2. Listen before you speak. I’m still working on this one. 3. Find joy in what you do. Life is short and meant to be enjoyed. Tell us about your family. My wife, Kimberly, and I have one daughter and four sons, ranging in age from 8-15. I spend most of my free time attending my children’s sporting events. All of them play soccer, three of my boys play football, and all four play basketball. My daughter is an avid wrestler. How did you get into the funeral industry? I am a third-generation vault guy. My family was in the concrete burial vault business. We started with the Doric brand and ended with Trigard, which led to my dad being in the granite memorialization business in addition to vaults. I eventually went into the granite business, along with three of my brothers. When I was young, I spent a lot of my time in cemeteries and funeral homes. I never really enjoyed funeral homes and always thought they were kind of creepy. I remember thinking that they smelled funny, that some of the funeral directors were quite strange and the buildings were all so dimly lit. Many years later, there came a time when the granite business was slowing down, and I needed a Plan B. So, I reflected on why I enjoyed that business so much. It definitely wasn’t the heavy lifting. I did, however, enjoy the creative nature of the business — I was able to use the artistic talent and skills I had developed to create some beautiful memorial pieces. It finally occurred to me that I loved hearing people’s stories — how people either wanted to be remembered or how they were going to remember their loved ones. Additionally, everyone has a unique story to tell. I thought the funeral business would be a perfect fit for me to continue being able to hear stories and help families along the way. So, I enrolled in mortuary school all while continuing to run my business, helping my wife run her childcare business and keeping up with my growing children. It all worked out, and I have been blessed continually along the way. I continue to design and sell cemetery memorials and burial vaults — where my story began. Any last thoughts? Funeral service is really a great place to be. Yes, it is difficult, demanding at times and ever-changing. With all that in mind, it is a place where we truly have the opportunity to serve. We may get some bad press, but the media loves a bad story. Like with most things in American society today, the majority is silent, but they support what we do. We are doing good things. We help people both within the industry and in the communities we serve. Thank you to everyone who supports the funeral service and especially those who support this great association. 12 | Montana Funeral Directors Association
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