Our goal is to serve the unique needs of every individual family, creating a meaningful funeral tribute for the loved one that has died and to create memories that will last forever.

A meaningful funeral is a personalized funeral, one that is a tribute to the life that's been lived, not the death that's occurred.
Dr. Alan Wolfelt writes:

When you are planning a funeral, personalizing the ceremony should be a priority. Think about the special qualities of the person who died and what he or she meant to others. Consider his or her passions, hobbies, pastimes, likes, dislikes. How can you capture this unique life? Be as creative as you, together with your family, friends, funeral director, and the person who will lead the service, brainstorm how to remember and honour the person who died.

- from Funerals: A Consumer's Guide

Families cope better with the pain of death
when involved in the planning of meaningful
tributes to their loved ones.

“The first Rule in celebrating a life is …There are no rules"

Few experiences surpass the power of a commemorative gathering or ceremony. It's an opportunity to bring people together in one place, at one time, for one purpose -- to make a personal statement -- a lasting tribute to the one you loved.

Celebration of Life Services Can Be…

• Full traditional service with either burial or cremation to follow
  
• Memorial service with either burial or cremation before the service
  
• A Gathering
• A Graveside Service for either a casket or urn
• Immediate Disposition

The Traditional Service

Visitation is arranged for family and friends before the day of service or occasionally on the day of the service. Visitation of your loved one is a way to acknowledge that death has occurred and give family and friends a personal moment to say good-bye. Visitation creates closure of a life and is the starting point of walking through the steps of grief.

The service may be held in the funeral home, church or other location depending on the family’s preference and taking into account the number of people expected to attend. Casket is present at the service and then either taken to the cemetery or the crematorium. If you choose burial, a funeral procession to the cemetery follows the service. Occasionally circumstances make having the reception before the burial better for those in attendance to have an opportunity to visit with family. The family and close friends would then have the committal service following the reception. A reception may be held at the funeral home, church social room, family home or other location.

The Memorial Service

Private visitation for close friends and family to say good-bye can be arranged before the day of service. Service may be held in the Funeral Home, Church or other location depending on the family’s preference and taking into account the number of people expected to attend. Casket is not present, as burial or cremation has already taken place. If the family has chosen cremation, the urn can either be present at the service or not at the service depending on the family’s choice. Memorial boards incorporating family pictures may be displayed along with memorabilia and treasured items of the deceased. Reception my follow service or gathering. Interment of the urn can take place at a designated memorial site following the service or at a later date.

A Social Gathering

Private visitation for close friends and family to say good-bye can be arranged before the day of service. Service may be held in the Funeral Home, Church or other location depending on the family’s preference and taking into account the number of people expected to attend. Casket is not present, as burial or cremation has already taken place. If the family has chosen cremation, the urn can either be present at the gathering or not depending on the family’s choice. Family and friends socialize, reminisce and enjoy the pictures and memorabilia present and sometimes there is an open microphone to share stories with everyone. A reception usually takes place during the gathering.

The Graveside Service

Family and friends gather at the cemetery for a service. A clergy, Celebrant or good friend may be asked say a few words. Following the time at the cemetery a reception or gathering may arranged for family and friends to reminisce and share thoughts and memories.

Immediate Disposition – No Service.

There is no type of service or gathering. The deceased is transferred from the place of death to the funeral home; obtaining and securing documentation for the registration of death; securing the cremation permit. The deceased is placed in a container of the family’s choice and transported to the cemetery or the crematorium.

Our service area covers not only Dawson Creek, but much of the Peace River area, Chetwynd, Tumbler Ridge, Fort St. John, Hudson's Hope and Fort Nelson on the British Columbia side, and the bordering communities on the Alberta side of the Peace Country.

• Personal service to suit the needs of your family.
• Home consultation(s) or at our office at a time convenient for you.
• Personal contact with Gerry or Peggy 24 hours a day.
• A 1-800 number for anyone needing to contact us using long distance.
• A free booklet called "Helpful Information About Funerals".
• Free helpful book on "How to Plan A Meaningful Cremation Funeral".
• We have a large parking lot for easy access to the funeral facilities which we keep cleared of snow.
• A grief support counselor on staff, offering literature, individual counseling sessions and support groups.
• We provide 2 or 3 funeral directors at each funeral service to help with many details at service time.
• For your convenience we have compiled an information folder filled with handouts concerning...
  • Benefits available for those who have lost a loved one.
  • 1-800 numbers for government agencies like "Canada Pension, Federal old age security, Worker's compensation, Veteran's Affairs Canada/Last Post Fund, GST rebate".
  • Canada Pension Plan Forms.
  • Information and forms about "compassionate fare".
  • Crime Compensation.
  • Worker's Compensation Board.
  • Companies and union benefits.

Grief Support

Carol Loney, M.A., RPC. MPCP. - Daughter, wife, mother, grandmother, and mentor is a gifted teacher and counsellor. Her passion is (and has been for many years) to encourage men and women to develop their God-given potential in the roles they choose to embrace. Carol supports and empathically encourages hurting people to “…find their voices” in creating, nurturing, and sustaining healthy and fulfilling relationships. Using drama, role-playing, spiritual teaching, and examples from her own life, she brings an enthusiasm and wisdom to the exploration of who we are which empowers and uplifts in life-changing ways.

Married for 50+ years to George, they have four grown children and 10 amazing and delightful grandchildren.

UPCOMING SERVICES

• Grief Support Group -Starting in February 2013
• - Call for more info 250-782-2577
  
• Pallative Care Society Candle Lighting Memorial Service
  • November 2013 (to be announced)
  • 7:00pm
  • Place to be announced

ONGOING SERVICES

• A continuing program for sudden deaths for families needing extra support
• Individual counseling sessions

Important steps to help when someone is settling an estate

• Life insurance settlement options.
• Steps to take if you are planning a move in the near future.
• Sample letters to help when contacting employees, insurance companies and banks companies, banks and creditors.
• An index of hymns from our "Hymn booklet".
• A detailed outline of what to put in an obituary notice or information for a eulogy.

We take care of any extra details needed at the time of a funeral service such as ordering flowers, arranging back hoe, cemetery plots, obituary notices, radio, television and newspaper announcements.

Dawson Creek: (250) 782-2577    Serving Fort St. John
E-mail: services@bergeronfunerals.com    Fax: (250) 782-1264
Toll-Free: 1-800-577-4877
10200-17th St. Dawson Creek, British Columbia, V1G 4C2