On May 15th, Oakcrest Funeral Services received the Iowa Award of Funeral Service Excellence at the 139th Annual Iowa Funeral Directors Association (IFDA) Convention at the Prairie Meadows Hotel & Conference Center in Altoona, Iowa. 

This is always a proud highlight of our year! The Iowa Award of Funeral Service Excellence recognizes a funeral home’s exemplary service to the community it serves. Oakcrest Funeral Services, which has been serving Algona and the surrounding communities for 83 years, was one of 13 funeral homes from throughout the state to receive the award. It is the 29th year our funeral home has been recognized by peers for this achievement and we’ve received this award more than any other funeral home in Iowa. To qualify, a funeral home must excel in four of five areas: presentation of public information, active membership in the state association, sponsorship of community events or services, professional development, and personal development. These achievements are highlighted in a scrapbook each year, which we proudly display at our funeral home in Algona. Thank you to Karen Schaaf for compiling the information throughout the year and creating the scrapbook!

This year’s Annual IFDA Convention featured highly regarded local and national funeral service speakers who presented on a variety of topics related to the funeral service profession. The Annual IFDA Convention provides funeral directors with a forum to receive and exchange information so they may return home with new ideas that will allow them to better serve the families in their communities. 

IFDA represents over 700 Iowa licensed funeral directors and 425 funeral home establishments throughout the state. The mission of the Iowa Funeral Directors Association is to promote and support funeral service excellence. To that end, IFDA promotes high standards within the field of funeral service through continuing education programs, legislative representation, and service to Iowa communities. For more information, please visit www.iafda.org. 

Photo: Oakcrest Funeral Services of Algona received the Award of Excellence in Funeral Service for the 29th year during the 139th Annual Iowa Funeral Directors Association Convention in May. L to R: IFDA Immediate Past President Bill Armstrong, Michael Schaaf, Karen Schaaf, and Rick Murphy of Oakcrest Funeral Services.