20) And he shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you: 21) Whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began. The book of Acts chapter 3:20 through chapter 3:21
A Beautiful Tree of Remembrance Service
The Axleson Funeral Home Service of Remembrance was truly a wonderful, inspirational event. Down below, there is a small album of some of the great photos of the decor and the participants. (By the way, all photos were taken by Axleson Funeral Home Staff during the Service of Remembrance in Butte, Montana, on December 11th.) The photograph of the spectacular tree simply required more space so you could fully appreciate it. Hence, the single large photo.
Introducing Chris Holt – Funeral Director at Anderson, Stevenson, Wilke & Retz Funeral Home
Chris was born in Helena, Montana and graduated from high school in Oregon. Chris had worked in property management/maintenance all his life. Then, he began working part time as a funeral assistant in Great Falls, Montana in 2000. Chris quickly decided to serve families full time in funeral service and so he enrolled at the Mount Hood Community College in Portland, Oregon, where he graduated from Funeral Service in 2007.
Chris moved his family to Helena and has been serving the Helena community and surrounding areas since 2007. The family moved to East Helena in 2014.
Chris is married to Kelly, who is a certified Dental Assistant for a local dentist. They have five children: Justine (a third-grade teacher in Helena), Joey (A member of the Montana Army National Guard), Tristen (a student at Montana Tech University in Butte), Armanie (a student in East Helena High School), and Madison (entering East Helena Middle School).
Chris is a member of the Helena Lions Club, a Master Mason of Helena Lodge #3, member of the Montana Funeral Directors Association in which he served as President for 2 years and he is now the Association’s Representative to the National Funeral Directors Association, and he is also a member of the National Funeral Directors Association.
Chris and his family enjoy the outdoors and the activities in Helena and the surrounding areas with hunting, fishing, and hiking. They also enjoy a variety of sports with the kids in Softball and Volleyball.
Chris serves families with the utmost compassion, professionalism, and sincerity.
Here are a few photos to help you get to know Chris:
Wreaths Across America
Some of the crew at Franzen-Davis joined up with the American Legion Post No. 23 in Livingston to honor our local deceased veterans!
Take a Sleigh Ride with Santa
Stevenson & Sons Funeral Home in Miles city joined up with Steadman’s ACE Hardware, AgWest, and Murray Trucking to provide free rides with Santa. Hoofbeats Wagon Services brought their rig out and the kids lined up to go for the sleigh ride – with Santa! If you ever want to see a bunch of happy, excited kids – get ‘em a ride with Santa. There were lots of people having lots of fun.
Planning Ahead
More and more people are realizing the many advantages of prearranging their funerals. The process is simple, and the benefits to the loved ones who are left to handle the arrangements are very well recognized and appreciated. To accommodate the growing need for professional pre-planning support, we provide highly trained and experienced Pre-Need Counselors at Stevenson & Sons:
Lynn Anderson in Miles City, Montana • 406-232-4457
Natalie Boey in Helena, Montana • 406-442-8520
Steve Pearce in Williston, North Dakota • 701-572-6329
Some of the benefits of prearranging are:
Pre-planning allows you to express your own wishes • It means that your loved ones will not have to make a number of important decisions during a time of mourning • Your funeral plan is transferable, in case you move away • It relieves your family of the financial burden • It allows your loved ones to spend their time comforting each other during a time of grief, instead of concerning themselves with the specifics of the arrangements • When pre-planning, there are both guaranteed and non-guaranteed plans available to choose from • It allows you the opportunity to discuss your final arrangements with family members to ensure clarity, and to ensure that those responsible are comfortable with all of your decisions.
If you’d like to know more, we recommend visiting: https://www.whypreplan.org/
Funeral Planning Aid
We frequently receive questions regarding what the person responsible for making funeral arrangements should expect. Since we’ve received so many requests for this information, we are placing a link which allows our newsletter subscribers to download a complete copy of our Funeral Planning Aid. The informative article is presented as a PDF – simply click the PDF Button below to access it. That way, if you wish, you may keep it on your computer for future reference or sharing with others. If after you read the article, you have any questions, please contact one of our pre-planning professionals: Lynn Anderson in Miles City, Montana at 406-232-4457 • Steve Pearce Williston, North Dakota at 701-572-6329 • Natalie Boey in Helena, Montana at 406-442-8520. To download the Funeral Planning aid PDF CLICK HERE.
Who’s eligible for Military Funeral Honors?
- Military members on active duty or in the Selected Reserve.
- Former military members who served on active duty and departed under conditions other than dishonorable.
- Former military members who completed at least one term of enlistment or period of initial obligated service in the Selected Reserve and departed under conditions other than dishonorable.
- Former military members discharged from the Selected Reserve due to a disability incurred or aggravated in the line of duty.
How to establish veteran eligibility
Submit the DD Form 214. The DD Form 214 may be obtained by filing a completed Standard Form 180 with: National Personnel Records Center(NPRC) • 9700 Page Blvd. • St. Louis, MO 63132. The Standard Form 180 may be obtained from: http://www.archives.gov/research/order/standard-form-180.pdf
Headstones for Veterans
For complete information and ordering, please visit: Legislative Changes Concerning Eligibility for Headstones, Markers and Medallions – National Cemetery Administration (va.gov)
Supporting Others
If you know someone who would benefit from the uplifting messages and support information we provide in these monthly newsletters, they can sign up to receive their own copy here. It’s a great way to lend your support to a friend or a family member.
Financial Assistance
If you lost a loved one due to Covid-19, you may qualify for financial assistance for your family’s funeral expenses. Click here to find out more information. Recently posted on the FEMA Covid-19 Funeral Assistance page: The COVID-19 incident period ended on May 11, 2023. FEMA will continue to provide funeral assistance until Sept. 30, 2025, to those who have lost loved ones due to this pandemic.
