Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the LORD thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee. Deuteronomy 31:6
In Loving Memory Of One of our Own
Ariel Ayala Martinez, age 56, of Miles City was welcomed into the arms of Jesus on Friday, June 28, 2024.
An excerpt from Ariel’s obituary — Ariel initially settled in Nevada before eventually making Miles City his home in 2011. Throughout his years in Miles City, he made meaningful contributions to various local businesses, including The Sleep Inn, Simpson Honey Farms, 600 Café, and Stevenson & Sons Funeral Homes, where he was a significant part of our work family at the funeral home. He was always known for his unwavering work ethic and meticulous attention to detail, there was never a blade of grass out of place, trees were always trimmed neat, he could shine a car up like no other. Everything always had its place and an order of how it’s done. His dedication left an indelible mark on all who crossed his path, approaching every task with precision and care.
Read Ariel’s entire obituary at this link. Look at the photos in the album below to further celebrate the life of our friend.
Introducing Natalie Boey
Natalie Boey is the Advance Funeral Planner for Anderson Stevenson Wilke Funeral Home in Helena, MT.
Natalie started in April of 2023 as a Preneed Counselor. Natalie enjoys helping people figure out the plans that are best suited to helping their families during the stressful times of making final arrangements.
Previously, Natalie taught at Calvary Christian School in Helena for six years. This is also Natalie’s final year of home schooling her youngest daughter while also working.
Natalie has four daughters: 1 in Ohio, 1 in Texas and 2 in Montana. She has also been blessed with 5 grandchildren, and two great grandchildren. The family also has 2 Labradors, both of which are bird dogs, and the family are members of Ducks Unlimited. The family loves hiking, hunting, fishing, and gardening. Camping and discovering new places is an adventure. Natalie’s husband would love to find Big Foot, but she says she wants no part of it!
Enthusiastic Celebration of a Very Special Day
Too often, the incredible importance of Independence Day is forgotten. The federal holiday is now more commonly known as the 4th of July. The profound importance of the day is always remembered at Springan Stevenson Funeral Home. Shown below, Office Manager Danielle Fladeland and Funeral Attendant (and so much more) Gary Ruden annually design the 4th of July float and ride in the parade. They always do such an amazing job commemorating this truly important day.
To the staff of Fulkerson Stevenson Funeral Home in Sidney Montana
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 in Helena, Montana • 406-442-8520
Steve Pierce 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 Pierce Williston, North Dakota at 701.572.6329 • Mattie 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.
