Our Heritage

 

Serenity Funeral Home & Crematorium is located in  the Annapolis Valley of Nova Scotia and is independently owned and operated by Funeral Directors Paul and Dena Dawson. Along with the four Funeral Homes we own and operate the only crematorium in the Annapolis Valley.

Our family and staff pledges 100 % commitment to the families who call upon us in their greatest time of need. Our aim is to offer professional, dignified funeral services in time of need to families at an economical fee.

The staff at our Funeral Homes has a commitment to serve with “Dignity, Understanding and Integrity”.

Paul and Dena have three girls and a boy.

Desiree, who lives and works in Halifax as well as part time in the funeral homes, Dominique and Danielle who both attend school in the Annapolis Valley and Drayden who was born in January 2010.

 

 

Welcome to the historic Annapolis Valley of Nova Scotia, a fertile region that has been farmed for more than 300 years. The valley extends from Digby to Windsor an area 100 miles long and from five to 50 miles wide. It is sheltered on both sides from strong winds and the Bay of Fundy fog by the North and South “Mountains”. It has long been known as Canada’s first “bread basket” and is one of the most celebrated apple growing regions in the world and home to the Annapolis Valley Apple Blossom Festival, celebrating the 75th. Festival in 2007.

H.C. Lindsay Funeral Homes were located in the Annapolis Valley towns (in Kings County) and the fourth in a neighbouring village in Lunenburg County.

The Berwick location is in the town known as the “Apple Capital of Nova Scotia”, home to Larsens Packers Ltd., the United Church of Canada Camp Meeting Grounds, the Annual Gala Days Celebration and the location of the former Berwick Bakery and M.W. Graves Ltd. Near by communities are home to the Michelin Tire Plant, Cranberry & Peat Moss Bogs, Oaklawn Farm Zoo, 14 Wing Greenwood, French Cross at Morden and the birth place of the “Fuller Brush Man”, Alfred Fuller, founder of the Fuller Brush Company.

The Kentville location is in “The Shire Town of Kings”, home of the Annual Apple Blossom Festival Parade, Harvest Festival, Torchlight Parade, Kentville Home Show, Kentville Research Station, Kingstec Campus of the N.S.C.C. (home of the Funeral Program), Valley Regional Hospital, Festival of Lights and near by Camp Aldershot.

The Wolfville location found in the town originally known as “Mud Creek” which is the Cultural Centre of the Annapolis Valley, and is “Canada’s First Fair Trade Town”. Wolfville is home to Acadia University, Acadia Divinity School, Mud Creek Days, the Atlantic Theatre Festival and close to historic Grand Pre National Park. This now our Serenity Funeral Home location.

The New Ross location is found in the county of Lunenburg found along Highway 12, connecting the Valley & the South Shore. Known as the “Balsam Fir Christmas Tree Capital of the World” New Ross & area are home to the Ross Farm Museum, the Annual Christmas Festival and home to many nearby lakes and cottage dwellings.

The founder of H.C. Lindsay Funeral Homes, the late Hugh Cameron “Cam” Lindsay, was born in 1918, in Port George, Annapolis Co, N.S., and was the son of a Baptist Minister. During his father’s ministry had also lived in P.E.I. and later in Canard, Kings Co., N.S. During his time as a student at K.C.A. in Kentville he worked for the late John P. Covert who in 1935 had established a Funeral Service firm in Kentville. During an illness that saw Mr. Covert hospitalized, Mr. Lindsay along with others ran the business, later becoming a partner with Mr. Covert. In 1941 Mr. Lindsay married Frances Young of Aylesford and in the same year purchased the A.A. Ward Funeral Home in near by Canning. The business at that time was known as Covert & Lindsay, during this period Mr. Lindsay received his provincial licenses.

 

In 1943, Mr. Lindsay joined the R.C.A.F. Marine Division and served during the rest of the Second World War. Following his discharge at wars end dissolved his partnership with Mr. Covert and following that purchased the H.D. Patterson Funeral Service, Cottage St., Berwick, and later opening the business in the present location, the former Nichols property at 192 Commercial St., Berwick, which was built in 1910. His new firm now known as the H.C. Lindsay’s Funeral Homes Ltd. (Canning & Berwick) with the Mr. Lindsay & family in Berwick, and the late Robert H.W. “Bob” Kervin & family in the Canning location. Mr. Kervin, a native of Arlington (back of Canning) was born in 1910 and was married to Helen Rogers of Canning. Bob had worked at the former A.A. Ward Funeral Home and also served in the R.C.A.F. during Second World War from 1942-45, and following the death of Mr. Ward, worked & ran the business for Mrs. Ward (the first licensed female in Nova Scotia) before she sold the business.

In 1947, following graduation from the Simmons School of Funeral Service in Syracuse, New York, Paul R. Whitman joined the staff and became the first of many apprentices to become licensed at the Lindsay firm and many including Mr. Whitman later bought or ran other firms. Also in that year a third location was opened in Wolfville in a home which has since been torn down on the South side of Main Street, at the east end of the Acadia Campus at the beginning of the business district. The late Reigh W. Jayne was the first resident manager in Wolfville.

 

 
In 1948, Mr. Lindsay opened a fourth location in Kentville at 476 Main Street, in a home that since been torn down. Located west of the present fire station and on the opposite side of the street, which became the head office, moving the embalming & accounting centre there from Canning. Mr. Whitman was the first licensed resident in Kentville till late 1951.

In 1940-50 Mr. Lindsay bought a new property in Wolfville (the present location, 568 Main Street) closing & selling the down town property. The current Wolfville Funeral Home was in the beginning two separate residences with a space between them. The east house was used first as the Funeral Home prior to the two homes being joined together as they are today. After the joining the west side became the funeral home and the east side the residence.

 
In 1953, the Canning Funeral Home was closed and the property sold out of the funeral business and the Kervin family moved to Berwick and the Lindsay family moved to Kentville. In 1957 Mr. Lindsay bought the present Kentville Funeral Home property, the former Dr. Bishop property at 5 Leverett Ave., Kentville (corner of Leverett Ave. & Main St.). The house was built in 1824, changing hands several times over the years. Upon renovations in the 1950’s, it was discovered that birch bark & tan bark was used as insulation & for sound proofing. There were eight working fireplaces at one time, and bricks came from a former Brick Yard in near by Billtown. Following the renovations the Kentville Funeral Home moved to its new location, the property on Main Street sold and a service of dedication took place on January 26, 1958 in the new Funeral Home attended by local clergy, town council & other dignitaries.

It was during this time that the Lindsay firm put into use the first telephone line ever built by any telephone company in which the battery, magneto & dial system was combined, connecting the various funeral home locations. This became the model for other businesses in the area.

Mr. Lindsay was very active in his community, member of church, Legion, Masonic Lodge (& other Masonic bodies), Berwick Town Council, Berwick Gala Days Committee, a former Coroner in Kings County, Member & Past President of the Nova Scotia Licensed Embalmers & Funeral Director’s Association.

In 1965, Mr. Lindsay reorganized the ownership of his business then having three equal partners, with the name H.C. Lindsay Funeral Homes Limited. In August 1966 Mr. Lindsay passed away in Kentville, at the time of his death was Immediate Past President of the Canadian Funeral Director’s Association and died in office as Mayor of Kentville. Following Mr. Lindsay’s death Robert Kervin became President and was co-owner.

During Mr. Kervin’s time as President a property was purchased in New Ross (in the early 1970’s) from the village of New Ross which was a former Doctor’s Office with living quarters at 38 Forties Rd., making that the newest branch office. Also in the 1970’s the Veranda on the front of the Berwick Funeral Home was closed in (along with other inside changes) to make the “Parlour” Room larger (adding an extra eight feet from the front part of the building and up the north side). The Berwick location still featuring original tin ceilings & using to this day the original fire place in the Parlour at Visitations & receptions during the cooler months of the year. In 1979, a chapel was added to the Kentville location.

 

 

In 1983, Bob Kervin sold the business to Boyd and Florence Lutz. Bob “retired” and stayed in Berwick, Bob was active in the Masons, Shriners (Shriner’s Parade Motor Patrol in particular), Church, Lions, Berwick & District Board of Trade, Berwick Town Council, Ambulance Operators Association and was a Past President of the Nova Scotia Licensed Embalmers & Funeral Director’s Association. Bob passed away in January 1997, at age 86, prior to his death he attended and help direct almost every service in the Berwick area, attending his last service days before be hospitalized and passing away two weeks later. Mr. Lutz, who was a native of Berwick, born in 1937, is married to Florence Cormier of Moncton, N.B. Mr. Lutz, received his professional licenses in 1972, and has been an active member of the Ambulance Operators, Nova Scotia Licensed Embalmers & Funeral Directors Assocation, the Gyros and active in Basketball & Coaching Hockey. During the time Mr. Lutz was President saw a chapel added to Berwick in 1987-88. Renovations were done in Wolfville in 1989, including a chapel being added. In 1990, H.C. Lindsay Funeral Homes became a founding supporter of the Funeral Services Education Program (later the Funeral & Allied Health Services Program) at Kingstec and continues to this day to be the only funeral home to continue to do so. In 1991 renovations were done in New Ross. Interior renovations were done in Kentville in 1992 and in the original section in Berwick building was remodeled in 1995. Throughout the beginning years and until 1997, H.C. Lindsay Funeral Homes also provided 24 Hour Ambulance Service in Kings County and New Ross area until the Ambulance Service was sold to Maritime Medical Service. During the years of Ambulance Service, there were as many as seven operational ambulances as many as 55 employees, who answered as many as 15,000 calls a year.

 

 

In 2009, Paul and Dena Dawson purchased H C Lindsay Funeral Homes & Crematorium.. Paul and Dena are both Valley natives. Paul was born in Kentville while living in Billtown. Paul is the son of the late Rev. Ulric G. Dawson and Betty (Allen) Dawson, Kentville. Paul has been in the funeral service since November 1986 and has been a licensed funeral director and embalmer since 1993. He has worked at W. C. Hiltz Funeral Home, Kentville; H C Lindsay Funeral Home, Kentville; V S Sweeney Funeral Home, Yarmouth and Serenity Cremation & Funeral Specialists, Port Williams prior to buying Serenity and H C Lindsay Funeral Homes. Paul was a paramedic for over 20 years and up until the time of purchasing H C Lindsay Funeral Homes was employed most recently with Emergency Medical Care. Dena is a daughter of Bernhard "Ben" Kalkman and Mary (Mahar) Kalkman both of Kentville. Dena has been involved with the funeral service since 1999 and is a licensed funeral director. Dena is also a LPN and has worked in various nursing capacities and is currently serving at the Grand View Manor, Berwick.

In December of 2010 the Kentville location was destroyed by a wind storm that did major damage throughout the Annapolis Valley. Despite efforts to salvage the location the building had to be torn down in December 2011. As a result of this damage and the disaster dealing with the insurance industry, Paul and Dena were forced to sell the Berwick location and retire the H C Lindsay name.  

 

 In the writing of this history we would like to thank the following for input: Paul Whitman, Helen Kervin, other staff past & present, the book "Kentville the Devils Half Acre" and local old Advertiser newspaper articles & obituaries.

Service of Remembrance For Families We Serve
In December we will host our Annual Service of Remembrance. It is an informal non denominational service of music, reading, lighting of candles and reflection for all families who have lost loved ones who we have had the honour of serving in the last year. The service is to help families, as for some, the holidays can be difficult the first year after losing a dear loved one. Local clergy join us and the names of loved ones are read followed by a time of refreshments & fellowship. Invitations are sent by mail to the families and announcements in local weekly papers are made prior to the service. You may call or e-mail us for details on our next Service of Remembrance.

 

Family After Care
We will continue to support our families long after their loved one has passed on. We can provide pastoral care, assistance that may be required for certain documentation, help with choosing a special monument for a loved one or help making prearrangement's for yourself or a family member.