Our Staff

Our dedicated staff members are here to provide support, compassion, and information to help you through your journey of grief and the celebration of your loved one’s life.

Our Mission

Our mission is to minister to bereaved families by pursuing excellence in every aspect of our service to those families.

Objectives

  • To provide compassionate and caring service to every family, regardless of their financial situation.
  • To provide funeral and memorial options that are of exceptional quality and value.
  • To set the standard of funeral service through unsurpassed professionalism, integrity and attention to detail.
  • To provide leadership through educational opportunities and involvement in our community.
  • To provide an environment where our associates can develop their personal abilities, as well as obtain a true sense of fulfillment in serving others.
  • To continually search for innovative ways to better serve families.

Dahl Funeral Chapel

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John Dahl Owner & Funeral Director

John E. Dahl is a 3rd generation licensed funeral director (1990), and licensed crematory operator. John has worked in the funeral industry from childhood, following in his grandfather and father's footsteps. In January of 2007, he became co-founder of Dahl Funeral Chapel. John is civic minded, belonging to RMEF, the Knights of Columbus, the Billings Chamber of Commerce, and coaches high school rugby. He is also an avid hunter during the winter months and rides his motorcycle and golf's during the summer months.

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Susan Johnson Business Manager

Susan Johnson began working with the Dahl family the spring of 1991. Today, she is the business manager and co-owner with John. Sue lives in the Huntley area and is active in her community and in the Billings Chamber of Commerce. Sue and her husband Mike are proud parents, grandparents, and great-grandparents. They enjoy their free time driving in parades and other activities with the Model A club and antique tractor club.

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Richard Hall Funeral Director & Crematory Operator

Originally from Maryland, Richard moved to Billings in 2016 after visiting relatives in Montana with his wife, Erin (of Billings), and his son, Braeden. Shortly after, he started helping us with services part-time and joined the Dahl team full-time in May 2018 as a Funeral Assistant. Since then, he has become increasingly involved with serving our families. Richard graduated from the Dallas Institute of Funeral Service in March 2021 and is a licensed Mortician. He is also a licensed Crematory Operator and operates our on-site crematory. Richard enjoys spending time with family, reading, hiking, and camping all over our beautiful state.

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Shane Salisbury Funeral Director, Certified Funeral Service Practitioner (CFSP)

Shane joined the team at Dahl Funeral Chapel in March 2020. Shane attended the University of Providence in Great Falls where he began his studies to become a mortician and where he met his wife, Ann (Malisani). Their first adventure as a newly married couple in 1991 was to enroll in the Funeral Service Education Associate Degree program at Mount Hood Community College in Gresham, OR. By 1993 they were back home in Montana completing their internships in rural Fort Benton and Conrad. They began their 25-year careers as licensed morticians in Billings in 1994 and continue to serve the Billings community by ministering to one family at a time.

Shane, a farm boy from Floweree in central Montana, grew up witnessing the circle of life in the crops and the cattle. Early on he was called to a career caring for those experiencing loss and from that he has never wavered. His dedication and expertise in all aspects of his chosen career reflect that. He served as president of the Montana Funeral Directors Association in 2007.

Shane and Ann are the parents of two beautiful and talented grown children, Castle and Sophia. They have a few favorite places to get away to in Montana and are always up for the adventures of travelling and visiting family abroad. They are endlessly pursuing a variety of culinary delights and experiments and are eager to share them with family and friends who are like family. Most of all they consider themselves blessed to have been able to share such a meaningful career.

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Parker Sappington Licensed Mortician Intern

Since joining Dahl Funeral Chapel in March 2023, Parker Sappington has been dedicated to providing compassionate support to families during their difficult times. She is currently attending classes at Arapahoe Community College to obtain her Mortuary Science degree. Committed to professionalism and empathy, Parker believes every life deserves to be honored with dignity and respect.

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Vonnie Sheely Funeral Assistant & GriefShare Facilitator

Vonnie Sheely is a funeral assistant and GriefShare facilitator.  She enjoys helping families through difficult times and making details at services and receptions as easy as possible for them.  God has given her a passion for helping people navigate the valley of grief. Vonnie and her husband, Deryl, enjoy their family life of two kids and five grandkids, biking, hiking, photographing wild flowers, gardening and snowshoeing.

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Lila Buen Tribute Specialist

After retiring from being a small business owner, Lila feels blessed to have joined the staff at Dahl Funeral Chapel in 2019. Meeting with grieving families, creating tributes and videos to celebrate the lives and forever memorialize loved ones departed but never forgotten, is truly her calling. Spending time with her children and grandchildren make her life complete. 

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Linda Smith Grief Counselor

Linda Smith has been part of the Dahl team since the fall of 2000. She started doing her internship as part of her master's degree from Montana State University Billings. She assisted Bernard and M'Lis Dahl in the grief recovery group and worked in the office part-time. She now leads our grief recovery and continues working in the office. Linda is from Chinook; had lived in Sidney until the loss of her husband. Linda moved to Billings in 1994 so she could continue her education, and in 2001 married Jim Smith. She has three sons and grandchildren she adores. Linda has proven many times to be one of the best grief counselors in our area.

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Part-Time Staff Mike Johnson, Cameron Smith, Jason Ives, Jana Baker, Brian Buen, and Vonnie Sheely

Our part-time staff assist us with services and making sure we are always ready to serve our families. They also assist with transferring loved ones from their place of death and into our care at the funeral home. 

John Dahl

Owner & Funeral Director
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John E. Dahl is a 3rd generation licensed funeral director (1990), and licensed crematory operator. John has worked in the funeral industry from childhood, following in his grandfather and father's footsteps. In January of 2007, he became co-founder of Dahl Funeral Chapel. John is civic minded, belonging to RMEF, the Knights of Columbus, the Billings Chamber of Commerce, and coaches high school rugby. He is also an avid hunter during the winter months and rides his motorcycle and golf's during the summer months.

Susan Johnson

Business Manager
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Susan Johnson began working with the Dahl family the spring of 1991. Today, she is the business manager and co-owner with John. Sue lives in the Huntley area and is active in her community and in the Billings Chamber of Commerce. Sue and her husband Mike are proud parents, grandparents, and great-grandparents. They enjoy their free time driving in parades and other activities with the Model A club and antique tractor club.

Richard Hall

Funeral Director & Crematory Operator
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Originally from Maryland, Richard moved to Billings in 2016 after visiting relatives in Montana with his wife, Erin (of Billings), and his son, Braeden. Shortly after, he started helping us with services part-time and joined the Dahl team full-time in May 2018 as a Funeral Assistant. Since then, he has become increasingly involved with serving our families. Richard graduated from the Dallas Institute of Funeral Service in March 2021 and is a licensed Mortician. He is also a licensed Crematory Operator and operates our on-site crematory. Richard enjoys spending time with family, reading, hiking, and camping all over our beautiful state.

Shane Salisbury

Funeral Director, Certified Funeral Service Practitioner (CFSP)
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Shane joined the team at Dahl Funeral Chapel in March 2020. Shane attended the University of Providence in Great Falls where he began his studies to become a mortician and where he met his wife, Ann (Malisani). Their first adventure as a newly married couple in 1991 was to enroll in the Funeral Service Education Associate Degree program at Mount Hood Community College in Gresham, OR. By 1993 they were back home in Montana completing their internships in rural Fort Benton and Conrad. They began their 25-year careers as licensed morticians in Billings in 1994 and continue to serve the Billings community by ministering to one family at a time.

Shane, a farm boy from Floweree in central Montana, grew up witnessing the circle of life in the crops and the cattle. Early on he was called to a career caring for those experiencing loss and from that he has never wavered. His dedication and expertise in all aspects of his chosen career reflect that. He served as president of the Montana Funeral Directors Association in 2007.

Shane and Ann are the parents of two beautiful and talented grown children, Castle and Sophia. They have a few favorite places to get away to in Montana and are always up for the adventures of travelling and visiting family abroad. They are endlessly pursuing a variety of culinary delights and experiments and are eager to share them with family and friends who are like family. Most of all they consider themselves blessed to have been able to share such a meaningful career.

Parker Sappington

Licensed Mortician Intern
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Since joining Dahl Funeral Chapel in March 2023, Parker Sappington has been dedicated to providing compassionate support to families during their difficult times. She is currently attending classes at Arapahoe Community College to obtain her Mortuary Science degree. Committed to professionalism and empathy, Parker believes every life deserves to be honored with dignity and respect.

Vonnie Sheely

Funeral Assistant & GriefShare Facilitator
photo

Vonnie Sheely is a funeral assistant and GriefShare facilitator.  She enjoys helping families through difficult times and making details at services and receptions as easy as possible for them.  God has given her a passion for helping people navigate the valley of grief. Vonnie and her husband, Deryl, enjoy their family life of two kids and five grandkids, biking, hiking, photographing wild flowers, gardening and snowshoeing.

Lila Buen

Tribute Specialist
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After retiring from being a small business owner, Lila feels blessed to have joined the staff at Dahl Funeral Chapel in 2019. Meeting with grieving families, creating tributes and videos to celebrate the lives and forever memorialize loved ones departed but never forgotten, is truly her calling. Spending time with her children and grandchildren make her life complete. 

Linda Smith

Grief Counselor
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Linda Smith has been part of the Dahl team since the fall of 2000. She started doing her internship as part of her master's degree from Montana State University Billings. She assisted Bernard and M'Lis Dahl in the grief recovery group and worked in the office part-time. She now leads our grief recovery and continues working in the office. Linda is from Chinook; had lived in Sidney until the loss of her husband. Linda moved to Billings in 1994 so she could continue her education, and in 2001 married Jim Smith. She has three sons and grandchildren she adores. Linda has proven many times to be one of the best grief counselors in our area.

Part-Time Staff

Mike Johnson, Cameron Smith, Jason Ives, Jana Baker, Brian Buen, and Vonnie Sheely
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Our part-time staff assist us with services and making sure we are always ready to serve our families. They also assist with transferring loved ones from their place of death and into our care at the funeral home.