Big Sky Cremations has decades of experience serving and caring for families from all walks of life. Each family comes to us because we offer the very best of our profession. Our decades of service to our friends and communities have shown us the way to ensure excellence in service. Above all, we have become the premier regional service provider because of our exceptionally high standards of integrity and our sterling reputation.
Big Sky Cremations was established based on experience, professionalism, compassion, and empathy. Since Big Sky’s founding, many years ago, serving families in a dignified, appropriate manner has always been our focus. We take pride in being able to guide people through some of their most difficult days as we help them plan their loved one’s final celebration of life. A celebration of life that we will execute flawlessly. We also take great pride in maintaining a peaceful, serene ambiance and setting – one that allows people to find solace with closure. Taking pride in celebrating life is our mission. That’s never changed. And it never will.
Our State-of-the-art Crematory
We own one of the very few state-of-the-art crematories anywhere in Montana. We went to great lengths not to make our crematory look cold and commercial. Its exterior is simple and attractive. The interior of our recently constructed state-of-the-art facility is designed and decorated to honor the deceased and provide comfortable, welcoming areas for family members. For privacy, our crematory is not adjacent to our funeral home.
The heart of our crematory is the retort. The retort is the specially constructed, extremely high temperature oven where cremations take place. Proper temperatures and timing are positively crucial to complete a cremation. Our state-of-the-art retort is engineered and constructed to the highest tolerances and specifications to ensure perfect results. The crematory includes a secure, private area for properly caring for the deceased, both before and after cremations. A quiet, private, spacious viewing room allows family members to view the cremation privately and comfortably.
Joe Trainer, Funeral Director, Big Sky Cremations
To complete his higher education, Joe Trainer attended the Des Moines Area Community College in Ankeny, IA. After giving several career choices opportunities to provide challenge and fulfillment, Joe found none of them felt quite right. Joe decided he’d look further into something that had always interested him: mortuary science. First working with Hamilton’s Funeral Home in Des Moines, where he built a foundation in caring for families and their loved ones. In no time at all, Joe knew he had found his niche – his true calling. In 2014 Joe moved to Great Falls, MT in 2014 to begin an internship with Croxford Funeral Home. In 2020 Joe left Croxford’s and moved to Helena and began working for Anderson Stevenson Wilke.
What seems to be second nature for native Montanans, is always a new and exciting adventure for him. As a “city slicker” now in Big Sky Country, Joe, along with his four-legged friend Tessa, spends his free time camping, hiking, and paddleboarding all across the state. He always welcomes suggestions for his ever-growing to-do list of places to camp, hike, paddle, explore, attempt, and visit, with his most recent weekend adventure being in Eureka, MT. When not outdoors enjoying the beautiful state of Montana, Joe is an avid DIY-er who enjoys tinkering on whatever needs to be fixed, and sometimes, those things that don’t.