About Us

The trusted name for a dignified funeral memorial in Matamata

Our professional staff are respectful of your needs and will make arrangements for you to give your loved one a dignified goodbye. We are fully aware of how painful and difficult death is, so we are compassionate and sensitive to your needs. For a funeral service in Matamata, allow yourself the space to grieve and entrust us with the details. For more information concerning our funeral services in Matamata please feel free to contact us.

Waterson’s Funeral Services first opened in 1922 when Don Waterson and his business partner bought their first hearse and advertised funeral services in the local newspaper.

In the early years, the deceased were usually taken home and services were conducted there – there was rarely a church service and definitely no funeral homes.

In 1940, the Rosa Chapel was built at the urging of Don’s wife (Rosa), who saw that people had drifted away from their churches. A resurgence of church building in Matamata in the 1960s saw church funerals again become more popular, with bigger facilities on offer. The mortuary was built around 1980, with the current funeral complex building being erected in 1995.

At the time of selling the business in 2006, an article published in the Matamata Chronicle quoted Graeme Waterson (Don and Rosa’s son) as saying there was more to being a funeral director than organizing the practical details. Their role was to assist the family with the grieving process, allowing people to grieve in their own way while offering support and contacts for the family to talk to.

This compassionate, personal and friendly manner has been retained and is paramount to the team today. Graeme still has an active role in the business and both he and Fay still own Waterson’s Monumental Services.

Matamata’s Waterson’s Funeral Service is one of three funeral service sites in the business division owned by the Bestwick’s. Waterson’s Funeral Services in Putaruru, and Waterson’s & Boyd Funeral Services in Te Aroha. The Waterson’s team are, Ray & Pam Bestwick,  Isla Smith, David Espin, and Graeme & Fay Waterson.

As funerals can be a stressful time, it is understandable that families can sometimes forget information that the funeral director has offered. It is our sincere hope that the information on this site will fill in some of the gaps and provide you with helpful information.