For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.
John 3:16
The Holidays
Grieving the loss of a loved one is never easy — and during the holiday season, that grief can feel even heavier. Festive gatherings and long-held traditions often highlight the absence of those we miss most. Yet these same moments can also offer comfort: opportunities to honor cherished memories, share stories, and rediscover warmth and connection with the people who remain close to our hearts.
If you are mourning the loss of loved ones this season, here are a few gentle reminders:
- Only do what feels right — Give yourself permission to set boundaries.
- Accept your feelings — There is no “correct” way to grieve.
- Get support — Lean on trusted friends, family, or support groups.
- Focus on the kids — Their joy can offer healing moments.
- Plan activities — Structure can help reduce stress and overwhelm.
- Give — Acts of kindness, big or small, can bring surprising comfort.
- Acknowledge and honor those who have died — Light a candle, share a memory, or create a simple ritual.
- Do something different — Adjust traditions or create new ones that fit where you are now.
- Skip it — It’s okay to step away from the holiday entirely if that feels like the healthiest choice.
If you decide a holiday will be too much this year, gently let family and friends know. Make a plan for comforting alternative activities and consider asking someone to check in with you—especially on the actual holiday. You are not alone, and it’s absolutely okay to care for yourself in the ways you need most.
Service of Remembrance in Anaconda
Photos taken during the Service of Remembrance at Longfellow Finnegan Riddle Funeral Home in Anaconda, Montana.
Trail of Treats in Watford City!
The team at Fulkerson Stevenson Funeral Home in Watford City handed out 2,500 pieces of Candy during the Trail of Treats event on Halloween this year. Kayla, Brandy and Nicole made the most of the freezing temps, getting all dressed up with special makeup and a fun table filled with custom cardboard decorations! Cold cheeks, fun costumes, and a whole lot of happy kiddos… totally worth it!
How Can We Better Serve You
All of the Stevenson & Sons Funeral Homes regularly contact those we have recently served and request their comments and suggestions regarding the services they received. We consider this to be one of the most important steps we take to improve our service to the community. Without the comments and suggestions from those who we’ve served, we would not be able to continuously improve and expand our services.
Below, for the next few Newsletters, we’ll be posting some of the written comments we have received over the years. We’ll also let you know which of the Stevenson & Sons Funeral Homes received the comment(s).
Sent to the Fulkerson Stevenson Funeral Home team –
I’m very blessed to have had such a caring group of people to help make our last days with our loved one so special. This triple team is absolutely amazing caring people. I couldn’t have ask for a more warm and heartfelt environment.
The staff at Fulkerson’s Funeral Home in Sidney, MT is awesome. While being sympathetic and caring, they were also professional, personable, and put our family at ease. They are great.
The professionalism of your staff was second to none. Billie did an amazing job on the funeral bulletin and the video.
The whole staff was very helpful and made this difficult time easier to deal with and our family thanks all of you for that.
GriefShare® — Daily Emails
When a loved one dies, grieving that loss can take a long time, but you are not alone. GriefShare is here with support groups, and now daily emails, that provide encouragement and reminders of the recovery process. Sign up here.
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
Shera Konen in Butte, Montana • 406-494-4264
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 • Shera Konen, Butte, Montana at 406-494-4264 • Steve Pearce Williston, North Dakota at 701-572-6329. 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.
