Meet Our Caring Staff
Scott is a first-generation funeral director and native of Harlan, Iowa. He is the son of Verne and Ilene Nelson. After graduating from Harlan Community High School in 2006, he pursued further education at Des Moines Area Community College all while working at the funeral home in Harlan. There, he obtained his Mortuary Science Degree, setting the stage for his career in the death care industry and obtaining licensure as a funeral director.
Scott dedicated himself to serving families as a funeral director in SW Iowa until the spring of 2016. He then moved to Sioux Falls, South Dakota to pursue a career as a Funeral Service Consultant with Matthew Aurora Funeral Solutions. In October of 2022, Scott acquired Luken Memorials in Sioux Falls, South Dakota and has since been renamed to Nelson Memorials. In October of 2023, Scott became the owner of Burmeister Johannsen Funeral Home in Harlan, Iowa and has since been renamed to Heartland Funeral and Cremation Services. He continues to serve funeral homes as a consultant and families of Nelson Memorials but is honored to now be serving his native community of Harlan and its surrounding areas.
Scott and his wife Liz, have one daughter, Evelyn Rose.
My career in funeral service began when I was fourteen years old. I began working for a family owned funeral home in Council Bluffs in the spring of 1992. Every day after school and throughout the summer I would ride my bicycle to the funeral home. I would wash cars, care for the lawn and help with other duties. A couple of summers later, once I had a driver's license, my role changed significantly. I began driving to the cemetery and helping on all of the services and during evening visitations. I became so passionate about funeral service that I found my early life revolved around working at the funeral home.
Life for me has always been about service to others. While attending college, the owners of the funeral home sold their ownership to a national firm and there was no room for me after this acquisition. Seeking service to others, I took a job with the Pottawattamie County Sheriff's Office as a corrections officer and that led to being promoted as a deputy sheriff. Eventually, I was hired by the Iowa Department of Public Safety. During my 10 year career, I served in the Division of Criminal Investigations and as a state trooper with the Iowa State Patrol.
I found my time serving in law enforcement personally rewarding, especially the helping others in my community, my passion for helping families with funeral service never was silenced. During my time with the Iowa State Patrol, I was able to complete my education as a funeral director and for a few years I worked two jobs. I worked as a trooper on the midnight shift and as funeral director/mortician during the day.
In August of 2011, my family and I opened Hoy-Kilnoski Funeral Home; November of 2019, we purchased Ohde Funeral Home; August of 2020, we purchased Huebner Funeral Home; and October 2023, Heartland Funeral Home, formerly Burmeister-Johannsen Funeral Home; this is an extension of my life in service to all of you.
Danielle Sondag Mikels found her interest in funeral service at a young age. She started working at a funeral home at the age of 15; helping with evening visitations and weekend services.
At the age of 17, she enlisted in the Iowa Army National Guard. Danielle graduated high school in 2009. She enjoyed every opportunity traveling within the United States for various military training purposes and served her country for a total of six years.
In 2014, Danielle graduated with her bachelor’s degree from the University of Nebraska Omaha. She always carried her passion for the funeral industry with her. After the death of a very close friend, she dealt with her first loss as an adult. Danielle had faced the pain that she’d seen in so many others. She chose to modify her career path and enrolled at Des Moines Area Community College; and graduated with her Mortuary Science degree in 2016. Danielle has since been working as a funeral director and values every day she has to do so.
Katie Fitzsimmons is a first-generation funeral director and a native of Guthrie Center, Iowa. She attended Guthrie Center High School and graduated with the class of 2011. After graduation, Katie received a certified nursing assistant diploma and worked for Thomas Rest Haven in Coon Rapids, Iowa for many years.
In 2013, Katie suffered the loss of her fiancé in a car accident and she switched her career focus from nursing to becoming a funeral director. She graduated from Des Moines Area Community College with her Associate’s Degree in General Education in 2016 and Mortuary Science degree in 2017.
After losing a loved one herself, Katie acknowledges the true gift in honoring a life well lived. She is very dedicated to her profession and is committed to provide impeccable care and respect to each and every family.
Katie is married to her husband, Matthew and they have a daughter, Lilah and son, Holsten.
Tina Bartelson resides outside Irwin with her husband and their three children. She has been a licensed Iowa and Nebraska funeral director for over 10 years. In the last year, she has become an advocate in helping families in Denison and in the surrounding communities in pre-arranging funeral services for themselves and loved ones. She looks forward to being a part of the professional and compassionate services that Huebner Funeral Homes provides for families.
