Our Staff

Our staff is committed to providing support, compassion, information, and direction as needed to all members of our community, their families, and friends who are dealing with loss and grief.

Creech's Funeral Home, Wainwright Funeral Services LTD.

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Todd Creech Owner/Licensed Director/Embalmer
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Chery Southoff Licensed Funeral Director/Embalmer
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Sarah Ingram Licensed Funeral Director/Embalmer
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Vic Callaghan Funeral Attendant
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Brent Woodward Funeral Attendant
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Jen Miller Funeral Attendant

Creech's Lakeland

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Harry Creech Licensed Director/Embalmer/Crematorium Manager
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Alva Creech Licensed Funeral Director
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Kim Shimko (nee Creech) Funeral Director/Crematorium Operator
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Karen Selte Licensed Funeral Director/Embalmer
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Miranda Lychak Administration
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Barry Roth Crematorium Operator/Funeral Attendant
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Diane Roth Funeral Attendant
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Ron Roth Funeral Attendant
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Roger Oldenburg Funeral Attendant
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Lisa Rochford Funeral Attendant/After Care

Todd Creech

Owner/Licensed Director/Embalmer
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Born in Lloydminster and raised in Wainwright, Todd is a licensed funeral director and embalmer. Todd began assisting around the funeral home at a young age and has been actively involved in the funeral profession on a full time basis for the past 29 years. In 1989 Todd began his apprenticeship with Snodgrass Funeral Home in High River, Alberta and graduated from the Alberta School of Mortuary Science in 1991.  Todd has two sons, Brett born in July of 2000 and Brydon born in January of 2005.  In June of 2009 Todd purchased the Wainwright location from Harry and Alva. 

Things to ponder: Todd's choice of casket is the Solid Bronze with the Stainless Steel vault.

Todd thinks it would be fitting for his epitaph to read:  Do not look here for what I've done, look around you.

Chery Southoff

Licensed Funeral Director/Embalmer
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Chery was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba in the early 70's and lived with her parents, Dan & Penny, and siblings, Sean & Jill in the following towns: Atikokan, ON; Fort McMurray, AB; Clearwater, BC; and Crowsnest Pass, AB.  As a wife and mom, she lived in Pincher Creek, Whitecourt, Metiskow and Provost, AB. With all these travels and new homes she is ever-grateful to settle in the quaint town of Czar with her fiancè, Troy, as it is a community of generational families; which comes with great stories and a loyalty like no other.  Her children, Courtney & Kayce, are now planting their own roots with their beaus but enjoy coming back "home" for good visits as schedules allow.

As far as passions outside of working hours; Chery enjoys: photography, art, cooking/baking, arts & crafts, church, Jesus, reading, hot baths and journalling...as well as all the quintessential activities that make rural, small towns unique and valuable: walks through the pasture, feeding the cows, Canasta with Grandma, harvesting the garden, preserving said harvest, sharing preserves with many!

In serving the community of Wainwright through death-care, Chery is eager to learn the "brand" that makes Creech's Funeral Home your go-to people in your time of need, as well as learn about the heartbeat of Wainwright through the people and families that would be the fiber of its core.

Things to ponder: Chery wants a full-casket burial with a red steel casket (as most of her vehicles have been red) surrounded and nearly covered in flowers.

A good epitaph for her might be:  Changed by grace ! 

Sarah Ingram

Licensed Funeral Director/Embalmer
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Sarah, the young lady who traveled across Canada to find her calling at Creech's Funeral Home!  Sarah was born in Belleville, Ontario and at 25 years of age (with all courage and brevity it takes to make a solo voyage across the country!!) made her way to Wainwright.  She has now been in Wainwright for 4 years and is enjoying calling it home.  Sarah continues to live out her adventurous spirit in taking a leap of faith to apply at Creech's because the death-care profession isn't part of her roots and was a huge change from previous work experience of construction and customer service.  However, the care and compassion required to find success in serving our community through death-care is an intrinsic part of who she is. She demonstrates her teachable spirit and determination by the hard-work and time she's investing into her Funeral Directing & Embalming studies, as well as how she applies them to all facets of her work.  When she has completed her studies and has a few extra minutes to relax and play, we will update this page with her passions and hobbies.
 
Creech's Funeral Home is honoured to have Sarah apprentice through them as they recognize the value of teaching her their own bad habits *smiles* just kidding; we are honoured because we know she has been a valuable asset to our team thus far and as she works on her licensing, is continuing to develop all the characteristics to be a helpful funeral director. 
 
Things to ponder:  Sarah is interested in organ donation and then burial in a mahogany wood casket.
 
Sarah thinks a great epitaph on her monument would be: Here lies the shell, the nut is gone.

Vic Callaghan

Funeral Attendant
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Victor Callaghan, best known as Vic, married his sweetheart, Betty on July 22, 1967.  This union was blessed with three children; one son and two daughters.  Now their family has grown to include seven grandchildren.  Vic began assisting the Creech's family with their funeral home in Wainwright years ago.  Through the years, he has been an asset to the team and today is still the go-to man for Creech's Funeral Home but more than that, he has become a dear friend.

Brent Woodward

Funeral Attendant
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Brent was born and raised in Wainwright.  He married Sharon Thompson in 1998 and they have two children, Levi and Cheyene.  Brent has been helping at Creech's Funeral Home for 10 years now.  He is a true people person who can visit with anyone, which makes him a real asset.  The thing Brent is most proud of is that he is younger than Todd, by 1 month and 3 days to be exact.

Jen Miller

Funeral Attendant
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Harry Creech

Licensed Director/Embalmer/Crematorium Manager
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Harry began working in the funeral business at the age of 15. He apprenticed and received his license in 1971 and has been a practicing Funeral Director/Embalmer since that time. Harry served on the Alberta Funeral Service Association for 10 years and was president for two of those years. Harry was elected to the first Alberta Funeral Services Regulatory Board.

Alva Creech

Licensed Funeral Director
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Alva was Born in Vermilion,  the daughter of John and Barbara Nelson of the Allendale district. Alva is a licensed Funeral Director since 1991. She is an integral part of our team and our key funeral arrangement professional at our Vermilion and Lloydminster locations.

Kim Shimko (nee Creech)

Funeral Director/Crematorium Operator
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Kim is a licensed Funeral Director and a crematory operator for Creech's Funeral Home and Crematorium in Vermilion, Alberta. Kim also works at the Crossroads Funeral Chapel in Vermilion. Kim is married to Craig Shimko. Kim, Craig and their 2 children, Madison and Jaxon live in Vermilion where Craig is the Manager/co-owner of Midwest Auto Supply.

Karen Selte

Licensed Funeral Director/Embalmer
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Karen  is a Funeral Director and Embalmer for Creech's Funeral Home, Vermilion and Lloydminster. Karen is the eldest daughter of Roger and Sonia Oldenburg, and grew up on a farm Southeast of Vermilion. Being born and raised here, she attended St.Jerome's Catholic School and then attended Lakeland College in Lloydminster.

Always having a passion in the human services, she started working in the healthcare profession at the Alice Keith Nursing Home as a Personal Care Aide and then went on to become a Medical Laboratory Assistant, where she worked until the summer of 2015.  It was at this time that she resigned from the Laboratory so she could persue a fulltime career in funeral services. Karen demonstrated her passion and dedication to her job wihile she balanced a family, work and school. She now holds a diploma in Funeral Services which was achieved through Mount Royal University in Calgary.

Karen married Durwin Selte, also of Vermilion. They have three children, Rhyan, Ashton and Tenley. Durwin and Karen own and operate a construction company, Selte Enterprises Ltd., which keeps Durwin very busy. The kids are very active in sports, especially hockey, which keeps Karen and Durwin hopping. When they aren't tied up chasing the kids around they love taking time away to enjoy camping and boating with the kids, as well as love trying to squeeze in an annual spring trip to Las Vegas.

Karen is very proud of where her roots are and is very called and honoured to call Vermilion home. She looks forward to serving the families of the Vermilion and surrounding areas bringing a professional, and positive attitude to the work place.

Things to ponder:  Karen wants a full-casket traditional service with Black Onyx metal casket when necessary. She hasn't thought about an epitaph before, but now that we ask:  The most beautiful things are felt in the heart.

Miranda Lychak

Administration
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Barry Roth

Crematorium Operator/Funeral Attendant
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Diane Roth

Funeral Attendant
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Ron Roth

Funeral Attendant
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Roger Oldenburg

Funeral Attendant
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Lisa Rochford

Funeral Attendant/After Care
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