Business Details
50+ Years
experience
Emergency
services
Trusted Funeral Services in West Fargo, ND
West Funeral Home has served families in the Red River Valley for over a century, offering compassionate and professional end-of-life services. Established in 1916, we are North Dakota's longest-running licensed funeral home, rooted in family ownership and community commitment. Our services reflect four generations of expertise, combining tradition with modern personalization to honor loved ones with dignity. We specialize in traditional funerals, cremation, green burials, and pre-planning, supported by signature amenities like video tributes and grief resources.Our state-of-the-art facilities in West Fargo and Casselton provide spaces for meaningful memorials, while our staff prioritizes attentive care during every family's time of need. We maintain affiliations with local churches, cemeteries, and senior services to ensure comprehensive support. From military honors to eco-friendly options, our approach balances affordability with quality, guided by the principle that 'it's the little things that make the difference.'
Services
Funeral Services
Cremation Services
Pre-Planning
Veteran Funerals
Green Burials
Memorial Services
Cemetery Arrangements
Grief Support
Video Tributes
Pre-Funding Options
Details
- Year established: 1916
Highlights and features
- We offer over 100 years of family-owned funeral service experience in North Dakota
- Our staff provides personalized grief support and signature services at no extra cost
- We maintain two modern facilities with reception spaces for family memorials
- Our team specializes in military honors and veteran funeral arrangements
- We pioneered eco-friendly burial options in the Red River Valley region
What people say
Treasure he was
Best celebration ever
Caring professional employees
Exceptional kindness
Amazing hard work
Services
Traditional Funeral Services
Our traditional funeral services include visitation, ceremony, and committal arrangements with personalized elements. Families receive complimentary tribute candles and video recordings of services. We coordinate floral arrangements, obituaries, and military honors while providing grief resources for ongoing support. Our staff handles all permits and documentation.
Cremation Services
We offer cremation with memorial services, immediate cremation, and green cremation alternatives. Our packages include urn selection, cremation authorization assistance, and memorialization options like tree planting tributes. Families receive guidance on scattering regulations and keepsake jewelry choices.
Pre-Planning Services
Our pre-planning services allow individuals to document final wishes through written arrangements and pre-funding options. We provide personalized consultations to select caskets, burial containers, and service details while explaining cash advance itemization for future planning.
Veteran Funeral Services
Specialized veteran services include flag presentation, military coin awards, and coordination with the Department of Veterans Affairs. We arrange for headstones, burial flags, and military honor guard participation while ensuring families receive all entitled benefits and documentation.
Green Burial Options
Our green burial services feature biodegradable caskets, natural burial sites, and formaldehyde-free embalming. We offer organic flower arrangements, recycled paper products, and conservation easement options while educating families about land preservation and eco-conscious memorialization choices.
People
Craig Olson
Owner
Fourth-generation funeral director with 25+ years experience. Graduated from University of Minnesota's mortuary program in 1997. Specializes in personalized service coordination and community outreach. Leads West Fargo location operations.
Kent West
Funeral Director
Experienced director known for compassionate care during complex arrangements. Expert in military honors and pandemic-era service adaptations. Recognized for anticipating family needs and providing grief counseling resources.
Karie Freed
Arrangement Counselor
Specializes in pre-planning consultations and family coordination. Recognized for empathetic guidance through multi-generational arrangements. Manages personalized service elements and memorial keepsake options.
Robert Norton
Senior Director
Veteran director with expertise in memorial ceremonies and military tributes. Coordinates complex logistics including out-of-area arrangements and honor guard participation. Known for attention to ceremonial details.
Alex Johnson
Music Director
Provides musical elements for services including live performances and tribute compilation. Creates customized audio-visual presentations combining family photos with memorial music selections.
Questions
What types of funeral services do you offer?
We provide traditional funerals, cremation services, green burials, veteran honors, and memorial ceremonies with customizable options for each.
Can I pre-plan my funeral arrangements?
Yes, we offer pre-planning consultations to document your wishes and pre-funding options to ensure your preferences are honored.
Do you handle out-of-town arrangements?
We coordinate services for deaths occurring outside the area, including transportation logistics and local cemetery arrangements.
What green burial options are available?
Our eco-friendly options include biodegradable caskets, natural burial sites, formaldehyde-free embalming, and conservation-focused memorialization choices.
How do you support military families?
We provide full military honors including flag presentation, VA benefit coordination, headstone procurement, and honor guard arrangements.
What grief support resources exist?
We offer a year-long daily grief support email program, resource folders, and referrals to local counseling services for ongoing family support.
Reviews (5)
Debbi Ihde
Dec 30, 2021
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Very awesome people to work with !!! They have helped with my family for a few years and you just couldn't ask for better people to work with and help you with whatever you need. Thank you
Mark Merck
Dec 24, 2019
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From the moment we stepped in the door we felt welcomed and well cared for. Our experience with West Funeral Home felt like we were working with longtime friends. They thought of everything and truly brought comfort during a difficult time.
Bernie Lies
Nov 21, 2019
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Attended a memorial/prayer service for my cousin, Larry Wednesday 5-7 & service @ 7:00pm.
NO COFFEE: had family that came from Perham, MN., Grand Forks, etc...wanted something to drink, was going to walk over to VFW, but didn't have time. West may want to consider adding a coffee/water bar like @ Boulgers, Hanson Runsvold, Wright & Korsmo. Thanks for considering it !!!
NO COFFEE: had family that came from Perham, MN., Grand Forks, etc...wanted something to drink, was going to walk over to VFW, but didn't have time. West may want to consider adding a coffee/water bar like @ Boulgers, Hanson Runsvold, Wright & Korsmo. Thanks for considering it !!!
Mandy Seigel
Aug 30, 2019
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I'm not one to typically leave reviews, but I cannot say enough good things about West Funeral Home and more specifically, Dave. From his care and compassion with my family upon our initial meeting at the nursing home, to answering all of our questions quickly and thoughtfully, and ensuring every detail of my dad's service was exactly as we wanted it. He went above and beyond and made what was a very difficult week, bearable. They truly care about the people they serve and it shows. I cannot say thank you enough.
Caryn Olson
Oct 20, 2018
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From the wonderful, caring staff to the attention to detail in planning and the beautiful facility, I absolutely recommend the staff at West. They truly believe that it's the little things make the biggest difference and they go above and beyond for the families they serve.
