Our History

The original furniture store and undertaking business was founded by Herman Hartz and Halvor Dahl in 1893 and they were partners under the name of Bartz and Dahl until 1916. At that time it became Dahl and Schroeder when Oscar G. Schroeder became a partner with Dahl from 1916 to 1933.

Up until the year of 1923, all funerals were held either in the churches or the private homes. But in 1923 a fire destroyed the first furniture store along with a café, meat market, and hardware store, four buildings along south 4th street, and when the new furniture store was built, a place was provided for funerals that were not held in churches. This space was located on the third floor of the new furniture store. In 1933 Monrad Houg became a partner of O.G. Schroeder and the business went under the name of Schroeder and Houg. This name continued until 1967 because in 1946 O.J. Schroeder joined the firm and became a full partner in 1959.

In 1963 a new funeral home was built at 207 South School street in St. Ansgar. Monrad Houg retired in 1967 and new partner, Ward A. Dunn, joined Oscar J. Schroeder and it became Schroeder and Dunn. Melvin J. Schroeder joined the firm in 1976. From 1978 until 1981 the business was run under the name of Schroeder.

With the retirement of O.J. Schroeder in 1981, Melvin J. Schroeder and H. Eugene Sites became partners in the funeral and furniture business under the name of Schroeder & Sites, Inc.

In 1988, Schroeder & Sites, Inc. expanded their funeral business by building and establishing a funeral home in Northwood, Iowa.

In 1999 Schroeder & Sites, Inc. purchased Hatten & Sons in Stacyville, and started serving the communities of Stacyville and Meyer.

In 2000 Schroeder & Sites, Inc. sold the furniture, floor laying and picture framing store on 4th street.

A remodel was completed in 2001 at the 207 South School Street location. In September of 2010 Mitchell J. Schroeder joined the funeral home. Later that year in November H. Eugene Sites passed away, leaving the firm to be a father-son team for the third time.

At the end of 2017 Melvin J. Schroeder retired from full time status at the funeral home. In April of 2020 Schroeder & Sites, Inc. purchased Champion-Bucheit Funeral Home in Osage, Iowa. Later in 2020 Schroeder & Sites, Inc. underwent a name change to Schroeder Funeral Homes and Cremation Services.