Phaneuf Acquires Ker Westerlund Funeral Home

Arthur "Buddy" Phaneuf, left, president and licensed funeral director; and Mark Johnson, licensed funeral director at Phaneuf Funeral Homes and Crematorium.

Phaneuf Funeral Homes and Crematorium, one of the oldest family-run funeral homes in New Hampshire, announced it has acquired Ker Westerlund Funeral Home, a publicly owned funeral home that has served the Brattleboro, Vermont region for more than 150 years. The purchase provides Phaneuf the ability to support families in western NH, Keene and southern Vt. and will be the first Vermont location of The Cremation Society of NH.

Both Phaneuf and Ker Westerlund offer traditional burial and cremation services. Both NH and Vermont exceed the country’s national average of people choosing cremation services versus traditional burials, with more than 70 percent of each state’s population choosing cremation. The expansion of The Cremation Society of NH into Vt. will provide families in that region with a less expensive yet trustworthy service option.

“Our customers come to us during one of the most distressing times in their lives – following the loss of a loved one. Our number one priority has been, and always will be, providing exceptional service and ensuring that the experience of our families is as seamless as possible, which includes options that fit within their budget,” said Arthur “Buddy” Phaneuf, president and CEO, Phaneuf Funeral Homes. “The addition of Ker Westerlund to the Phaneuf family provides us the ability to expand the quality of service we provide to our community members across the state of NH and now into southern Vermont.”

Phaneuf Funeral Homes and Crematorium presently serves more than 2,000 families in NH each year. The expansion into Vermont will provide accommodations to families in the NH communities of Hinsdale, Chesterfield, Westmoreland, Winchester, and VT communities of West Halifax, Marlboro and Putney. The next closest funeral home in the area is approximately 25 miles away in Bellows Falls, Vt. All pre-arranged Ker Westerlund Funeral Home services will be honored by Phaneuf.

Phaneuf is the largest provider of funeral services in NH, and operates five full service funeral homes, three crematories, two non-denominational chapels and a cremation society. Incorporated in 1995, The Cremation Society of NH is the only business in the state dedicated solely to promoting cremation.