Spring Green or Oakmoss Forest?

April 22, 2026

Thoughts on our final act of respect for the environment

As I write this our incipient spring deepens, the landscape grows greener, and the ash tree just outside my window is beginning to bloom and scent the air with its beauty. It's a time when thoughts turn to Earth Day.


Death care might not be the first direction those thoughts lead, but in one form or another we will return to the Earth eventually. How shall we go? What might the Earth want from us when we're giving it one final gift of ourselves in rest?


I don't know that I have an answer to that so I hope you don't feel I've led you on with promises of revelation. What I can promise is options. Ways a person can make their funeral a little bit greener or even a deep shade of green, as you prefer. Some of these are new innovations and some are more like getting back to our roots. Here's just a couple of ideas for what you can do:


(1) Consider cremation. On first glance it may not seem very green (all those carbon emissions from the flame!) but there's no toxic chemicals, burial is still an option and uses much less land, and if you choose to recycle any metals reclaimed from the ashes you’ll contribute quite more than you might expect to cremation's having half the total environmental impact of traditional burial. And if you do choose cremation, you might also think about the next item:


(2) Switch to biodegradable containers. Whether an urn or a casket, there are many varieties made of cloth, wood, or other biodegradable materials that can easily return to the Earth alongside your remains after burial.


(3) Scattering your ashes. I was recently reminded that one aspect of "green burial" that can be important to people is that their final resting place not be a manicured, intensive parklike area with elaborate headstones dotting a grass monoculture. For some people, the Leave No Trace philosophy extends beyond the hike. Sadly options for finding a cemetery like this in Montana are scarce, but we are blessed with an abundance of natural space! There are many places in our area where ashes may be scattered among the trees, and the winds, and where the full majesty of nature is your grave marker. We can help with this, dispersing your ashes carefully to avoid disrupting the local environment and recording photographs and GPS coordinates so your loved ones can still visit whenever they wish.


As spring greens our landscape ever further, it’s the perfect moment to reflect on our final relationship with the planet we call home. Choosing how we return to the soil can be an opportunity for a final act of environmental stewardship. From the surprising efficiency of modern cremation and the use of biodegradable materials to the "Leave No Trace" beauty of scattering ashes across Montana’s wild spaces, there are many ways to ensure your last footprint on Earth is a light one.

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November 15, 2024
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Veteran funeral services at Dahl Funeral & Cremation Service help honor, remember service

November 5, 2024
Honoring and thanking veterans for their service through military funeral honors and veteran’s benefits is an important duty for Dahl Funeral and Cremation Service funeral directors. Dahl employees acknowledge the sacrifice, patriotism and willingness to protect others shown by those who serve our country by helping their families access the benefits available to them and to plan a funeral service fitting for a veteran. Whether a veteran or their family wishes to bury them in an official Veterans Cemetery or in a privately owned cemetery, Dahl owner Charlie Fisher said their staff is ready to help. “It's about honoring their service to our country and honoring the veterans,” Fisher said. “It’s important to us to go above and beyond for those who sacrificed for their country.” Dahl can help arrange an honor guard including members of the military branch in which a veteran served. Veterans who participate in that honor guard often find it to be incredibly powerful, showing the lifelong impact serving in the military can have. Local veterans groups like the American Legion help with military honors at funerals. “Veterans who participate in an honor guard - it’s very important to them,” Fisher said. “It's a continuum of honoring the person being buried and knowing that - someday it'll be me.” Veterans are also eligible for certain funeral benefits that can help defray the cost of services. In Montana, veterans are eligible for $500 to help pay for funeral costs. There can be a lot of forms to fill out after a loved one passes, but Fisher said they help families apply for those funds and help them fill out the paperwork to receive a burial flag, veteran’s grave marker and file for state veteran’s benefits. Dahl staff can also point them in the right direction for additional benefits provided by the federal government. A veteran's discharge papers will be needed to verify eligibility and apply for veteran’s benefits. The veteran’s discharge papers are normally referred to as a “DD 214”. Military funeral honors include a rifle detail to fire the 21-gun salute, playing of taps, a color guard and uniformed service members who properly fold and present the United States flag to the grieving family. Fisher said the ceremony can be a really meaningful experience. Most of the time, veterans or their families will opt into having funeral honors when they are planning a service. “The service where they fire the rifle volley, play Taps, fold the flag and present it to the family it's just a really nice send off from the military for the veterans,” Fisher said. “It can be really meaningful for the family members who also served their country alongside their veteran.” For veterans who will be buried, they may be eligible for a headstone from the VA. The VA will pay for costs if a veteran will be buried in a VA cemetery. The closest veteran’s cemetery is in Helena at the Montana State Veterans Cemetery - Fort Harrison, but there is also a veteran’s section at Bozeman’s Sunset Hills Cemetery in which plots may be purchased by the veteran or their family. There are a lot of decisions to be made in the days and weeks after a loved one passes, but Dahl is right there to help families figure out how to get the benefits for which they are eligible. “There is no greater honor for us than serving those who have served our country,” Fisher said. “We want to be there and help you get the benefits you deserve and provide a service worthy of a veteran.” More information on Veterans services Dahl provides can be found at www.dahlcares.com/veterans-services .

Pre-planning funeral arrangements ‘a huge gift’ for families

October 15, 2024
In the hours and days after a loved one passes away, there are endless decisions for family members to make, not to mention beginning their grieving journey. Making arrangements for one's funeral before that moment can ease the burden on those you leave behind, Charlie Fisher with Dahl Funeral Home says. Some people just want the basics figured out, like whether they want to be buried or cremated, and others want to specify what the services should look like, who should be a pallbearer or speaker, and what music to play. Dahl Funeral Home staff try to meet people where they’re at when talking about pre-planning their funeral arrangements, Fisher said, and just listen to what they want to do and talk them through the options. Having your wishes down on paper so you can be sure they are followed is a benefit, Fisher said, as is taking that decision-making burden off your family members. “Having the information down and having it paid for is a huge gift to the family,” Fisher said. “It’s just that piece of mind knowing that when it's done, you don't have to worry about it anymore.” People interested in doing pre-planning can find information on Dahl’s website, at dahlcares.com, under the tab titled “Plan Ahead.” There, people can look at the “pre-planning checklist” and an online pre-planning form that illustrate some of the options. The secure form asks things like the names of family members, your educational and work history and has boxes to fill in asking about what themes you want included in the service, any poems or special texts to be read, or any story, message or thank you that you want to be read. People can fill out however much information they want, but Dahl asks for contact information so they can follow up with you later. Some things the checklist encourages people to think about is what kind of service they want, where they would want to be buried or what kind of casket or urn they may want, where they want a service to be held and other details. Flowers, music, and whether you would want people to donate to a certain cause are also things to think about. The checklist also suggests that people write an obituary, or make notes of what information they would want included in that when the time comes. Choosing who you want to be in charge can be helpful, Dahl suggests, like making sure someone has a copy of your will and people are in charge of canceling or closing accounts, subscriptions or utility services. Having these details sorted out can not only make things easier in the days after losing a loved one, but can also cut down on any sort of arguments that might arise, Dahl says. “The death of a loved one often brings about unwarranted stress and turmoil among families,” their website states. “One family member wants one thing, while another family member wants something different. By planning ahead, you help prevent those disagreements.” Dahl estimates that there are more than 150 decisions that have to be made in the days following the death of a loved one. Taking care of some of those decisions beforehand can help your loved ones begin their grieving and healing process sooner. Dahl offers for people to come into their funeral home and meet with a funeral director, Fisher said, or to have someone come to their home for that. Sometimes, Fisher said, people just want to get the process over with quickly. Other times, Dahl funeral directors end up visiting with people for a while. “We just try to be caring and compassionate,” Fisher said. “We try to talk to them and treat them like they are a friend and listen to them.” Some people choose to pre-pay for their arrangements, which Fisher said can make things easier for the family. That prepayment is certified through insurance forms that Dahl keeps on file, Fisher said, and pre-planning gives you more options for funding. “I’ve had so many people when they're done go ‘Thank God that's done. It's just such a burden off of me, I don’t even have to think about it anymore,’” Fisher said. “There are always more fun things to do than make funeral arrangements, but having it done is a relief to people.” More information is available at dahlcares.com, and the funeral home can be reached at 406-586-5298.