About Us
About Us
It was on March 24th, 1922 when the late A.J. Bell originally ushered his family into the funeral services profession, opening an undertaking business in the family furniture store on McCullam Street in Newcastle, New Brunswick. Advertising "funeral supplies, caskets, funeral wreaths and flowers," A.J. Bell and Sons was on its way to becoming an institution among the communities along the famed Miramichi River, which today makes up the City of Miramichi. The business quickly expanded a short time later when Mr. Bell purchased the funeral business of Thomas Maltby and Sons from Margaret Maltby and Mary Gough.
Alfred Bell's sons Boyd, Wilson and Sterling joined their father at the funeral home and established the family tradition which has been a mainstay of the business throughout its history. Sterling Bell was responsible for a number of significant changes in the business over the years, including the addition of the first purpose-designed funeral home chapel on the Miramichi in 1987. Today the Sterling Bell Memorial Chapel is dedicated in his memory.
Sterling's son-in-law Roy Walsh, joined the business in 1985 and would eventually step into the owner’s role would own and operate Bell’s for 18 years before his retirement in 2021. During his tenure, Roy would welcome Sterling's Bell’s grandson, Randy M. MacLean to the team as a funeral director continuing the Bell family tradition.
When Roy made the decision to step back and take a well-earned retirement it signaled a home coming opportunity for Dana Thomas Jardine. A licensed funeral director for more than 15 years, Dana was born and raised on the Miramichi but left home to practice his profession near Woodstock, NB. A son of the late Durward & Philomena (McDonald) Jardine, Dana has 10 brothers and sisters all but three of whom are still in the local community.
To this day the staff of Bell’s Funeral Home strive to maintain both the important traditions and the very high standards passed on by generations of the Bell family. Now in our 100th year, we have very strong ties to our community and with the people we serve. This makes it both our responsibility and our privilege to provide moral and emotional support, along with our professional services. We remain proud and grateful that generations of Miramichi families have turned to us at times of need.