Meet Our Caring Team

Joe Braun was born in Minot but his family moved to Bismarck while Joe was in elementary school. He graduated from Bismarck High School in 1990. He then graduated from Bismarck State College and attended Mount Hood Community College in Portland, Oregon. Joe began working at Eastgate Funeral Service right after high school. After completing his degree in mortuary science at Mt. Hood, he returned to Bismarck and became a Licensed Funeral Director in 1995. During his career, Joe has served as SW District Governor for the NDFDA. Funeral service has many challenges, and Joe is satisfied knowing that he has the experience and knowledge to answer families’ questions and to help them through a most difficult time.

Doug Brown was born in North Dakota and grew up in Larimore where his father was also a funeral director. After graduating from high school in 1987, Doug attended the University of North Dakota before going on to the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis, where he received his bachelor's degree in mortuary science.

Doug moved to Bismarck and has been with Eastgate/Parkway Funeral Service since 1991. Despite being raised in a funeral service family, Doug still had choices available to him for a career. For Doug, funeral service presented the opportunity to minister to a family's needs and also to help answer the bigger spiritual questions surrounding life and death.

Mark Scanson was born and raised in North Dakota and graduated from Century High School in 1991. He attended ND State School of Science and Bismarck State College before attending Mt. Hood Community College in Portland, OR, where he graduated with his mortuary science degree.

Mark actually began working at Eastgate while in high school, and after returning to Bismarck, he began working as a licensed funeral director in 1996. Mark has been a part of the Eastgate family for over 20 years and wants to care for other families in the service he provides.

Amy Miller Svalen was born and raised in Minot, graduating from Minot High School in 1993.  She started working at a funeral home while still in high school and continued while attending Minot State University and when coming home during breaks while a student at the University of Minnesota.  She graduated with a degree in Mortuary Science from the Commonwealth Institute of Funeral Service in Houston, TX, in 1996. After graduation, she returned to Minot, working as a licensed funeral director until 2004, when she decided to pursue other occupations as her family was growing. Amy and her family moved to Bismarck in 2010. She is a past business owner and also worked in Long Term Care as a Life Enrichment Director and Memory Care Director for nine years. She returned to funeral service as a member of the Eastgate/Parkway team in April of 2019 as a Licensed Funeral Director.

Ashlee Bodvig was born in North Dakota and has always had a heart for service. After graduating from Linton High School in 2003, she continued her education at Moorhead State University. Ashlee completed her mortuary science degree at the University of Minnesota and has been working as a funeral director with Eastgate and Parkway Funeral & Cremation Services for several years.

For Ashlee, being in the funeral service fulfills her desire to meet each family’s individual and unique needs. She strives to provide support and comfort to individuals and families as they journey through loss.

Floyd is originally from Rhinelander, Wisconsin. He graduated from Milwaukee Area Technical College in 1988 and is currently licensed as a funeral director in both Minnesota and North Dakota. Floyd has had a wide variety of experiences providing compassionate funeral and cremation care to families.

Community and charity involvement is very important to Floyd, and he is always looking for ways to go above and beyond in serving those around him. Floyd has three daughters and one Standard Poodle. In his free time, he enjoys metal detecting, hiking, dog walking and training, and going to tractor pulls.

Nadine was born and raised in Braddock. After high school, she attended the University of North Dakota to study aviation sciences and then completed her B.S. in management and M.B.A. at the University of Mary, Bismarck. She has enjoyed rewarding career opportunities: a thirteen-year management career within the hospitality industry, a seven-year airport operations career, and a nine-year management career within the retirement community industry. As an eighteen-year-old, Nadine was intrigued by the funeral industry after meeting a Canadian friend who was studying to become a funeral director while working at the International Music Camp. There were no educational opportunities in North Dakota to pursue a career in the funeral service industry at that time. It wasn’t until experiencing the death of family members that it became clear “the time is now” to follow her passion. She obtained her Mortuary Science degree at the Commonwealth Institute of Funeral Service, Houston, Texas.

Nadine is the mother of two daughters and grandmother to three grandchildren. Outside of work, her life is enriched by living on a ranch. She enjoys all things about a horse and has seven of her own. Her other interests include reading, cooking, golfing and writing a book.

Lois was born in Bismarck and raised in Sterling, ND.  After the death of her parents and husband, she had a desire to pursue a career in funeral service. Lois went back to school and attended Cypress College in Cypress CA, earning a degree in mortuary science. Funeral service has given Lois heartfelt gratitude guiding families during their time of loss. 

Shantel Jangula was born in Bismarck and spent time growing up in Napoleon before her family moved to Mandan. She attended school and graduated from Mandan High School in 2018. She began her career with Eastgate & Parkway Funeral Service in 2019 as the Office Manager and has enjoyed every day since. Shantel graduated from Des Moines Area Community College in 2022 and became a Licensed Funeral Director in January of 2023. She knew from a young age that she wanted to pursue a career in funeral service and assist families through their grief journey. When working with a family, it is important to her that the family's wishes are welcomed, heard, valued, and supported. Her pastimes include spending time at the lake cabin, reading, baking, and catching up with friends over lunch.

Bob Eastgate was born in Bismarck, graduating from Bismarck High School in 1976. After attending Bismarck Junior College for two years, Bob completed his schooling at Mount Hood Community College. Upon returning to Bismarck, Bob began his work in funeral service with his father, Chuck, and purchased the business in 2000. Throughout his career, the goal has been to help families heal after experiencing loss and to serve with dignity and compassion. “I am very proud of our staff, and the privilege to serve families in our community. We consider it a sacred duty to help families celebrate a life lived.”

Aanders Jackson was born in 1962 in Breckenridge, MN. Following his graduation from high school, Aanders attended and graduated from North Dakota State University and the University of Minnesota in 1984. He moved to Bismarck in 1986 and began working at Eastgate Funeral Service in 1988. Aanders served for a number of years in the NDFDA and as its president in 2000. Aanders has been an important member of the staff at Eastgate/Parkway Funeral Service; in addition to his work as a funeral director, he is also a certified crematory operator.

LeiLani is from Bismarck. After graduating from Legacy High School, she earned a bachelor's degree in forensic science from the University of North Dakota. In 2024, she graduated from the University of Minnesota with a degree in mortuary science. She initially began working at Eastgate as a Funeral Assistant during the summers. LeiLani is honored to serve her community and walk alongside families as they go through one of life's most challenging moments.

Outside of work, LeiLani enjoys going to the lake and spending time with family, friends, and her dog. She also loves traveling to see new places and meet new people.

Brenda Bergan began employment with Eastgate/Parkway Funeral Service in August 2014. She is the Aftercare Coordinator and oversees the LOTUS (Looking Onward to Understanding and Serenity), Healing Hearts, Sea Glass and SOS (Sounds of Silence) grief support programs for our bereaved family members. Brenda also makes home visits for grief support to the families served by Eastgate/Parkway. 

Formerly, Brenda was a facilitator and presenter for Medcenter One’s Good Grief program and initiated the SOS suicide support program in January of 2007, which currently serves many families who have had loved ones end their lives due to suicide. One of her strengths is her ability to network with other community agencies to find solutions when families are challenged by life struggles. Brenda has also found yoga instruction to be helpful for creating peace in her busy world and enjoys teaching others the practice of yoga. 

Allison was born in Mayville, ND, and has lived in Bismarck since 1988. She is married to Joe Braun, a Licensed Funeral Director here at Eastgate and Parkway. Allison worked as an insurance producer for many years and most recently served as an account executive for iHeart Media in Bismarck.

In her free time, Allison and Joe love spending time with their grandkids and golfing.

Taylor LaFournaise is a dedicated Office Manager at Eastgate/Parkway Funeral Service. Originally from Sawyer, North Dakota, Taylor brings a strong work ethic and a commitment to providing exceptional service to families. With multiple years of experience at Eastgate/Parkway, she is passionate about supporting the team and ensuring a smooth experience for the families during difficult times. 

Kelsey is a Bismarck native and a proud graduate of Bismarck High School. She furthered her education by earning an associate Degree from Bismarck State College of Arts and Science. 

Kelsey possesses a unique blend of skills, including a strong work ethic and a surprising passion for organization. She is a graduate of the Institute of Integrated Nutrition for Health and Life Coaches. 

When not at work, Kelsey cherishes spending time with her family, especially enjoying the outdoors at their lake cabin. She is devoted to raising her young family and finds strength in her faith. 

Roberta Unterseher was born in Bismarck, North Dakota, and has been a dedicated member of the local community for many years. Although she spent her childhood in the nearby town of Pick City, North Dakota, where she lived for a decade, Roberta has called the Bismarck area home since 1987. Her connection to the area runs deep, having attended Mandan High School and graduating in 1990. 

Following her high school graduation, Roberta pursued higher education at both the University of Mary and Bismarck State College, where she honed the skills and knowledge that would shape her diverse career. While her academic journey laid the foundation for her professional endeavors, it was the variety of life experiences she accumulated over the years that truly defined her path. 

Outside of her career, Roberta enjoys spending time with her husband, adult twin sons, and her beloved dogs. Roberta also enjoys contributing to the local community through volunteering.