Werner Harmsen Funeral Home
9/6/24
Tyler Schulz, Spencer Beek, and Wayne Buteyn
Werner Harmsen Expands, Acquires Kratz Smedema Funeral Home
With Decades of Commitment to Waupun Area, Werner Harmsen Expands and Extends Funeral Services to Fox Lake, Cambria, Friesland, Randolph and Beyond
WAUPUN, WIS. (September 6, 2024) — Werner Harmsen Funeral Home, of Waupun, announced today it has purchased Kratz Smedema Funeral Home, with locations in Cambria and Fox Lake.
In 1968 founder Mike Werner opened Werner Harmsen Funeral Home, as well as Werner Harmsen Furniture in downtown Waupun. Today 17 employees support the pair of family-run businesses, including partners Tyler Schulz who joined the team in 2012, Spencer Beek in 2020, and Wayne Buteyn in 1973. Werner Harmsen Funeral Home provides traditional embalmment, cremation, Veteran-specific, graveside and memorial services, as well as personalized pre-planning and in-need funeral support.
“Werner Harmsen has been committed to meeting the funeral and final arrangement needs for families in the greater Waupun area since Mike started the business 56 years ago,” shared Schulz. “With today’s announcement, we’re honored to be able to extend that same level of care and commitment to the communities of Fox Lake, Cambria, Friesland, Randolph and beyond.”
As part of the acquisition former Kratz Smedema owner Lori McConochie, whose father and grandfather operated the funeral home since 1941, will transfer ownership of Kratz Smedema to Werner Harmsen. McConochie will maintain employment with Werner Harmsen as a funeral director, as well as remain active in the Fox Lake and Cambria Fire and EMS teams. McConochie is a native of Fox Lake, Wis., moved to Cambria in 1998, and has served the Fox Lake and Cambria communities since 1996. She earned her Mortuary Science degree from MATC-West Allis.
“It’s never easy to let go of a family business but, without someone to pass the funeral home to, my succession plan meant I needed to find a team that understood the importance of family, was established in their skillset, and will be around for generations to the communities Kratz Smedema served,” explained McConochie. “I’ve found that and more in Werner Harmsen. I’m thankful for their investment to ensure Kratz Smedema families and community members will be well taken care of during their greatest time of need.”
Werner Harmsen will continue to operate out of its existing funeral home location on East Jefferson Street in Waupun and will begin providing services under the Werner Harmsen name at the Kratz Smedema location on Mary Street in Cambria after a minor interior renovation project is complete. Moving forward, locations will be referred to as “Werner Harmsen Funeral Home – Waupun” and “Werner Harmsen Funeral Home – Cambria”. The Kratz Smedema Fox Lake location will be sold to an outside developer.
“Werner Harmsen has always served the Fox Lake community through its Waupun funeral home and we will continue to do so,” added Schulz. “Since Kratz Smedema wasn’t actively using its Fox Lake location to conduct funerals, Lori and the Werner Harmsen team felt it was best to let the building serve a new purpose and sell it. Families in Fox Lake – as well as those in our existing and now expanded service area – can choose which Werner Harmsen Funeral Home location, Waupun or Cambria, works best for their needs.”
Werner Harmsen Funeral Home attends to families from any community within the region but, with the Kratz Smedema acquisition, its core service area will expand around Waupun and extend from Lamartine and Oakfield to Burnett and Beaver Dam, Fox Lake and Randolph to Cambria and Friesland, and Manchester to Brandon and Alto.
Individuals or families who had pre arrangements secured with Kratz Smedema have been contacted via mail by Werner Harmsen to transfer and review their plans. To contact Werner Harmsen Funeral Home at either the Waupun or Cambria location, please call (920) 324-3071 or visit wernerharmsenfuneralhome.com/connect.
Werner Harmsen Funeral Home will host a community open house at the Cambria location this fall. The open house will allow residents to meet the entire team of Werner Harmsen funeral directors and view the updated interior of the Cambria funeral home location. Open house information will be announced once details are finalized.
To learn more about the Werner Harmsen Funeral Home, its history, or the services it provides, please visit wernerharmsenfuneralhome.com.
About Werner Harmsen Funeral Home
Established in 1968 Werner Harmsen Funeral Home provides pre-planning, immediate need, and aftercare services to families planning for —or finding themselves in need of— funeral services. Traditional embalming, cremation, memorial, visitation, graveside and Veteran-specific services, as well as personalized funeral planning, are available at the Werner Harmsen Funeral Home with locations in Waupun and Cambria, Wis.
