History

Wieting Family Funeral Home has a long history of being family owned and operated. Wieting Funeral Home began in 1953 when Merlin Wieting and Harvey Techman began operating the Techman-Wieting Funeral Home in Hilbert. In 1960 Merlin purchased the Luecker Funeral Home in Brillion, when Fred Luecker retired. In 1972 Wieting Funeral Home became a family corporation when Wayne "Bud" Wieting started working with Merlin, and enrolled in the Mortuary Science Program in Milwaukee. In 1974 Merlin Jr. "Fuzzy" Wieting joined the corporation and entered the Mortuary Science Program in Milwaukee. Upon Bud's graduation in 1975 he began working with his father at the funeral home in Brillion, and doing livery work for the Pfeffer Funeral Home in Chilton, and the Reedsville Co-op

Funeral Home in Reedsville. At the close of 1975 Earl "Bud" Pfeffer wanted to retire and the Chilton funeral home became available for purchase.

On January 1, 1976 the Pfeffer Funeral Home became known as Pfeffer-Wieting Funeral Home, and Bud began managing the Chilton location. In 1977 Fuzzy graduated from mortuary school and began working at the funeral homes in Chilton and Brillion. In 1980 Tim Schneider, who was married to Marla Wieting, entered the Mortuary Science Program in Milwaukee, and upon graduation in 1983 became a part of the family corporation. In 1985 The Reedsville Co-op Funeral Home was purchased and all three locations began operating as Wieting Funeral Home Incorporated. In 1989 Tim wanted to

branch out on his own, so he sold his share of the business back to Bud and Fuzzy. In 1992 Marla (Wieting) Schneider enrolled in the Mortuary Science Program in Milwaukee, and graduated in

1995. She and her husband Ron Michaelis currently own and operate the Schneider-Michaelis Funeral Home in Jefferson, Wisconsin.

In 1995 the corporation known as Wieting Funeral Home Incorporated was restructured into two separate corporations, Wieting Funeral Homes Inc., (Brillion & Reedsville) owned by Fuzzy, and Wieting Funeral Home of Chilton Inc., owned by Bud. This was done to facilitate the ownership of a third generation entering the funeral business. Bud's son, Daniel Wieting, started working at the funeral home in 1995 and in 1999 he entered the Mortuary Science Program in Milwaukee. Upon his graduation in 2001, he became part owner of the Wieting Funeral Home in Chilton.

In November of 2002 the construction of a new funeral home began in Kiel. The construction was

completed in October of 2003. It was at this time that Wieting Funeral Home of Chilton became Wieting Family Funeral Home in order to recall our long and storied history as a family of funeral directors.

Bud and Barb's hard work and dedication to the funeral industry served as a model for how a family owned funeral home should be operated. Their expertise and insight was passed on to their son and daughter-in-law, Daniel and Jamie Wieting who now operate Wieting Family Funeral Home since 2013 and began a remodeling project at the funeral home in Chilton in 2015.

In 2016, Ameriquip went through a large expansion in their Kiel manufacturing facility. This expansion included the razing of the location in Kiel, making way for hundreds of new jobs in Kiel.

The remodeling project of the Chilton location was completed in October of 2016. The expansion included the addition of an elevator, dining hall, and relaxing lounges for families to utilize.