BELGRADE — Dokken-Nelson Funeral Service has been serving the Gallatin Valley for more than a century.
Located on South Willson Avenue, the Bozeman-based business is rooted in history. Now, Dokken-Nelson is expanding with a new location in Belgrade.
“As Belgrade has grown, it just felt like the right time to open a Dokken-Nelson office here,” said owner Chris Remely.
WATCH: See how Belgrade's population growth brought back a century-old funeral service
Chris and his wife, Monica Remely, are Montana-born and raised and have owned Dokken-Nelson since 2007.
Monica Remely said the funeral service previously had a presence in Belgrade in the early 2000s, but at the time, families were used to traveling to Bozeman for services.
“Whether it was health care or grocery shopping, people were used to going to Bozeman,” she said. “Even though we had a location in Belgrade, families still wanted to meet with funeral directors there.”
As a result, all operations were returned to the South Willson Avenue location in Bozeman.
About a year ago, the Remelys found a new site on South Broadway in Belgrade and decided to try again.
“Fast forward less than a year, and here we are,” Monica Remely said.
According to the Bozeman Real Estate Group, Belgrade is now the fastest-growing city in Montana by percentage of population growth.
Between 2000 and 2010, Belgrade’s population ranged between 6,000 and 8,000. Today, the city has grown to 13,765 residents.
“A lot of people were saying, ‘Belgrade really needed this,’” Monica Remely said. “The West Gallatin Valley needed these services in their backyard.”
The Remelys said the new Belgrade location offers the same services and level of care as the Bozeman facility.
“It’s the same staff out here,” said Chris Remely. “They'll receive the same care they’ve always received.”
