Mattatall - Varner Funeral Home

02/20/2026

Renewing Life with Purpose

Losing a loved one changes life forever, and with that often comes the challenging task of finding a new purpose. There is no cookie-cutter way on how to accomplish this, but the process will take an open mind and a willingness to step outside your comfort zone.

Finding a new purpose will be different for everyone. You may still have work and/or family commitments, but returning to the same old routines and set patterns doesn’t work for most people. Instead, devote some time to soul-searching to consider the things you have always wanted to do but never had the time.

Everyone needs something to do; something to look forward to. To ensure your continued engagement – and to make new habits become a part of your routine – make sure you choose an activity or a cause that is important to you. Maybe it’s renewing a commitment to a family project or volunteering time to a favourite charity. Perhaps it’s supporting others going through a challenge you’ve overcome. Or maybe you want to devote time to “you” growing as a person, whether that means starting a new hobby, signing up for a class or taking your dream vacation.

By embracing new goals and objectives, you can find fulfilment in life. This is an opportune time to redefine your purpose and feelings of self-worth. As your journey following loss unfolds, you’ll have the potential to become a “new” person, capable of pursuing new hopes and dreams.

© Mattatall-Varner Funeral Home/CFHC Online

02/18/2026

Darlene Elizabeth Garnhum – 58, Oxford, passed away suddenly, as a result of natural causes, on Monday, February 16, 2026, at home. Darlene was a deeply private person ...

02/18/2026

Why Bury a Sardine on Ash Wednesday?

The “Burial of the Sardine” is a traditional festival celebrated on Ash Wednesday in different parts of Spain. While foreigners may find the ritual odd, the symbolic ceremony moves the community beyond previous deaths to rebirth with a new outlook and vigour.

The festival begins with a mock funeral procession – characterized by music, dancing and costumes – and ends with setting fire to a fake fish made from paper or cardboard. While no one is sure of its exact origins, the colourful event brings together thousands of participants each year in companionship and laughter to signify the end of carnival season.

Some maintain the tradition originated in the 18th century when Spanish King Carlos III gave a shipload of sardines to his servants as a treat before Lent. Rumour has it the shipment went bad and had to be buried in a local park. Others contest the festival started when a group of students held a satirical funeral march in 19th century Madrid.

Whatever the true origins, the burial of the sardine marks the last time to gather in a light-hearted atmosphere before the abstinence of Lent. For those who attend, this is a fascinating and unusual event rooted in the essence of funeral ritual: the coming together of a community to honour the dead and embrace the future.

The Burial of the Sardine is yet another ritual based on a foreign culture’s acknowledgement of death and the importance of ceremony.

© Mattatall-Varner Funeral Home/CFHC Online

02/17/2026

Margaret Marquita (MacLeod) Margwardt – 90, Bible Hill. Our beloved Margaret passed away on Saturday, February 14, 2026 in the Palliative Care Unit of Colchester East Hants Health ...

02/16/2026

Michael Stewart "Mike" Shaw
1962 - 2026

Visitation Information
Tuesday, February 17, 2026, 5-8 PM
St. Paul's Presbyterian Church, 387 Lower Truro Road
(McClures Mills)

Michael Stewart

02/14/2026

Patricia Norma

02/14/2026

The Song Of Grief

By the walk of the willows I pour'd out my theme,
The breath of the evening scarce dimpled the stream;
By the waters I stood, like an image of Woe,
And my tears, like the tide, seem'd to tremble and flow.

Ye green scatter'd reeds, that half lean to the wave,
In your plaintive, your musical, sighs, could ye save
But one note of my charmer, to soften my doom,
I would stay till these willows should arch me a tomb!

For ye know, when I pour'd out my soul on the lute,
How she hung down her head, so expressively mute!
From my hand she would take it, still breathing my pain;
She would touch it - return it - and smile at the strain.

Ye wild blooming flow'rs, that enamel this brink,
Like me could ye feel, and like me could ye think,
How sadly would droop ev'ry beautiful leaf!
How soon would your sweetness be wasted with grief!

She is gone, in a cloud, like the star of the night!
She has left me, heart-broken, to mourn at her flight, -
To think of the hours she endear'd by her love.
To sigh till again I shall join her above!

By John Carr (Sir)
1772 – 1832

02/12/2026

02/12/2026

M. Jean (Etter) MacQueen – 76, Truro. Born in Truro, she was the second child of the late Bertha (Jardine) and Bertram Etter of Shubenacadie. On ...

02/11/2026

Please Share: Petition (read below)
In a practice commonly referred to as obit scraping or obit piracy, third party websites are copying obit information from funeral home websites and adding modified death notices to their own platform. This practice is done without the family’s or funeral home’s approval.

Additionally, they are selling online memorial products and profiting from this practice.

A petition is underway to gauge public interest to see if this practice should be ceased. To indicate you wish current legislation changed to protect grieving families, please see the below link and sign: https://www.ourcommons.ca/petitions/en/Petition/Details?Petition=e-6997

02/09/2026

Be Present: Mobile Phone Etiquette at Services

Sometimes in our hectic lives, we forget to turn off our phones, but there are places where etiquette requires us not to distract others. Whether it be at a movie theatre, restaurant or seminar hall, it is always proper to silence our phones, and this is never more important than at a funeral.

Funeral services, visitations and/or receptions serve as occasions for friends and family to unite in honour of a loved one and provide support for those who are grieving. Out of respect for both the family and the deceased, it is important to be present in the moment; to give the gift of one’s full attention. This means not being distracted by phones – something increasingly hard to do in today’s busy society – and the best way to do this is by making sure they are silenced or left in your vehicle before entering a facility.

This etiquette needs to extend to all aspects of the service, whether paying respects at a visitation, listening to a eulogy or sharing fellowship at a reception-type event. Sometimes important calls will need to be answered, and if this is the case, please step out of the room to not be a distraction. Sometimes funeral directors will go as far as to make an announcement to silence phones prior to the beginning of a service.

Today, we are providing a gentle reminder that every life deserves to be celebrated with the primary focus on the ceremonies of the day and without the distraction of mobile phones.

© Mattatall-Varner Funeral Home/CFHC Online

02/08/2026

Roger Wayne Roode – 73, Great Village, passed away on Friday evening, February 6, 2026, at Cedarstone Enhanced Care Truro. Born in Truro, he was the eldest child ...