Ustick Funeral Home was started in 1913 by Carl Ustick, Sr. and his wife Millicent. Millicent had her license as a funeral director and Carl had a full license to embalm. Together they operated the funeral home until 1946. There was a little building in the back for building caskets. Carl would build wood caskets and Millicent would line them. After Carl Sr and Millicent retired, their son, Carl Ustick, Jr. and his wife Isabel operated the funeral home from 1946-1975. Isabel was a wonderful organist and played the organ for most funerals. Carl Jr also had his pilot’s license and used his private airplane to help families with transportation.

In 1975, Carl Jr and Isabel’s daughter Milly and her husband Carroll Donelson took over the family business and ran it together until they retired in 1998. After Carroll and Milly retired, their son Mike Donelson and his wife Suzanne formed a partnership with Larry and Deb Johnson. Larry had been working for Carroll and Milly since 1983. Together with Mike and Suzanne, Larry and Deb operated the funeral home for the next 10 years. Mike and Suzanne and their son Paul Donelson now own Ark Valley Monument and make headstones for the entire valley.

In 2008, the Donelsons and Johnsons decided to retire and sold the funeral home to Cris and Ginger Ford who moved out here from Kansas. They ran it as Ford-Ustick Funeral Home until January of 2022 when they sold to Seth and Danielle Bellwood.