Pedersen Funeral & Cremation Service in Morris, MN, is collaborating with the West Central Research and Outreach Center (WCROC) to sponsor a Remembrance Garden honoring those who have died. The garden will be part of the WCROC Horticulture Display Garden located just outside of Morris and will serve as a peaceful place for people to reflect and be reminded of their loved ones.
“Remembering is a way to recognize, respect, and celebrate a life. The Remembrance Garden will help those on the journey through grief experience healing and feel comfort knowing that their loved ones will not be forgotten,” says Rose Murphy, Grief Care Coordinator at Pedersen.
Leading up to the garden, a walkway of engraved brick pavers will memorialize those who have passed. Pavers can be purchased through the funeral home and can include a single name or a couple’s name. The cost per paver is $100, helping ensure that the Remembrance Garden will be beautifully maintained for years to come. Rose hopes all will consider this meaningful act of remembrance. She says, “When a loved one dies, regardless of the length of the individual’s life, memorialization keeps a part of them alive. We encourage anyone who has experienced the death of a loved one, from miscarriage to old age, to establish a place of remembrance in the Remembrance Garden.”
In addition to providing an open opportunity for all to enjoy the serene beauty and honor loved ones, the funeral home intends to hold future events at the garden. Rose says, “Having a healing space that is accessible to everyone helps build a sense of community. It can create an opportunity for new friendships and perhaps new family traditions. We are grateful for the opportunity to provide this special Remembrance Garden in collaboration with the WCROC.”
August 2021
In memory of all fallen heroes, we are sharing a special video tribute of bringing home Navy Fireman 2nd Class Albert Renner, who died at Pearl Harbor. He was laid to rest at North Dakota Veterans Cemetery on September 18, 2020. Weigel Funeral & Cremation Service was honored and humbled to be a part of this special service.
Morris, Minn.— Pedersen Funeral & Cremation Service in Morris, MN, has made a $15,000 donation toward lighting the fields at the new Morris Community Softball Complex. Morris Area Schools, the UMN Morris, and the City of Morris have teamed up to create a first-rate facility that will be an asset to the schools and community for years to come.
“When you think of summer, ball is something that brings people together. We know the importance of family and spending quality time together, and our hope is that our contribution to this project will help members of this area do just that,” says Amanda Lee, Managing Funeral Director at Pedersen. The funeral home chooses charitable endeavors that align with their values, and Lee says what they value most is their community. A portion of the funeral home donation was matched by Funeral Directors Life, the life insurance and annuity company that provides funding options for individuals and families who preplan with Pedersen. “We are here to serve in all walks of life, not only in death. Giving back to the community has always been and will always be a priority to Pedersen Funeral Home. As longtime supporters of the Morris softball and baseball programs, we were very excited about the opportunity to help provide lights for the new fields.”
“The new softball field complex will provide amazing opportunities for student-athletes in programs across the communities of the Morris area and beyond. We are especially grateful for the support from local organizations including Pedersen Funeral home who have helped make this project possible by creating one of the finest fields in west central Minnesota,” adds Bryan Herrmann, UMN Morris Vice Chancellor, Facilities and Finance.
Construction on the new Morris Community Softball Complex began fall of 2020 and is currently in its final phase. Lee says, “Everyone will be using these new fields, not only our local college athletes but also tee-ball programs, high school teams, and every level in between. By providing this donation to the new softball complex, we are thrilled to help make the Morris area a better place to live, work, and play.”
About Pedersen Funeral & Cremation Service
Pedersen Funeral & Cremation Service honors lives by helping families create individualized services designed to meet their needs, doing their utmost to make each tribute unique. They are a full-service provider—preneed, at need, aftercare, and monuments—that offers compassionate care to Morris, Starbuck, and the surrounding communities. Please visit pedersenfh.com for more information.
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Trudy Hofer, Administrative Assistant and Grief Services Coordinator at Stenshoel-Houske Funeral Home in Crookston, MN, completed a thoughtful service project on behalf of the funeral home. She and Bonnie Christians, along with help from Trudy’s three daughters, spent a few weeks volunteering their time and sewing skills to create 28 lap size quilts. They donated a quilt to each resident at the Center for Human Environment, a facility that provides housing and support for those with chronic alcoholism, mental illness, or developmental disabilities.
Trudy has had a spirit for giving particularly since her family was shown great kindness and compassion during her father’s difficult journey with prostate cancer. After his death, Trudy and her daughters began a goodwill operation of baking and selling cupcakes, called Cupcakes for Corky, in memory of her father, and they donate the proceeds to the Altru Cancer Center and Camp Good Mourning. Undoubtedly, Trudy’s benevolence positively affects Stenshoel-Houske Funeral Home and the surrounding community. Trudy says, “I am always trying to think of new things to do on behalf of the funeral home for the community and the families we serve. I recently starting quilting for myself, and I thought this would be a great opportunity to work on my sewing skills and give something homemade to those in need.”
January 2019
Mattson Funeral Home & Cremation Service has a special kind of tree outside their building this winter: a Warming Tree. Community members can stop by the tree and grab a bag that contains a hat and pair of gloves or mittens. The items were knitted by the members of the funeral home’s Busy Hands for Love knitting group, which meets at the funeral home once a month. The group is facilitated by Kelly Haus, Aftercare Coordinator at Mattson, and they have been meeting for over 15 years.
The funeral home posted information about the Warming Tree on their Facebook page, and they have replenished the tree several times in the past month. A local church donated “need” bags containing granola bars, socks, toothbrushes, etc. to put on the tree as well.
Jessica Dukich, one of the funeral directors at Mattson, got the idea while on a family vacation in Wisconsin, and she knew wanted to find a way to bring it to her own community. The staff at Mattson is always looking for ways to reach those in need and show they care. Funeral director Susan Hutchison says, “Not just as a funeral home, but more so as human beings, we feel it is our responsibility to look out for and care for others. Our community knows our hearts are genuine, and thus they willingly and lovingly entrust their loved ones to us.”
December 2019
Since March 21, the individuals at Glende-Nilson Funeral Home & Cremation Services have been busy sewing protective masks for the current pandemic. They have received several requests from nursing homes, fire departments, and county emergency response teams, just to name a few. In addition, people often stop in to request a few masks for their families.
Karen Holte is the Office Manager at Glende-Nilson. She and Diane Grout, Office Manager at Erickson-Smith Funeral Home & Cremation Service, spearheaded this endeavor, but everyone at Glende-Nilson is getting involved in the mask production. Volunteers from the community have also joined, providing generous assistance during various steps of the process. Karen and Diane have already received over 345 yards of donated fabric, and contributions of fabric, thread, elastic, and other materials continue to pour in. Some community members have donated money for supplies as well.
Everyone has been incredibly grateful for the masks and appreciative of their work. So far, their efforts have resulted in over 3,000 masks produced and donated across the state. May 2020