness. At the end of the day, she is pleased to work in a profession whose cornerstone is helping others, and she enjoys interacting with and working alongside her wonderful Roswell community members.

We are so fortunate to have Mel as our office manager and bookkeeper!

Richard Ashby, Funeral Service Intern, Embalmer, and Care Room Supervisor

Rick was born in Amarillo, TX. His father worked for the U.S. government, and he was raised in Yuma, Arizona. Upon graduating from high school in Yuma, Rick attended Arizona Western College for two years. He then moved back home to Amarillo, where he attended Amarillo College Regional Fire Academy and became a firefighter. Rick also earned a paramedic certificate (EMT) from Amarillo City. Rick worked as a firefighter and a paramedic in Texas for 20 years before retiring and moving to Roswell.
In 2004, Rick began working at Anderson Bethany Funeral Home & Crematory. Rick had known Darrel Bethany and his family for many years, and he was encouraged by the Bethany family to pursue this profession. Rick was not nervous to begin a career in the funeral industry, as his former occupations had prepared him physically and mentally to handle many different situations.
Rick has been married for ten years to his wonderful wife, Ju Dong Ashby. He has two daughters: Aubrey, a nursing school student who will graduate in May, and Rileigh, a stay-at-home mom of a beautiful 18-month-old baby, Rick’s first grandbaby.
Rick enjoys golfing, fishing, and hanging out with his grandbaby. He says he has to keep working - he just can’t hold still! Rick is a very active guy, and although he enjoys golfing and fishing with his buddies, he isn’t anywhere near ready for retirement.
Rick has worked at Anderson Bethany Funeral Home for 21 years. His titles are “Funeral Service Intern, Embalmer, and Care Room Supervisor.” Rick enjoys his work. He notes that he is honored to have the opportunity to ensure that the deceased looks as good as possible before presenting them to their family for the last time. Embalming takes incredible skill, and Rick is experienced and proficient in his work. He takes his time and doesn’t rush the process. A good embalmer is invaluable to a funeral home, and Rick is seasoned in his trade.

Corissa Daniels, Funeral Service Assistant

Corissa Daniels joined our team in 2020. She moved to Roswell in 2019 from Alamosa, Colorado, where she graduated from Alamosa High School. Beginning her work experience in the hotel and dining industry, she was discovered by Darrel and Jery Bethany. It didn’t take too long for them to bring her on board at the funeral home to join our family in serving Roswell and the surrounding areas. Corissa loves people and devotes everything to serving her families, ensuring the Celebrations of Life for their loved one is superior. She has worked in many areas of the funeral home and has recently become an FSI. Her main goal is to become an FSP.

Kristina Urquides, Funeral Service Assistant

Cissy Vasquez, Receptionist/Administrative Assistant to the Directors and Interns

Nadia Contreras, Administrative Assistant for Memorial Tributes

Lisa Hobbs, Administrative Assistant for Obituaries and Advertisements

Lisa was born in California on Travis Air Force Base. Her father was in the Air Force, and Lisa grew up between Pennsylvania and New Mexico. She was largely raised in New Mexico and has lived here since she was 15 years old. Lisa graduated from Goddard High School in Roswell.

After graduation, Lisa's studies took her between Roswell and Chicago, where she lived for a few years. Upon her return, she became involved in the local theater and film scene in Roswell. She enjoys working with the Roswell Community Little Theater and has been involved in several productions. She is currently serving as an assistant director. In her free time, Lisa enjoys creating art of all types.

Lisa was intrigued when Anderson Bethany Funeral Home & Crematory posted an ad for a receptionist. She had worked as a receptionist for several other businesses but had no experience in the funeral industry. Lisa enjoys her work at the funeral home and says her supervisors and co-workers have been very good to her. She loves being able to help people during a difficult time and is eager to advance her skills and capabilities. She looks forward to learning more about the funeral profession.

We are thrilled to have Lisa as our receptionist!

Carroll Caudill, Funeral Assistant

Carroll was born in Vallejo, California. When he was one year old, his doctor advised his parents to move him to a drier climate due to his asthma. His family moved to Lovington, New Mexico, where he was raised and graduated from Lovington High School.

Carroll had the desire to travel and to see the world, so he joined the Air Force three days after graduation. He was stationed in Amarillo, TX, at Amarillo Air Force Base. Despite his wanderlust, he remained in Texas for the duration of his military service from 1962 to 1966. He then moved to Riverside, CA, and attended California Baptist University. At the time, Carroll had the desire to become a Baptist preacher. Upon completion of his education, he participated in evangelistic work on the streets of Hollywood, CA, and had the profound opportunity to serve alongside Arthur Blessitt for three years. Carroll then accepted a call to become the pastor of a church in Loco Hills, New Mexico. He soon discovered that his new role involved more counseling than preaching, and, after a time, he decided that line of work wasn’t his calling in life.

Fort Worth, TX became Carroll’s new home when he went to work for General Motors in their parts division. He became GM’s District Parts Manager and continued in this role for 26 years. He was sent all over the Western United States, including Utah, New Mexico, Idaho, Texas, and Nevada. Upon his retirement from GM, Carroll had the desire to continue working and was eager to have a new professional experience. At the time, he was living in Boise, ID, and decided to take a temporary position at JCPenney during the holiday season. When January came, his superiors liked him so much that they offered him a permanent position as the Manager of the Men’s Department. He soon relocated to a JCPenney store in Roswell, where he worked for the next 14 years. During this time, he began dating a wonderful lady named Darlene that he had hired to work in the jewelry department. Carroll and Darlene were married one year later, working together as a married couple for 12 years before both retiring.

Carroll and Darlene purchased a little ranch just outside of Roswell and began raising horses. Darlene decided she had some time to fill and began working at the local Sam’s Club. During one of her shifts, a company forklift broke down, and Carroll was called in as the repairman. He was immediately hired to work at Sam’s Club and did so for the next ten years. Most of his time at Sam’s Club was not spent in the warehouse, but in charity relations where he had the wonderful opportunity to work with many local charities in many different counties. Carroll loved this line of work, as he enjoys meeting and helping people. His employment at Sam’s Club came to an end due to the pandemic.

During his time at Sam’s Club, the owner of the Roswell Christmas Railway contacted Carroll and asked him to play Santa Claus, a job that lasted every year from the day after Thanksgiving until January 1st. Carroll did so for seven years, and enjoyed his time working as Santa in the evenings.

Never one to sit still, Carroll was ready for a new experience. One day, he and Darlene were driving past Anderson Bethany Funeral Home & Crematory in Roswell, and he felt the desire to go in and visit with the funeral home owners. He was hired on the spot as a funeral assistant. Carroll absolutely loves his work at Anderson Bethany. He has the opportunity to help with viewings and funerals, and he greatly appreciates being able to visit with families in need of comfort and support during a difficult time. Carroll loves people and feels it is his calling in life to help and encourage anyone in need. He wants the grieving families at the funeral home to feel important and loved. As he states, “I try to do everything respectfully.”

Carroll now realizes that his desire to become a preacher many years ago stemmed from this desire to work and to serve others, and he never imagined that he would have the opportunity to work in the funeral profession. Carroll is now 81 years old, and he says he wishes he had discovered this line of work when he was younger, although he is thankful for his life and the experiences that have led him to this point. He works nearly every day, and he says that Jeremy and Liz are more than his employers, they are his family, and he loves them. He enthusiastically exclaims that he won’t quit until he climbs into a casket himself! :)

We are so thankful to have Carroll as our funeral assistant!

Santana Hernandez, Transportation Team

Matt Morales, Transportation Team

Brandon Perry, Transportation Team