History & Staff

Ever since we opened our doors in 1870 we have approached life (and death) differently. While some just see the end of a loved one’s life as a time for grief and mourning, we prefer to think of it as a time for reflection, appreciation and even celebration. This is evident in everything we do, from the way we conduct our services to the amenities we choose to offer. We are not just a mortuary. We are a close knit community dedicated to honoring, sharing and preserving the amazing and inspirational stories that are life.

Why Us?

In a nutshell? Experience, professionalism, compassion, and empathy.

We've learned a lot over many years. Like how to present options without overwhelming. And how to meet the needs of many caring parties. People come to us in difficult times, and we respond kindness, calmness and expertise. Our goal is to create a beautiful occasion and make you feel welcome, always. We spend our days planning with families. We stay up to date with industry developments. And we make hard times a little easier.

Our History

Around the turn of the century, Ole H. Berg traded 18 acres of ground on which he raised alfalfa (the present upper campus of BYU) for 32 feet of property at 40 East Center Street. There he and his son, Wyman, built the first mortuary building in the area. It was named 0.H. Berg and Son Undertaking. The building consisted of a partial basement, a small chapel, an office, and a casket display room.

The old "dead wagon", as it was called, was used to go out on first calls when someone would die, or to go to the various hospitals.

Ole and Wyman had a one-seated buggy they would use to go out on a death call. They would take their little satchel, and their cooling boards and go to wherever the death occurred, and proceed to take care of the deceased. In those days it amounted to a matter of placing them on what was called a cooling board, and then they would be packed in ice. The ice had to be packed all around the body in order to hold it long enough for the funeral. In later years the embalming was done in the home where the person died; and still later on, most of the people were brought to the mortuary to be embalmed.

In Ole’s later years, he had more time to devote to his family and friends as his son, Wyman, took over more of the work and managed the business. In 1914 Ole spent six months in Norway visiting and gathering genealogy. He was there when World War I broke out.

In 1918, the 0.H. Berg and Son mortuary was incorporated and Berg Mortuary, Inc. was established. In this building the embalming room was constructed in the downstairs area, a small chapel was erected in the southeast half of the building, and the west one-half of the front of the building was rented to the Western Union Company. The back part of the building was used as storage and a display room for caskets, etc. .

On February 25, 1919, at 79 years of age, Ole passed away, surrounded by his family. The funeral was held in the Utah Stake Tabernacle, which was filled to overflowing. The funeral cortege extended from the Tabernacle to the Provo City Cemetery, a distance of two miles. An attempt was made to delay the funeral long enough so the Mortuary could have its first motorized funeral coach to take him to the cemetery. However, the railroad car that the funeral coach was on was delayed and side tracked. It never did get there on time.

Wyman continued to operate the mortuary in their building on Center Street until 1935, when the facilities became too small and the area too congested. The building was leased as a grocery store, and Wyman was instrumental, through the Knight family, in purchasing the home of the late Jesse Knight at 185 East Center Street. He moved the mortuary to this location. Wyman, Veva, and the family moved into the Knight mansion. In 1935, Berg Mortuary became a charter member of the National Selected Morticians.

This building became too small for the increased size of the operation, and Wyman and his son, Max, started planning for further expansion. They visited many mortuaries throughout the western states. After deciding on the size of an adequate building, they installed an oil heating plant. In 1947 Wyman and Max built an addition to the Knight home increasing the size by 150 percent. The new building was constructed on the north or back of the present building and was 50 feet north and south, and 80 feet east and west, with a full basement. An elevator was installed, and on the lower floor were located the complete embalming/operation rooms, and a casket display room. The chapel, business office, and other facilities were on the main floor. Veva and Wyman continued to live in their apartment on the second floor. This addition made the facility approximately seven times larger, making it possible to accommodate approximately 100 to 800 people during services. Complete living quarters were then constructed on the third floor to accommodate an apprentice who would answer the telephone at night, and perform other services while living on the premises.

This addition was completed in 1948, and on June 27, 1948, at 4 p.m., an Open House was held and the Mortuary was dedicated. Wyman officiated at the dedication ceremonies and paid tribute to his father, who took him in as a partner when he was only 13 years old.

The establishment of the Berg Mortuary of Orem, in 1957, to serve the fast-growing area adjoining Provo, exemplifies the Berg policy of providing adequate and appropriate facilities to meet the needs of the changing times. It has been extensively remodeled with a newly updated chapel with seating for 300 people and an adjacent parking lot.

The Berg Mortuary in Provo and Orem has been serving the families of Utah Valley for over 146 years, spanning four generations of the Berg family.