Summer Memorials is proud to welcome Graveside Memorials to our family, continuing trusted care for Saskatoon families.Visit us at our new office at 202 33rd St E, Saskatoon, SK S7K 0S3.
October 22, 2026
A trusted local name isn’t built overnight. It grows through decades of craftsmanship, honest guidance, and families who remember how they were treated during some of life’s most personal moments. That is the legacy Graveside Memorial has built in Saskatoon since the 1960s.
Now, that story is entering a new chapter. Graveside Memorial has become part of the Summit group of companies, bringing together a longstanding Saskatoon legacy with Summit Memorials‘ broader range of products, services, and memorial expertise. The name, history, and relationships behind Graveside still matter. So does what comes next.
In this article, we’ll explain what this transition means for Saskatoon families and how two trusted names are moving forward together.
Graveside Memorial is now part of the Summit group of companies, bringing its longstanding Saskatoon presence together with Summit Memorials’ complete range of memorial products and services. The acquisition was finalized on July 6, marking a new chapter for a business that has served Saskatchewan families since the 1960s. For families in Saskatoon and the surrounding area, the transition brings continuity, expanded options, and the combined experience behind both names.
But this story didn’t begin with an acquisition. It began more than six decades ago with Joe Ottenbreit and a straightforward belief about how families should be treated when choosing a memorial. Give them space. Give them honest information. Let them make decisions when they are ready.
That philosophy helped Graveside earn trust one family at a time. Much of the company’s business grew through word of mouth and referrals from previous customers, which says something important about the reputation behind the name. Trust had to be earned through the experience families received and the memorials created for them.
Graveside Memorial’s Saskatoon legacy began in the 1960s under the ownership and operation of the Ottenbreit family. Founder Joe Ottenbreit built the company around quality granite memorials, fair pricing, respect for families’ privacy, and clear education about materials, procedures, and design choices. Those principles helped shape a business that continued serving Saskatchewan families for decades.
One belief stood out from the beginning: families shouldn’t be pressured before they are ready. Graveside did not build its reputation by chasing people with unsolicited phone calls or sales packages. The approach was quieter and more respectful.
When families came forward, the responsibility was to help them understand their choices. Different granites. Different designs. Different engraving techniques and procedures. The goal wasn’t simply to make a sale, it was to help people make a decision they could feel completely satisfied with.
Andy Ottenbreit continues as a memorial counsellor with Summit Memorials following the acquisition of Graveside Memorial. His continued presence provides an important connection between the Ottenbreit family’s longstanding history in Saskatoon and the next chapter of the business within the Summit group. For families who know the Graveside name, that continuity carries real meaning.
A business can change ownership, but relationships and local knowledge don’t have to disappear with it. Andy brings years of familiarity with the families, community, and values that shaped Graveside’s reputation. That experience now continues as part of the broader Summit team.
There is something fitting about that. The company is moving forward, but an important part of its history is moving forward with it. The legacy isn’t being left behind. It is being carried into what comes next.
For Saskatoon families, the relationship between Summit Memorials and Graveside Memorial means continued access to a trusted local memorial business alongside Summit’s complete range of products, services, design expertise, and craftsmanship. The Graveside location will serve as the consolidated Saskatoon office, bringing the two operations together in one established location. Families can expect continuity in local service while gaining access to the broader capabilities of the Summit group.
That is the practical side of the story. The more important side is how families are treated. Choosing a memorial is personal, and no acquisition should change the need for patience, honest information, careful listening, and respect for the family’s timing.
The strongest parts of Graveside’s philosophy fit naturally with Summit’s own commitment to compassion, integrity, excellence, and community. Different histories have come together, but the responsibility remains the same: listen carefully, explain options clearly, and create memorials worthy of the lives they represent.
Saskatoon families can now access Summit Memorials’ complete line of products and services through Graveside Memorial as part of the Summit group of companies. This brings together Graveside’s longstanding local presence with Summit’s broader memorial expertise, design capabilities, and range of options. The result is greater choice for families without losing sight of the personal guidance that has always mattered in memorial creation.
More options should never make an already personal decision feel more complicated. The real value comes from having experienced people who can explain the differences between materials, designs, engraving techniques, personalization choices, and cemetery requirements in clear language. Families should be able to understand what they are choosing, why it is right for them, and whether it meets the requirements of their chosen cemetery.
Cemetery rules can vary depending on the location, section, memorial type, and installation requirements. The City of Saskatoon provides information about its municipal cemeteries and related services, giving local families an authoritative starting point when considering cemetery arrangements. Experienced memorial guidance can then help families understand how those practical requirements relate to the design and installation of the tribute they have in mind.
Graveside Memorial and Summit Memorials are bringing their Saskatoon operations together at the established Graveside location. As part of the transition, Summit’s existing Saskatoon office is being consolidated into the Graveside location, creating one place where families can access the combined products, services, and expertise of both names. This allows the Graveside legacy to remain rooted in the community while moving forward as part of the Summit group.
For families, the change is intended to make the relationship clearer and the experience more connected. The Graveside name remains an important part of the story, particularly because of its history in Saskatoon and the trust built by the Ottenbreit family over decades. Summit brings additional capabilities to that foundation.
This is not about erasing one name to make room for another. It is about bringing two histories together in a way that respects where Graveside came from and strengthens what can be offered to Saskatoon families going forward.
Respect, honest guidance, quality craftsmanship, and giving families the space to make decisions when they are ready will remain at the heart of the Graveside experience. These principles helped shape the company’s reputation in Saskatoon and closely align with Summit Memorials’ commitment to compassion, integrity, excellence, and community. Moving forward together should strengthen those values, not replace them.
That matters because choosing a memorial is unlike most other decisions. Families may arrive knowing exactly what they want, or they may not know where to begin. Some need time. Others need clear answers before they can feel comfortable moving ahead.
The role of an experienced memorial counsellor is to meet families where they are. Explain the possibilities. Answer difficult questions honestly. Give guidance when it is needed and space when it is not. That kind of service cannot be reduced to a brochure or product catalogue.
Summit Memorials and Graveside Memorial are carrying a trusted Saskatoon legacy forward by combining decades of local history with expanded memorial products, services, design expertise, and craftsmanship. Graveside’s story began with the Ottenbreit family in the 1960s, and its next chapter now continues as part of the Summit group of companies. With Andy Ottenbreit remaining as a memorial counsellor, an important connection to that history remains in place.
There is real history behind the Graveside name. Families have trusted the company with deeply personal decisions for generations, and much of that reputation was built through word of mouth and referrals from people who had already experienced its service. That kind of trust deserves to be respected.
And there is real opportunity in what comes next. By bringing Summit and Graveside together, Saskatoon families can access broader capabilities while continuing to receive the personal guidance that meaningful memorial decisions require. Two names. One shared responsibility. Help families remember the people who mattered most with care, dignity, and craftsmanship.
With decades of experience, Summit Memorials combines traditional craftsmanship with modern design and engraving techniques to create granite memorials that preserve lives, memories, and family legacies. Our work is grounded in compassion, integrity, excellence, and community, with clear guidance that helps families understand their options and move forward with confidence when they are ready.
With the acquisition of Graveside Memorial, Summit is bringing its complete line of memorial products and services to families in Saskatoon and the surrounding area while respecting the local legacy built there since the 1960s. From personal consultation and custom design to expert craftsmanship and installation, our commitment remains the same: to create meaningful memorials with the quality, care, and permanence such an important tribute deserves.
If you are considering a memorial in Saskatoon or the surrounding area, the Summit Memorials team is here to help when you are ready. Whether you have a clear vision or simply need someone to explain the options available, our team can provide thoughtful guidance through the design and memorial selection process. Contact us to ask questions, discuss your ideas, or begin creating a lasting tribute for someone who mattered deeply.
