Bible Verse of the Month
My little children,
these things write I unto you,
that ye sin not.
And if any man sin,
we have an advocate with the Father,
Jesus Christ the righteous:
And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.
1 John 2:1-2
Meet Dustin Haycock – Funeral Director Stevenson & Sons Funeral Home in Miles City & Forsyth, Montana
Dustin was born and raised in a small rural town in Eastern Idaho. He graduated West Jefferson High School in 1994. In August of 1998, he married his wife, Jessica. Together, they have three biological children: Tyson, Natalie, and Caiden, and have recently adopted their other daughter, Calista. Dustin recently lost his first-born son Tyson in July of 2021. Dustin has made it a point to love his children even more every day. Dustin attended Mount Hood Community College in 2010 and graduated in June of 2012. He has worked for Stevenson & Sons Funeral Homes since his graduation. Dustin loves to fish and hunt with his children and spending time with his wife. Dustin loves to serve people and has especially grown to love the Northern Cheyenne people. He also loves to coach his children in sports whenever he can.
After losing his parents at a young age, Dustin knew that this was what he was supposed to do in life. Dustin has been taught that family is the most important thing in life, and that we are all the same, even though we all have walked in different shoes in our lives, everyone deserves the same treatment and respect.
A very special “Thank You” note
The following is a note received by the staff at Axelson Funeral & Cremation Services in Butte Montana. Like all such correspondents from the families that have allowed us to serve them, this one is treasured. We hope you enjoy reading it as much as we did.
A year and a half ago my father’s health was going downhill. It was time to look into a prearrangement. I called Axelson’s for an appointment to get started. At first, I thought I would use this as info to shop around. But, after our meeting with Bri, I knew we didn’t need to look any further. The meeting went well with all our questions answered. She gave us a list of items she needed and all was done in less than one and a half hours. Fast forward to the week before Christmas when my father’s health took a turn for the worse. We found ourselves on Christmas Eve afternoon looking at just a few remaining hours with dad. We phoned Bri and explained the situation. She said ‘no problem, we are here anytime, even Christmas’. What a relief to know all was taken care of. Dad passed peacefully and Bri set the proceedings into motion. The next week we met with Bri and finalized arrangements in less than an hour. A few days later all we had to do was show up with friends and family to celebrate dad’s life. The arrangements from venue to service to flowers to decorations, food, etc. was all done – from set up to clean up. It was all outstanding! Bri’s approach was as if this was all for her own family member. I highly recommend Axelson’s without a doubt for any funeral needs. Thank you from the Fred Malesich family to the staff at Axelson’s for your professional advice, service and care.
Preplanning Final Arrangement
We’ll get more deeply involved on this subject in the future, however we’ve recently been hearing the same comment quite frequently and thought a brief note here could be useful to many. The people we have provided with preplanning services are saying how grateful they are that the weight of so many important decisions was already made before the process of final arrangements began. Making decisions on all the arrangements is not only removes a great responsibility from their shoulders, it supports them in the grieving process. Often, the family member or friend who becomes responsible for all of the final arrangement decisions finds it quite difficult to deal with the loved one’s death so deeply, repeatedly and intimately. We are always available to discuss the many advantages of preplanning. Please call on us to serve you at any time.
Financial Assistance
The COVID-19 pandemic has brought overwhelming grief to many families. At FEMA, our mission is to help people before, during and after disasters. We are dedicated to helping ease some of the financial stress and burden caused by the virus.
Under the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act of 2021 and the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, FEMA is providing financial assistance for COVID-19 related funeral expenses incurred after January 20, 2020…
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.
Grief Support
Many people do not have the time to locate a proper grief counselor. Others do not live in an area where there are any grief counselors available. And finally, many people are not prepared to pay a professional for grief counseling. Fortunately, the internet provides some solutions for those who wish to seek grief counseling or to interact with groups of people who are also coping with grief. Many such services exist, as do professional counselors who will assist people privately on line, hence eliminating the need for travel. Not all services are the same, nor are all chat rooms/groups. You should research what you are interested in and follow-up on the leads you believe will be most helpful to your personal situation until you locate exactly what works best for you. In your search engine look for terms like “grief chat rooms” “bereavement support groups” “professional grief counseling” or “grief management.” Good research is the path to successfully linking up with what, or who, will work the best for you. Another option would be to start your search at the Mental Health American website. Lots of information, and many places to research groups, centers and more.
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 (https://stevensonandsons.com/news/sign-up/). It’s a great way to lend your support to a friend or a family member.
