History & Staff

Jared O.M. Fairbanks, Owner/Funeral Director

Jared was born and lived his early years in Hawaii, his elementary school years in Salt Lake City, UT later moving to Holbrook, Arizona for junior high and high school. While in his senior year of high school Jared worked for a funeral home, where he performed service support and learned what was needed to serve each family with dignity and professionalism. He knew that a profession in service to others would be a rewarding and meaningful life’s dedication.

Jared earned a degree in business administration and graduated from Cypress College of Mortuary Science in 1986. He has managed mortuaries, cemeteries, and crematories along with supervising pre-need sales and spending some time as a casket sales representative in Arizona and Utah. Each of these steps has taught Jared what it takes to be successful in the funeral profession.

Aside from being a funeral director, Jared is an artist with sculptures around the world. One notable sculpture he did with his father, Ortho R. Fairbanks, is the Christmas Box Angel. The angel statue was commissioned by Richard Paul Evans, the author of The Christmas Box, in response to reports that parents were seeking out the angel as a place to grieve and heal from the loss of their children. When Jared is not sculpting, he enjoys running, hiking, traveling and playing bass drum in the Thomas Cordner Memorial Pipe Band.

Jared also, more than anything else loves to spend time with his four beautiful daughters and five adorable grandchildren whom he adores.

Janna Markland, Funeral Director

Libni Balderas, Funeral Director

Libni was born and raised in Mexico City. He graduated with honors from Colegio de Bachilleres in 1997.

While spending time as a hospice caregiver Libni found purpose in helping families through what he believes is often one of many emotional events that occur near the end of one’s life. During those 11 years as a caregiver he discovered a genuine passion for the funeral profession. In 2010, Libni joined Premier Funeral Services as an apprentice and began Mortuary School. He attended Commonwealth Institute of Funeral Services. He became a licensed funeral director in 2013.

Libni lives in Pleasant Grove with his wife, Julietta and their two children. He enjoys fishing, camping, hiking, and participating in martial arts with his kids.

Marjorie Smith, Funeral Director

Brittnie Brown, Funeral Director

Jennifer Estes, Funeral Director

David Milius, Funeral Director

Pleshette Goniotakis, Funeral Director

Gwen Burnham, Apprentice

Bailey Butler, Apprentice

Greg Golightly, Apprentice

Charles Valverde, Apprentice

Denell Bredsgaurd, Community Services Director

Margene Luke, Community Services Director

Margene is certified as a Grief Support Specialist from the World Spiritual Health Organization. She is the past owner and administrator of Hospice of Hope and owner and manager of Personal Care Services, giving her a unique perspective in end-of-life care and in the funeral industry. She retired as a nurse after serving in various nursing and hospital positions for 43 years.

Currently, she serves in the Family Caregiver Division of HHAU (Homecare and Hospice Association of Utah). She is an original founding member and past board President of the Utah Coalition for Caregiver Support. Previously, she served as Secretary and Membership Co-Chair of The Utah Hospice and Palliative Care Organization. She serves on the Community Advisory Board at the University of Utah, College of Social Work.

Outside of the healthcare and funeral industries, she is president of Equity Income Incorporated and Plaza 1100. She worked with the Miss Utah Scholarship Pageant system as Co-Director and Judges Chairperson. Margene served on the Governor’s Initiative for Families, Senator Hatch’s Senior Conference Committee, St. Marks Integrative Care Committee, Spirituality and Healing in Medicine Institute member and as a volunteer Chaplain at Primary Children’s Medical Center.

Personally, she finds joy in her family, in her friends, in the mountains, in a garden, and in a puppy named Sadie.

Shari Lindahl, Community Services Support

Shari Lindahl Gillen was born in Anaheim, California. She was raised in Kaysville, Utah and graduated from Davis High School in 1989.

Shari’s father instilled in her strong work ethics, which was apparent in the series of jobs she took on starting in 1999. She worked for hospice and senior living. Her work also carried over into education at skilled nursing and assisted living facilities as well as caring for dementia and Alzheimer’s patients. Her hard work earned her multiple promotions, from caregiver to management, and eventually on to be an Executive Director for Emeritus Senior Living. She serves in many community service organizations. Shari is certified as a Grief Support Specialist from the World Spiritual Health Organization.

Shari lives in Heber and has 3 children and 2 grandson. She enjoys traveling, paddle boarding, Cycling, pickleball and golf.

Sarah Baxter, Administrative Assistant

Shelly DeJong, Administrative Asssistant

Steven Montgomery, Preneed Specialist

Steven was born in Ogden, Utah. At 6 months of age his family moved to Adrian, Oregon where he enjoyed the next 18 years of rural farm life. He attended school at Adrian, graduating from Adrian High in 1970. After graduation, his family moved back to Utah settling in Hooper, Utah. Steven served a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints in Denmark.

In 1975 he married Deborah Bingham and they are the parents of 4 daughters and 1 son. They have 19 grandchildren.

Steven has worked in the pre-need funeral business for 25 years. He started working with Premier Funeral Services in 2015. He loves his work and enjoys working with and helping families before, during, and after a funeral.

Stevens’s hobbies include serving in the church, racquetball, hiking, and working around the yard.

Megan Bohun, Preneed Specialist

Stephen Rasmussen, Funeral Associate

Chandler Wahlstrom, Funeral Associate

Richard Baxter, Funeral Associate

Aimee Wahlstrom, Funeral Associate

Don Wardle, Funeral Associate

Don began working for Premier Funeral Services in December 2014. He is a graduate of Brigham Young University. Don is a retired Air Force officer and also worked for the Department of Veterans Affairs Regional Office in Salt Lake City, Utah. In total, he has over 30 years of federal service. In between federal jobs, he worked in the coaching division at the headquarters of FranklinCovey in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Don is married with four children, three stepchildren, 12 grandchildren, and four step grandchildren.

Roger Wood, Funeral Associate

Martin Fairbanks, Funeral Associate

Lori Nance, Funeral Associate

Haylee Butler, Funeral Associate

Cornel Thomas, Funeral Associate

Cornel was born in Texas and was adopted at one week old to a couple in Arkansas. From there he has lived in Colorado, Nevada, Alaska, California, New York but has lived the majority of his life in Utah.

Cornel truly enjoys customer service and finds it rewarding to help people during their biggest days in life. He got his start in the funeral industry in 2013 after his mother passed away. He wanted to help others who would have to go through that same journey. Working for several great funeral home's, Cornel is now proud to work for Premier Funeral Services and help serve you in your time of need.

Above all, Cornel enjoys spending time with his wife and 5 kids in Sunset, UT.

Paizleigh Brown, Funeral Associate

Malia Allsop, Funeral Associate

Carol Welch, Funeral Associate

Josh Gregory, Funeral Associate

Kendahl Shoemaker, Funeral Associate

Sela Maumau, Funeral Associate

Raven Rodriguez, Funeral Associate

Ken Card, Funeral Associate

Rivaldo Periche, Funeral Associate

Corri Nielsen, Funeral Associate

Brendin Romney, Funeral Associate

Paul Wright, Funeral Associate

Lloyd Richmond, Funeral Associate