Our Story
Learn our story, from the beginning and into the future.
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.
Learn the legacy.
Berg Mortuary was established in 1870, and serving families has always been our focus. We take pride in being able to guide people through some of their most difficult days. We take pride in maintaining a setting that allows people to find solace. Celebrating life is our mission. That’s never changed. And with pride, it never will.
Our History
Around the turn of the century, Ole H. Berg, the patriarch of the Berg family, traded 18 acres of land, where he cultivated alfalfa (the present upper campus of BYU), for a 32-feet property at 40 East Center Street. There, he and his son, Wyman, constructed the first mortuary building in the area, named O.H. Berg and Son Undertaking. The building included a partial basement, a small chapel, an office, and a casket display room.
The "dead wagon," as it was known, served for initial calls when someone passed away or to transport individuals from various hospitals. Ole and Wyman used a one-seated buggy for death calls, carrying a small satchel and cooling boards to the location of the deceased. In those times, bodies were placed on cooling boards, surrounded by ice to preserve them until the funeral. Subsequently, embalming shifted from homes to the mortuary.
In Ole's later years, Wyman assumed more responsibilities, managing the business. In 1914, Ole spent six months in Norway for genealogy during the outbreak of World War I. In 1918, O.H. Berg and Son mortuary was incorporated, establishing Berg Mortuary, Inc. The funeral services expanded, with an embalming room, a chapel, and rented space to the Western Union Company.
Ole passed away in 1919, and Wyman continued running the mortuary on Center Street until 1935 when the facilities became insufficient. The mortuary relocated to the former Jesse Knight home at 185 East Center Street, becoming a charter member of the National Selected Morticians in 1935.
In 1947, Wyman and Max expanded the mortuary, adding a new building to accommodate the growing operation. Completed in 1948, this addition made the facility seven times larger, featuring complete embalming/operation rooms, a casket display room, a chapel, and living quarters. An Open House was held on June 27, 1948, to dedicate the Mortuary.
In 1957, Berg Mortuary of Orem was established to meet the needs of the growing area. Both the Provo and Orem locations have undergone extensive remodeling, including an updated chapel with seating for 300 people and an adjacent parking lot.
Carl Berg, the fourth generation of the Berg family, now owns and operates Berg Mortuary with continued dedication to serving the families of Utah Valley. For over 150 years and spanning four generations, Berg Mortuary in Provo and Orem has been committed to providing compassionate and professional funeral services to the community.
Who We Are
Meet our staff. Members of the local community make everything that happens possible.
Together, we make this place amazing.
Carl Berg
Owner
Carl is the fourth generation of the Berg Family to own and operate Berg Mortuaries. He enjoys a rich heritage in funeral service and has devoted his life to serving the families of Utah County. He enjoys the outdoors.
Randy Miller
Funeral Director - General Manager
Randy is a tall happy red head. He started with Berg Mortuary in 2007 as an apprentice under J. Todd Jenkins his beloved mentor. Randy Graduated from St. Petersburg College in Florida with his Mortuary Science Degree.
Randy lives in Lehi with his wonderful wife Diann, son Devin daughter Breann and son Bode. He loves spending time with his family and tinkering in his garage with anything that has a motor along with his wood projects. He is an avid motorcycle rider and enjoys riding all kinds of terrain and seeing new places.
Kathy Alger
Administrative Manager
Donita Boulter
Office Manager
I was born in Ogden and grew up in Huntsville, Utah. My husband John and I have enjoyed living in Salem, Utah for the past 30 years. We have 6 children and 13 grandchildren. I enjoy my family, reading, and home and yard improvements.
I have worked many years in the administrative assistant, secretarial and customer service fields. Berg has been my home since June of 2007. My goal is to render sincere compassion and respect to families while striving to provide a memorable tribute to their loved one.
Logan VanMeeteren
Funeral Director
Brady Fox
Funeral Director
Abby Jensen
Apprentice Funeral Director
Devon Sutton
Apprentice Funeral Director
Sophie Castlemain
Apprentice Funeral Director
J. Todd Jenkins
Funeral Director
Todd started as an Apprentice with Berg Mortuary in 1979 and has been in the funeral profession ever since. He has worked in Utah, California and South Carolina. He came back to work for Berg Mortuary in 2000 and currently serves as our General Manager. He is married to Gayle Yates Jenkins and together they have three children; Caitlin, Jeff and Douglas.He has two grandsons, Sawyer Logan Jenkins and Mataiasi (Tasi) Joseph Rigamoto, and a sweet new granddaughter, Adeline (Addy) Ruby Rigamoto. These three are the apples of his eye! He and Gayle actually met at the mortuary in 1979, shortly after his return from serving the Tennessee Nashville Mission, 1977 - 1979. He enjoys family time, working in his yard in Springville, sharing vegetables from his garden, golf (even though he is no Arnold Palmer!!) and his church service.
"I have loved my career. It has been an honor to serve families at a most personal time in their lives for the past 30 plus years. It is rewarding to have a family come to you with a heavy burden and have them leave having had the burden lightened through the service we render to them. Berg Mortuary is a very fine service establishment. I cannot picture myself working for a finer funeral family. Under the leadership of Carl Berg, the families we serve receive premium service second to none while offering this service at a most reasonable cost."
Judy Seegmiller
Community Outreach Coordinator
Judy served as President of the Board of Directors for the Utah State Alzheimer's Association, is a member of the Advisory Council for the Senior Companion Program, Foster Grandparent Program, Retired Senior Volunteer Program for Mountainland Association of Governments, member of the Continuum Care Committee, member Senior Advisory Committee, and a volunteer for the American Cancer Society.
Judy was selected as a representative of Utah as a Torch Bearer for the 2002 Winter Olympics. She received the 2009 Clarence Robinson Inspiration of the Year award by NuSkin International. She spoke with the Governor of Utah when they honored their fallen and at the World Senior Games. She received a 2015 AARP volunteer award. 2017 – Distinguished Service in Gerontology Award in recognition of the many years of outstanding service and contributions to the field of gerontology and students at BYU
She is frequently called on to lend support to others whose family members have been diagnosed with Alzheimer's—especially early onset. She facilitates several caregiver support groups throughout the valley each month. She is actively involved with other support groups throughout the state. She is a speaker at BYU, University of Utah and Utah State.
She is the author of, Life with Big Al (Early Alzheimer's) A Caregiver's Diary, about her husband, Craig, who passed away at age 55 with early onset Alzheimer's. Her book is currently being used as a textbook in one of the BYU nursing and Gerontology programs.
She also helped care for her son who lived as a quadriplegic for a year and a half after a 4-wheeling accident.
Don Orme
Funeral Director Emeritus
Don H. Orme was born on February 16, 1938, to Myrtle Leona Moss and Henry Abraham Orme and passed away on June 15, 2022, at Utah Valley Hospital. His early years were spent in Nephi, Utah where he was a farm boy working in the fields, driving a tractor from a very young age, and helping with the crops. He had a paper route as a young boy and tended animals from turkeys to sheep in the field. The family moved to Provo, Utah in his teen years, where he graduated from Provo High School in 1956. Don married Fern Webb (the girl across the street) who was his first and only love, May 28, 1956, in the Manti Temple.
Don attended Brigham Young University for his undergraduate education and graduated from the San Francisco College of Mortuary Science. He worked as a cook through high school and early married life. He began his career at Berg Mortuary in 1957 where he worked until his retirement in 2000. In his later years, he took up wood carving and would make a new snowman every year for his family. He kept busy carving including nativities, Santas, cowboys, a roly poly bear for every grandchild, and a parrot for every great grandchild. Don inherited a 1972 yellow Mustang and loved to drive it to local car shows. He was active in civic clubs serving in the Lion’s Club. He was active in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints where he faithfully served in many capacities in addition to serving two missions with Fern.
Don delighted his children when he brought home a spider monkey as a new family pet in 1968 and chased him in the trees. He also had horses and one of his favorite trips was in the Uintah mountains with Fern and friends. Summer vacations with his children were spent traveling to San Francisco, Lake Tahoe, Silverton, Oregon; Ontario, Canada; Nephi, and especially our beautiful Utah. During their retirement Don and Fern traveled and especially enjoyed traveling to all seven continents and over 40 countries, as well as most of the United States, often with friends and his brother and sister-in-law, Fred and Deanne. In later years they loved spending time in Hawaii and traveling with their kids. He collected hats from everywhere they traveled and put on a hat show for family with a different personality attached to every hat, even Smokey Stover.
Don was known for his outgoing nature and friendship. He always had a story or joke to tell. He sang Barbershop in his younger years and would often break out in song (sometimes with his own lyrics) and was known to sing to his family and especially his grandkids and great grandkids. Don and Fern loved having their family around and especially their grandchildren and great grandchildren.
He is survived by his wife of 66 years, Fern Webb Orme, and children, Nannette Orme, Carrie (Gary) Raulston, Tracy Jo Orme, Dena (Rick) Thompson, Bryan (Debbie) Orme, Jenny (Robert) Nelson, Karl (Ronda) Orme, and Kathy (Joe) Marzan. Don and Fern have 22 grandchildren, Jared and Lara Leigh, Jamie and John, Jon, Jodi and Cody, Jaycee, Tiffany and Greg, Sandy and Adam, Eric and Candice, Christopher and Falicia, Justin and Carissa, Marissa, Kyle, Cristin and Brennen, Blake and Brooke, Aaron and Abby, Brandon and Amy, Megan and Braden, Emily and Hayden, Josh, Sai, Jay, and Sophie. There are also 32 great grandchildren (plus another coming soon), one great great grandchild, and many grandchildren in law. He is also survived by his sister, Colleen (Dieter) Hetchle. He was preceded in death by his parents and his brothers, Robert, Fred, Hal, and Dennis.
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