Mikel Stevenson – Owner
Mikel was born and raised in Miles City MT. After graduating from Custer County High School, he attended college at Montana State University-Bozeman. There, he received his Bachelor’s Degree in Finance, with a Minor In Economics. After completing his Bachelor’s Degree, he studied at the American Academy McAllister Institute of Funeral Service in New York, NY, where he received his Mortuary Science Degree.
Mikel moved to Helena, Montana in April of 2010 and became one of seven family members serving as a mortician, He is part of the Stevenson family’s third generation in providing funeral services to communities. Mikel married Kami Sevier in August of 2018. The Mikel and Kami reside in Helena with their son Sutton, who was born in September of 2022. The couple is still adjusting to the new family’s schedules in their household!! Mikel enjoys working on and restoring old vehicles, car shows, hunting and fishing whenever an opportunity arises.
Erik Bass – Owner
Erik was born in Helena Montana and raised in Miles City, MT. Erik graduated from Custer County District high school in 2005 and attended Montana State University in Billings to pursue a degree in business management. Realizing that his true passion was caring for families and the community around him, Erik enrolled at the Mount Hood Mortuary School and graduated in the summer of 2011. After graduation, Erik was able to fulfill his dream of moving back to Helena where he spent many of his summers growing up and is now able to serve the community which he is extremely passionate about. Erik is an active member of Bill Roberts’s golf course, Young Professionals, Montana Club, Exchange Club and the Montana Funeral Directors Association. Erik enjoys Montana’s great outdoors and when he finds time for relaxation, he enjoys both snow and water skiing, golf, hunting and playing hockey.
Helena
Max – Director of Operations
Max was born and raised on a 5th Generation ranch on the Hi-Line outside of Chinook, MT. With a passion for caring for various animals and pets growing up he was also very involved in sports and music in the community. Upon finishing high school, Max moved to Seattle, WA to play drums in a band and tour up and down the Western coast where he had also met his wife Jessica during that time.
Always knowing he wanted to come back home to Big Sky Country, Max and Jessica were able to make that dream come true and moved to Helena in the Summer of 2021 along with their 3 Cats Zeus, Blue and Juno.
Max loves all pets and understands the various hardships of pet loss. He is here to help all our Helena area families and vet clinics to ensure the best care and consideration for everyone who requires our services here at 406 Pet Crematory.
Amy – Office Administrator
Amy was born in Oregon, but she and her family moved to Montana in 1992. She grew up in Helena and graduated from Capital High School in 2004. After some time spent in Washington she moved back to Montana and is happy to call Helena home again.
Amy enjoys cooking and baking. She is incapable of making food for less than a small country despite being the single mom of one boy, Ryan. She dabbles in photography and always has a book on hand. When the weather is nice, she and Ryan spend as much time outdoors as they can. In the winter you’ll find her cozied up reading with a cup of tea and her cat, Indigo.
Amy joined the 406 Pet Crematory team as Office Administrator in 2022 and is here to help guide families through the difficult process of losing a loved one.
Brad – Certified Pet Care Specialist
A third generation Montanan, Brad was born and raised in East Helena. He grew up with a series of household pets, his personal favorite being a bunny named Snowball. After spending some time in Portland, Brad moved back to Montana where he met his wife, Jenny Morgus. Together Brad and Jenny have two cats.
Brad loves the outdoors: hiking, fishing, biking and hunting. He is a member of the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, The East Helena Martial Arts Academy, Amateur Radio Relay League and Valley View Lutheran Church.
Brad began working in the funeral business when he was 15 years old. He is proud to have served the Helena community for the last 34 years in various capacities. Brad looks forward to helping you and your family in any way he can.
Mandi — Certified Pet Care Provider
Mandi, a fifth-generation resident of Gallatin Valley, is a single mother of two teenagers, Ashley and Casey.
Mandi and her kids are lucky to have their very energetic, silly three legged dog, Zeus. Mandi is very family oriented, spending her summers behind the wheel of a boat, or floating down the Madison river with her two kids and older sister. In the fall you can find her at every home football game cheering on The Montana State Bobcats.
A true Bozemanite, she graduated Bozeman High, class of 96′. Go Hawks! She started working as a certified pet care specialist in 2014. Mandi has entrusted 406 Pet Crematory with her own family dogs, Tasha and Bearcat, and she ensures the same gentle care for your sweet pets as she would her own.
Carla – Certified Pet Care Provider
Carla was born and raised in Helena, Montana. As a young child she always had a fond heart for animals. From horseback riding and having many pets growing up, Carla was constantly bringing home sick or injured animals for her parents to rescue, as her family lived in the valley. After graduating with honors from Capital High School in 2002, Carla attended Carroll College, taking Biology and Pre-Veterinary courses. In 2008 Carla started working locally assisting veterinarians in caring for animals as a veterinary technician.
Carla is the mom of four children, as well as the mom of an adopted black kitty named Grimm from the local shelter and a Mastiff/Rottweiler named Ruger that she nursed to health as a puppy. Carla also enjoys art, oil painting, watercolor, and graphic design. She loves teaching her children to practice kindness, enjoy the outdoors, and live simply. They spend a lot of time hiking, fishing, camping and exploring Montana.
2025 after a shift in her career path and finds it very rewarding to be working on the other side of animal care, a final gift and service to those that touch and leave prints on our hearts forever. Carla hopes to help the community for many years to come.
Tracey – Certified Pet Care Provider
Tracey formed her passion for animals while growing up on a small farm with horses, chickens, various reptiles, rodents, and, of course, cats and dogs. When she’s not hanging out with her cat, Kidd, she’s reading, rock hounding, making jewelry, or exploring the outdoors.
Tracey has worked as a pet sitter, park ranger, wrangler, vet assistant, and vet tech, always dedicating her time to animal welfare and care. Tracey is dedicated to assisting pets on their journey over the rainbow bridge with the utmost respect, care, and love.
Bozeman
J J – Bozeman Area Manager and Animal Care Specialist
When it comes to compassionate care, J J takes her job very seriously. She knows over and over how the loss of a pet can be emotionally difficult, especially when it’s her own. She’s often asked how she can do this job. It’s her ministry to assure families that their pets are treated with the utmost respect and care that she can give, and she loves them no matter what condition they come to her in. She loves to preserve the memories you’ve shared so you can continue to remember and cherish your most beloved companion and best friend long after they have crossed the rainbow bridge.
J J grew up on a “Pet Farm”, as she would call it. Her mother would bring home rescues; horses, dogs, cats, geese, ducks, chickens and there was even a box turtle that lived under the kitchen sink when he’d escaped his box named Mr. T. She would be there to bandage their wounds or save little goslings from drowning and once brought a stray cat home and fed him ice cream from a spoon after her mother told her not to. With her big heart for animals, she can’t turn any of them away. She even managed to take her Shetland pony upstairs to her bedroom and read to her. (She’s never told her mother to this day.)
J J continued her passion for animals by volunteering in veterinary clinics throughout grade school, high school and college. Although becoming a veterinarian wasn’t in the cards, she entered college for Nursing in 1992, which also was not in the cards. She continued volunteering throughout the medical industries working for the Red Cross, E. R., and later became a CNA and EMT-B with her local fire department for several years. She then finished an M.A. associates degree and worked for a naturopathic doctor for 4 years before moving on to become a certified life coach.
A temporary setback from a car wreck in 2018 didn’t stop her from running a dog daycare from her home while recovering. When she applied to work with us, she was hired on the spot and continued her compassion for the pets and their owners that come to her door. “I always seem to come back to the animals”, she said. She continues to treat each pet as her own with love, care and respect.
Jaci – Certified Pet Care Provider
Jaci is a 5th generation Gallatin Valley farmer and rancher. She is a 2024 graduate of Belgrade High School, where she focused on welding.
Growing up, Jaci had a menagerie of animals from lizards to beef cattle. She was involved in 4-H from an early age as a Cloverbud first, and then was a member of the Gallatin Valley Livestock club from the age of 8. During her over 10 years in 4-H she showed chickens, sheep and beef steers, finishing her time in 4-H as the Grand Champion senior beef showman. While in 4-H Jaci has helped out many other kids with their projects. She never hesitates to help shear, train, clip, bath or doctor animals.
She owns 8 horses, who she had trained herself, she also has many cows, sheep, goats (both fainting and milking), chickens, ducks, geese, fish and many rabbits. Her dogs are Butch, a border collie/blue heeler/kelpie, Justus a border collie, and Ducky a mini Dachshund. She has one very special kitty named Blue. She has a very gentle hand when it comes to all animal care.
Leann – Receptionist – Exotic Animal Specialist
A 6th generation Montanan and Bozeman native, Leann grew up surrounded by animals of all shapes and sizes. She started dating her husband Josh in 2013, and graduated from Bozeman High School in 2016. Leann also briefly attended Pima Medical Institute in Dillon, Montana from 2018-2019 for Veterinary Assisting before moving back to Bozeman to be closer to family. Leann has a deep love for exotics as she grew up around rabbits, chickens, ducks, turkeys, miniature donkeys, cockatiels, parakeets, and so much more.
In her spare time, she enjoys horseback riding, playing video games, crocheting, and playing Dungeons and Dragons. On cold winter days, you can find her snuggling with her senior Chow mix Holly while her cat Corvo watches the birds outside. She and Josh also own a Tricolor Hognose Snake named Rathalos and a leopard gecko named Narwa.
In recent years, Leann has worked at local dog daycare facilities before landing at 406 Pet Crematory. Here, her compassion for all animals (even the scaley ones), empathy for their humans, and attention to detail combine to bring families a wonderful experience during the loss of their beloved family member.
Missoula
Kristie – Certified Pet Care Provider
Kristie is a Montana original from many, many generations of Montanans where people, pets and the outdoors are inherent to life. No matter the season or conditions, she was outside learning the way of life Montana is treasured for. Knowing Montana would always be home, Kristie had an itch for education and travel. She joined the Military hoping to fulfill those dreams and after earning her degree, traveling the country and world, including combat time in Kuwait and Iraq, she retired after 26 years serving our country.
After retirement Kristie furthered her education and adventures by becoming a certified fly fishing and raft guide, trained for and ran the original marathon in Greece, rescued a few pets and settled on a life in Missoula that fulfills all her passions for people, community, pets and the outdoors.
An opportunity to show compassion and share love, combined with a desire to scratch, kiss and cuddle all the animals guarantees she’ll meet her hug quota and be covered in animal hair and be really, really happy about it.