Hafemeister Funeral Home And Cremation Service

About

*Providing a Personal & Dignified Service*

Story

Hafemeister Funeral Home was established in 1922 by Henry Hafemeister. In the beginning, and until 1999, the funeral home was run in conjunction with a furniture store. Raymond Dobbratz and Roland Harder purchased the business from the Hafemeister family. Roland passed away in 1974 leaving Ray as the sole owner. He sold the business to the Koepsell family in 1999. Richard Nienow, a funeral director with the firm for over 23 years, purchased the business with his wife Ann in 2003.

Rich and Ann currently own and operate the Hafemeister Funeral Home, which offers a broad spectrum of traditional and cremation services, with the assistance of their two sons, Michael, a licensed funeral director and Mark, an apprentice funeral director. Peggy Theder is the secretary and receptionist. There are also five part-time funeral director’s assistants who are available to assist when needed.

In 2001, the building underwent a major renovation, including an addition. Prior to the renovation, portions of the funeral home were not accessible to many of our physically challenged clientele. Space for simultaneous visitations and casket display was not adequate, and the facility did not meet our standards for privacy and comfort. The original funeral home operated in approximately 12,300 sq. ft. The building was once used as a furniture store and funeral home but since the renovation, it is all used as funeral home. This now has been expanded to over 26,000 sq. ft. Some of the improvements include a second chapel, a new entrance to the funeral home, a business office, a 2+car garage, and a unisex, accessible restroom in addition to accessible separate men’s and ladies restrooms. We now offer a lounge area equipped with kitchen facilities to be used during visitations and a play area for children. A new elevator was added to gain access to a new casket selection room located on the second floor, along with a new preparation room that meets our needs and exceeds state regulations. The building also features a sound system to be used during visitations and funeral services. A second lounge located on the second floor adjacent to the selection room can be used for finalizing funeral arrangements. Our facility is totally handicapped accessible. We have a parking lot that will accommodate thirty vehicles plus two handicapped stalls, and a large amount of convenient street parking is available in the area.

Following the renovation, we received the Chamber of Commerce Professional/Service Business of the Year Award for 2001 in recognition of the valuable improvements and our dedication to the downtown business district.

Our expertise is not limited to at-need service. We pride ourselves in providing a pre-need program depending on individual preference. As funeral directors, we work closely with various clergy, cemeteries, fraternal organizations, military groups and the media. If an individual desires to plan every detail, we assist them in fulfilling those wishes. We also offer many ways of pre-financing a funeral for future need. As a funeral home, we do not hold anyone’s money for future needs; rather, in working with individuals, we help him or her decide what type of financial institution or Insurance Corporation would be best suited for them, and assist them in making out a funeral trust with that entity.

We have an established name in the community. The Hafemeister name is recognized as a funeral home offering outstanding professional service and merchandise. In the past as well as today, our staff is involved in numerous civic and social groups as well as religious membership and involvement. We are generous with contributions to local and area fund raising. New referrals to funeral homes are often a “word of mouth” recommendation. For example, we offer our professional services and facility at no charge to a family who has lost an infant. Our advertising dollars are best spent in these areas rather than “big ads” that other retailers or service providers find beneficial.