Business Details
37 Years
experience
Emergency
services
Your Trusted Funeral Services in Missoula, MT
At Sunset Memorial Gardens, we understand the profound impact of losing a loved one and are committed to providing compassionate care and personalized services to honor their life. With decades of experience serving Missoula and surrounding areas, our team specializes in creating meaningful tributes that reflect individual legacies through funeral services, cremation options, and memorialization. We prioritize family support throughout the grieving process, offering grief resources, veterans' benefits assistance, and 24/7 availability to ensure no family walks through loss alone.Our state-of-the-art facilities include reception centers for post-service gatherings and a dedicated crematory operated under strict ethical standards. As active members of the Montana Funeral Directors Association and Cremation Association of North America, we combine professional excellence with personalized attention to meet each family's unique needs during life's most difficult moments.
Services
Funeral Services
Cremation Services
Veterans Memorials
Grief Counseling
Memorialization Options
Details
- Year established: 1989
Highlights and features
- We offer 24/7 immediate assistance for end-of-life needs
- Our team creates personalized services honoring individual life stories
- Specialized veterans' service benefits coordination with VA
- Grief support resources for families during healing journeys
- Owner-operated since 1989 with local Montana funeral service expertise
Associations and certifications
- Cremation Association of North America
- Cremation Code of Ethics
What people say
Compassionate care
Personalized services
Professional support
Veterans' benefits assistance
Meaningful memorials
Services
Funeral Services
We create personalized funeral ceremonies that honor individual lives through customized visitations, chapel services, and graveside memorials. Our team coordinates music selections, tribute videos, and special readings to reflect each person's unique legacy while providing grief support resources for families during the healing process.
Cremation Services
Our cremation services include private viewings, memorial services, and permanent memorialization options. We operate our own crematory to ensure proper care while offering creative solutions like memorial jewelry, garden sculptures, and scattering ceremonies in meaningful locations for families seeking personalized remembrance options.
Veterans Memorials
We assist families in obtaining VA burial benefits and coordinate military funeral honors including flag presentations, rifle details, and Taps performances. Our team helps secure government-provided headstones and memorial items while navigating eligibility requirements for national cemetery burials and service-connected benefits.
Grief Counseling
Our grief support programs include weekly messages for one year post-loss and personalized counseling resources. We provide children's grief guidance, memorialization workshops, and community support connections to help families navigate their unique healing journeys through structured aftercare programs.
Memorialization Options
We offer customized monuments, columbarium niches, and cremation benches for lasting remembrance. Our granite partners create personalized markers with engraved tributes while providing scattering garden options and keepsake urn selections to help families establish meaningful connection points for remembrance.
People
Rick Evans
Licensed Funeral Director, Owner
Owner since 1989 with 40+ years funeral service experience. Active in Montana Funeral Directors Association and National Funeral Directors Association. Operates four Montana locations while maintaining community involvement through St. Anthony Catholic Church and local service organizations.
Dave Vaupel
Licensed Funeral Director
Licensed director since 2000 with associate degree in Mortuary Sciences. Joined team in 2020 after Illinois funeral service career. Active in local shooting sports and national park enthusiast who relocated to Montana for outdoor lifestyle opportunities.
Mark Erickson
Licensed Funeral Director
Part-time support director with 30+ years experience since 1989. Retired from full-time service but maintains active role. Community-focused with Missoula Alliance Church involvement and family-oriented outdoor recreation enthusiast who balances service with family commitments.
Beth Perine
Advance Funeral Planner
Specializes in preplanning services to alleviate family burdens. Helps clients document wishes through structured checklists and assurance programs. Focuses on proactive planning education to ensure families understand all available options before emergencies occur.
Susie Hilmes
Cemetery Office Manager
Manages cemetery operations and monument coordination. Oversees staff scheduling and client communications for burial arrangements. Works closely with families to ensure memorialization options meet both practical and emotional needs during difficult decision-making periods.
Questions
What types of funeral services do you offer?
We provide traditional funerals with visitation, chapel services, and graveside memorials, as well as cremation services with memorial options. All services include personalized elements like tribute videos and customized readings.
Can I personalize my loved one's service?
Yes, we offer extensive personalization including photo displays, music selections, hobby-related memorabilia, and customized urn options to create meaningful tributes that reflect individual life stories and family traditions.
Do you assist with veterans' benefits?
We help families complete VA forms for burial benefits, coordinate military honors ceremonies, and obtain government-provided headstones while explaining eligibility requirements for national cemetery burials and service-connected benefits.
What cremation options are available?
Our cremation services include private viewings, memorial ceremonies, and permanent memorialization options like columbarium niches, scattering gardens, and keepsake jewelry that allow families to create personalized remembrance experiences.
Do you offer grief support after services?
We provide one year of weekly grief messages, counseling resources, and community support connections through our aftercare program designed to help families navigate their unique healing journeys beyond the initial loss period.
