Cook Southland Funeral Chapel

02/04/2026

Interment of an Urn, Winter Considerations

There are a number of options when seeking a final resting place for an urn at a cemetery. Depending on the size of the cemetery and how active it is will determine the choices families have to choose from.

A standard option which is universal, is placing an urn in an existing family plot. With this choice, the interment rights owner will need to authorize the interment. Permissions may be needed.

Cremation options which will accommodate one or two urns include urn gardens and niches (or columbaria). Urn gardens are an inground interment option with a flat memorial or marker. They are typically designed to hold one or two urns. Niches are ‘memorial wall’ type constructions with compartments within them for urns. Memorialization is achieved in a variety of ways on the front face of the niche.

Anyone visiting a cemetery at this time of year, will likely opt for a niche location as it is visible during winter months. Urn gardens are flat to the ground and hence are covered with snow. That being said, urn gardens typically have more room to add memorialization on the marker when personalization is desired.

If you have questions on interment options for an urn, please contact us.

© Cook Southland Funeral Chapel/CFHC Online

02/03/2026

We, at Cook Southland Funeral Chapel are honoured to serve the family of Loverne Mapstone. Our thoughts are with Loverne’s family.

It is with a heavy heart that Raymond announces the passing of his loving wife, Loverne Caroline Mapstone (nee Wardberg). She passed peacefully at St. Joseph’s Home - Carmel Hospice in Medicine Hat on Saturday, January 31, 2026, at the age of 88 years. Along with Raymond, her beloved husband of 67...

02/03/2026

We, at Cook Southland Funeral Chapel are honoured to serve the family of Stewart Kennedy. Our thoughts are with his Stewart’s family.

With heavy hearts, the family of Stewart Ross Kennedy announces his passing in Medicine Hat on Tuesday, January 27, 2026, following a brief illness with cancer.

02/03/2026

Cook Southland Funeral Chapel had been given the honour to look after the funeral arrangements for the following families. For more information about these services please visit our website at www.cooksouthland.com/obituaries

Earl Carlson
Edward Heino
Helen Jobb
Stewart Kennedy

01/30/2026

Funeral Fare
Home Made Butter Tarts

Sometimes a personal gesture is just what’s needed, to console a grieving family as they mourn the loss of a loved one. This easy to prepare dessert item offers of benefit of individual servings. Each butter tart is prepped in its own individual foil shell. These tarts are a welcome dessert item or can be served as a stand alone at tea or coffee time.

Ingredients:
30 pack of premade tart shells
2 cups of brown sugar
½ cup of butter
2 eggs
4 tbsp of milk
1 tbsp of vanilla extract

Directions:
Soften/melt butter in microwave. Mix butter with brown sugar. Cream mixture 1 minute and then add eggs, milk and vanilla. Mix well. Place tart shells on 2 cookie sheets. Fill shells half way with mixture, adding remaining batter as a top up, once all shells are filled. Bake at 375 degrees for 20 minutes. Wait 30 minutes for tarts to set before serving.

© Cook Southland Funeral Chapel/CFHC Online

01/28/2026

Don’t Let Data Privacy Day Pass By
Estate Planning Considerations

The online world has made life easier in many aspects, but finding passwords to gain access to important information and data following the death of a loved one can be a tedious and sometimes impossible task.

People’s digital lives are continually expanding with many of us needing to access a plethora of online accounts, ranging from banking and tax profiles to email, social media, shopping sites and streaming service subscriptions. Passwords are often stored in our mind or encrypted for safekeeping, which means they are completely inaccessible to those who are tasked with settling an estate. Not storing passwords in a safe place, and sharing that location with trusted family members or your executor, can add an extra burden to loved ones who are responsible to tend to your affairs.

To increase awareness about both data privacy and safe password storage, Data Privacy Day is observed annually on January 28 in countries around the world, including Canada. The day serves as
a perfect reminder to review our own digital assets. Accessing passwords should be a vital component of any estate plan, ensuring loved ones can retrieve important documents, secure financial assets and manage social media accounts.

Providing a trusted person with where to access your secure passwords is an important step to help in the settlement of an estate, allowing them the ability to better navigate the complexities of digital life after a loss.

© Cook Southland Funeral Chapel/CFHC Online

01/26/2026

Cook Southland Funeral Chapel had been given the honour to look after the funeral arrangements for the following families. For more information about these services please visit our website at www.cooksouthland.com/obituaries

Daniel Genn
Edward Heino
Helen Jobb
Carol Maxwell

01/26/2026

Funerals are increasingly becoming celebrations of life rather than solely somber occasions. Many families are now seeking creative ways to make these services more personal and me

01/23/2026

Begin Your Day on The Right Foot
Initiate a Gratitude Challenge!

Grieving the loss of a loved one is challenging. Sometimes those who grieve become trapped in a cycle of negative thought patterns. Sadness and depression dominate feelings and little joy is experienced. The start of the day is so important in setting the right tone for the remainder of it.

Gratitude is intentionally recognizing aspects of life that we are thankful for. Why not begin your day acknowledging those things in your life that you appreciate.

Some tools that can help with this are a gratitude list, a gratitude journal or a gratitude rock.
• Begin each day by writing down three things you are grateful for. They can be simple things, the way your pet greets you at the start of each day or the special people you are fortunate to share life with. Over time this list will grow.
• Record events and thoughts into a journal. Remind yourself of these when you are experiencing personal challenges. They will hopefully provide balance when facing difficult periods.
• Find a special rock or marble and carry it in your pocket at all times. If something nice happens, touch the rock with intention to remember the occasion. If experiencing difficulty hold onto the rock and remember some of these past positive events.

There are many more mays to include gratitude into your day. Making a consistent effort to recognize this is sure to help in your journey with grief. The challenge is to begin each day by writing 3 things you are grateful for. Try this for one month and see if personal thought patterns becoming more positive. It’s simple and shouldn’t take too much time.

Are you up for the challenge?

© Cook Southland Funeral Chapel/CFHC Online

01/21/2026

Normalizing Conversations about Death

The human fear of death and dying has led to society, at large, preferring to avoid discussions about any and all topics associated with death. It may feel that not talking about this subject leads to one living longer. This death phobic way of thinking goes back many generations. As recently as the twentieth century some individuals opted not to go to hospitals; yes, they knew they weren’t well, but to avoid a diagnosis meant that perhaps they weren’t sick. It was in a way, an illogical way of thinking.

Society is making inroads in talking about dying and death. Kubler Ross in the mid-20th century talked about terminally ill patients and the process they underwent in acknowledging an impending death.

Though acceptance of death as an eventuality is recognized by more and more people as time passes, there are still many who just don’t want to discuss this topic. People don’t want to hear about sensitive topics such as embalming or cremation. They prefer to watch death as it is portrayed on television, movies, books or online platforms. It seems the moment death is in someway attached to personal circumstance, efforts are made to avoid what sometimes are tough or difficult discussions.

The good news is that North American society is getting better in talking about the many aspects of someone dying and factual, professionally presented information is out there for anyone who has questions about this subject matter.

Funeral directors are a very good source of information. They possess a wealth of knowledge on a wide variety of death related issues.

Given our human experience is finite and mortality is something we all face, having a conversation about death needn’t be viewed as a bad thing. Demystifying this topic may provide some valuable information and at the very least will empower anyone with additional knowledge.

Have questions, ask them. We will do our upmost to make sure this topic is presented in a respectful, nondramatic manner. If you wish to have a conversation about dying, death or how the services we provide address individual, personal needs or the needs of surviving family members, please contact us.

© Cook Southland Funeral Chapel/CFHC Online

01/19/2026

Cook Southland Funeral Chapel had been given the honour to look after the funeral arrangements for the following families. For more information about these services please visit our website at www.cooksouthland.com/obituaries

Edgar & Florence Boschee
Edward Heino
Carol Maxwell
Jason Mellor

01/16/2026

Grief - Why it’s Important to Share Feelings

Grief is a natural and normal response to loss. For the griever, this process can seem anything but normal, as unfamiliar and painful feelings enter everyday thoughts. Some who grieve will choose isolation as a strategy to make sense of what they are experiencing, in an effort to stay away from the scrutiny of others.

There is a way through the suffering by using the age-old healer of human connections. From the past, we all know that life’s heavy burdens are lessened when shared with others.

The lived experiences of others often provide insights to a griever to help them navigate what can feel like an insurmountable obstacle. These kind souls, who have also experienced loss and grief, have a special understanding that includes empathy and less judgment than some others who may not have suffered a similar loss. Talking about shared feelings also provides clarity to a griever’s individual journey thereby making grief more bearable and less isolating. A comforting shoulder to cry often brings a much-needed release of emotions.

Holding onto the emotions associated with grief, in isolation, sometimes results in the replaying of negative thoughts and subsequently a build-up in stress levels. Unresolved stress can weaken an individual’s immune system, hence, sharing feelings with others and processing emotions is vital in the healing of an individual following loss. Sharing with loved ones provides support and empathy at a time when most needed.

The rewards of reaching out to others to facilitate a dialogue about the loss being experienced and the expression of emotions, helps lead towards healing in many ways.

Bertha Brannen
Grief Recovery Specialist

© Cook Southland Funeral Chapel/CFHC Online