August 26, 2026

The Board of Funeral Service held its third quarterly meeting on July 14 in Helena with all members and appropriate department staff in attendance. No public comment was received regarding the scheduled agenda items.

It was a hot, humid and busy week in Louisville, Kentucky, where I had the privilege to attend the NFDA’s 2026 Leadership Conference with MFDA Executive Director Terri James and MFDA President Rick Walter. It was a stimulating and exciting adventure, to say the least.

Marjorie Karen (Smith) Boyce, 89, of Winifred, passed away peacefully on April 29, 2026.

October 11-12 Women in Funeral Service ConferenceFairmont Hot Springs ResortAnaconda October 25-28 NFDA International ConventionCharlotte Convention CenterCharlotte, NC October 26 MFDA Dinner at the ConventionRooster’s Wood-Fired Kitchen UptownCharlotte, NC November 19 MFDA Fall District MeetingVirtual January 27-28, 2027 MFDA Mid-Winter ConferenceGreat Northern HotelHelena For more information, visit montanafda.org/new-page-1.

Rick graduated from the University of Montana Western with a bachelor’s degree in secondary education. In 2001, he received his mortuary science degree from Mt. Hood Community College in Portland, Oregon. Rick has worked at several funeral homes in Montana since 2010, and in 2025, he started working at Longfellow Funeral Home in Anaconda. In his spare time, Rick enjoys reading and collecting books, as well as camping and kayaking.

In the decade since I started my career as a trauma therapist, I’ve worked with many first responders. These are the folks doing more than their share of emotional labor, whose daily experiences include participating in the worst moments in the lives of strangers: police officers, nurses, firefighters, paramedics and social workers — people with long hours and weird schedules, endless paperwork and frustrated spouses, low wages and the occasional life-threatening situation.

Kyle Gooch, a mortician intern at Holland Bonine Funeral Home in Havre, was announced as the 2026 recipient of the Dennis Schoepp Memorial Scholarship. The $2,500 award from the Funeral Service Foundation Scholarship Program will support Kyle’s pursuit of an associate degree in funeral service at Cape Cod Community College, which he expects to complete in 2027.

Lifetime Achievement Recognition Award Rick Evans 55 Years Dennis Croxford 45 Years Steve Schnider 45 Years Joe Stevenson 35 Years Thomas GrymesCarron A. Grymes 30 Years Christopher E. Remely 5 Years Marcia PrincivalliAustin AsperCourtney Molloy Dennis Beverlin Award for Outstanding Vendor Precoa Past Presidents in Attendance Chris HoltSteve SchniderDennis CroxfordRick EvansTom GrymesTyson MooreT.J. Stevenson

What a wonderful year we have had so far as we celebrate the Montana Funeral Directors Association’s 125th anniversary!