1994. Matt returned to Miles City, where he worked with Stevenson & Sons for many years. In 2009, he married Michelle and moved to Billings. He worked for Batesville for two years before their son, Alex, was born. After 18 months of being a stay-at-home dad, he was excited to get back to work and joined Medallion Vault & Casket in 2013, where he has remained ever since. Matt’s family enjoys traveling and attending Alex’s sporting events throughout the year. FRED NELSON Fred Nelson was born and raised in Southern Idaho. In high school, he lost three very good friends in a very tragic car accident. This event, along with a family friend who was the local funeral director, prompted him to pursue a career in funeral service. After graduating high school, he started an internship in Boise, Idaho, and graduated from San Francisco College of Mortuary Science in 1965. After receiving his Idaho Mortuary license, Fred worked for a brief time in Moscow, Idaho. He then moved to Missoula, where he worked for several years. He then moved to Polson, where he has worked for the last 25 years at Grogan Funeral Home, which is now the Lake Funeral Home. Fred has been married 52 years to his wife, Sherry, and together, they have two daughters, four grandsons and a great-granddaughter. He enjoys spending time with his family and on Flathead Lake in the summer. JESSIE BILLQUIST Jessie Billquist is a Montana native, born and raised in Anaconda, Montana. After graduating from Montana Tech with a bachelor’s degree in occupational safety and the University of Montana with a master’s degree in physical therapy, she began her professional career as a pediatric physical therapist. She enjoyed working in that field for over 20 years. In 2011, Jessie joined the Anaconda-Deer Lodge County Coroner’s Office as a deputy coroner, and in 2018, she was appointed as the coroner. Jessie saw firsthand the impact that caring and empathetic funeral directors had on the families they assisted. She returned to school to pursue her goal of becoming a funeral director/ mortician. She earned her Mortuary Science Degree in 2021 from Arapahoe Community College and began her career. She currently works at Longfellow Finnegan Riddle Funeral Home and Cremation Service, where she is the manager and funeral director/mortician. Outside of work, Jessie loves spending time with her husband, Doug, and their six children. SCOTT STEVENSON Scott Stevenson was born and raised in Miles City, Montana. He graduated from Custer County District High School in 2002 and then went to Dickinson State University, where he got his degree in business management. Scott then attended Mt. Hood Directors Digest | 11
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