Cemetery employee earns top DPS award

BLOOMFIELD, Mo. - To honor veterans in a way that reflects their service to their country is Tammy Smith's purpose. That's how she begins each day's work at the Missouri Veterans Cemetery in Bloomfield, Mo., whether her time is spent assisting grieving families, overseeing the maintenance budget or inspecting headstones.

After nearly a decade of dedication to the job she loves, the Poplar Bluff woman was chosen in January from nearly 5,000 workers as the Missouri Department of Public Safety's top employee.

Smith is honored by the award, though a little embarrassed by the attention it has generated. She will accept the honor in February in Jefferson City, Mo., at a ceremony with top officials from DPS and the Veterans Commission.

"It's a very big honor and it means a lot to me ... because I'm doing something I love and I'm doing it for people I care about," explained Smith, who is now in the running to be named the top employee for the State of Missouri.

Smith's duties encompass much of the veterans' cemetery operations, including planning special programs, working with funeral homes and handling accounting and budgeting work, but she sees her primary duty as taking care of veterans and their families. More than 1,500 people have been interred at the cemetery since she began there shortly before the first veteran was accepted in 2003.

"Not only is it important, it's what I go home and feel good about at the end of the day," she said. "I want them to feel secure and that the person (interred) is being taken care of in the best way possible."

Smith is very good at helping families who are grieving, according to Director Ken Swearengin. He believes many of the positive words from family members about the cemetery come from what Smith has done to help them in their time of need.

"It takes a very understanding and gentle person to deal with a grieving person," Swearengin said. "When you have grieving family members, each person is different. Tammy has learned over the years to accept whatever the responses are from the family."

Swearengin first nominated Smith for the awards that qualified her to run for DPS employee of the month.

Smith earned employee of the month for October among the 100 staff members that make up the Missouri Veterans Commission service officers and central office staff. She was next named to the top spot among the 2,000 members of the Missouri Veterans Commission, which is part of DPS, along with the Missouri State Highway Patrol, Missouri National Guard and five other agencies.

In the initial application, Swearengin described Smith's work coordinating a Memorial Day program attended by 500 people, as well as creating a computer database related to plot allowances which saves cemetery directors and office workers throughout the Veterans Commission from time- consuming research, compilation and data editing tasks.

"She has one of those personalities that says, 'Can I help you? What can I do for you?,' whether its dealing with veterans, our customers, funeral homes, the county coroner or the veterans administration," Swearengin said. "She likes her job and enjoys helping people. That makes her good at what she does."

In meeting many veterans through her work and hearing their stories, Smith said she now has a better understanding of the type of person it takes to sacrifice so much of their lives.

Smith admits her job can be very difficult, as she works with families who have lost a loved one. The Bloomfield Cemetery handles about 250 services each year.

"I try to be strong, but more times than I can count, I've become emotional while dealing with a family. I don't feel like I would be human if I didn't," she said.

There are a lot of hugs, added Smith, who said she tries to remember she could be the person across the desk.

"I know how I would want to be treated. I feel like they deserve to be treated the same," she said. "If there is something I can do, help them locate paperwork or anything, I'm more than willing. It's the least I can do."