Around 300 people came out to enjoy a visit and barbeque yesterday at the Fletcher Funeral Chapel & Cremation Services' 30th-anniversary party. It was also the 20th-anniversary celebration for Funeral Director Tamara Seghers.

Myron and June Fletcher were there to celebrate with guests there, and Myron shared some details about the history of the business.

"If you look across the street, the house over there, that was the old Funeral Home, and that's where I apprenticed into and got my license. And then this was built afterward, and I came back and took over," said Myron. 

He said he officially took over at the end of September 1992.

Back in those days, he noted, everything was done by hand, including memorial cards. "There wasn't the automation there is today, and a lot of things, so it's really progressed well." 

He said his favourite part of the job was meeting people, and helping people get through difficult times. 

Back in 1972, when he started out at the original funeral home, Myron said they also ran an ambulance service. "We did combinations like that back then," he explained. "Ambulance workers for about 22 years mingled with the funeral homes."

He said this was mainly due to transportation capabilities. 

"When it began, funeral homes have cars that were long enough to hold stretchers, so a lot of the funeral homes went into the ambulance business because they could put a stretcher in the back. It wasn't providing medical care or anything, so you just were transferring people and picking people up if they couldn't get to the hospital." 

Myron said he devoted his life to either ambulance or funeral work, and both he and his wife June (pictured below, at right), grew up in this community.

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"We're born and raised here, so we know a lot of people. At one time, we were related to a lot of people, but they moved away now. Weyburn's been home all our lives."

"The community of Weyburn has been really good to me and really good to the Funeral Home, and we appreciate that," he expressed. "We appreciate that I got to help people in their trying times, and work with them, and Tamara is doing an excellent job doing the same thing. She has passion too, so makes me proud to be associated with Fletcher Funeral Chapel."

Tamara Seghers, who was busy serving ice cream throughout the duration of the event, said she was grateful for the community of Weyburn and to all who came out to help celebrate with them.

Yes, ice cream was served. In fact, the lunchtime event included a barbeque of hamburgers, hot dogs, and an option for caramelized onions and/or cheese, cake and ice cream, ice cream cones with your choice of flavours, and plenty of Dignity Memorial swag, all free to those who came by to help them celebrate 20 years for Tamara, and 30 years for the Fletcher Funeral Home.

Hear the full interview with Myron below.