The result of a long-standing family tradition, the Brome-Missisquoi Funeral Complex is today led by Mathieu Baker, who follows in the footsteps of his great-grandfather, Joseph Dion; his grandfather, Bernard Dion; and his father, Kenneth Baker, all of whom were also thanatologists.
Joseph Dion
Bernard Dion
Kenneth Baker
Brothers Ludger and Joseph Dion launched their business careers in Bedford, in 1927, with the purchase of two businesses, located at 54 River Street, owned by John William Cockerline,. While Joseph took charge of the furniture store, Ludger saw to the funeral home. With courage and perseverance, the brothers learned and perfected their trades, working tirelessly to satisfy the needs of the local community—and even introducing an ambulance service.
After Ludger’s death in 1937, Joseph found himself alone at the helm of both businesses. He called on his son Bernard, who was still pursuing his studies, to help—and by 1946, Bernard was president of the company henceforth known as Joseph Dion & fils.
The year 1952 was a turning point for the fast-growing business. The two enterprises separated, and Joseph decided that he would concentrate his efforts on the funeral home, which was located at the back of the furniture store and had only a single visitation room. In 1964, Bernard purchased the property at 215 River Street. The former location of the Guthrie & Miller saw assembly factory was then completely renovated by the renowned architect R. Robillard, who went on to win an award for architecture at Expo 67.
Following these extensive renovations, the new funeral home—which now featured four visitation rooms—was inaugurated. During this time, Bernard’s daughter Monique, an accomplished pianist, was dating Kenneth Baker, an engineer by trade who was greatly influenced by his future father-in-law. In 1980, Bernard passed the torch on to his son-in-law, who most notably oversaw the funeral services of former prime minister Adélard Godbout, in Frelighsburg. Kenneth opted to close the furniture store in 1993 and fully focus on the funeral home. In 2004, after spending many years outside of Quebec, Monique and Kenneth’s son, Mathieu, returned to Bedford to join and fully invest himself in the family business.
In 2009, Joseph Dion & fils took a big step and acquired Funérarium Denis Meunier, which operated for 12 years at 402 River Street in Cowansville. Following this acquisition, the company changed its name to Complexe funéraire Brome-Missisquoi. The Brome-Missisquoi funeral complex is a significant part of our region’s history and is recognized as a pioneer in the funeral services sector thanks to an outstanding reputation for providing high-quality services with discretion and respect. Mathieu and his team stand out for their natural empathy and quick response to clients’ needs and requests.
Since September 2017, this expertise has expanded to Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu with the opening of a new complex. Mathieu long hoped to reconnect with his city of birth by establishing a funeral home in the Haut-Richelieu area, and he intends to serve the region with the same professionalism his family has been known for since 1927. We will gladly accompany you in Knowlton whenever our services are required.
We carefully select flowers to create an ambiance perfectly suited to the occasion.
