In 1901 Adam Klein founded Klein's Furniture & Undertaking which was located on West Park Street in Two Rivers. It was common in the early 1900's to have a combination furniture store and funeral home under the same ownership. In 1929 Edwin Klein, Adam Klein's son, moved to Two Rivers and established "Klein's Funeral Service." Two years later in 1931 Emil Stangel joined the firm and it became known as "Klein & Stangel Funeral Home." The present funeral home was built in 1928, with a major addition to the building being completed in 1964. To meet the needs of the community an expanded parking facility was constructed in 1995, with a Veteran's Memorial Monument and flag donated on Veteran's day of the same year.
Wayne Sanville, Edwin Klein's nephew, began employment at the funeral home in 1950. He served in the Korean Conflict and then returned to the firm on a full-time basis after completing his mortuary education in Milwaukee. Jack Broderick, also a licensed funeral director, joined the firm in 1957 after also completing his education in Milwaukee. Emil Stangel died in 1965 and Edwin Klein died in 1987.
In 1992 the ownership of the Klein & Stangel Funeral Home was acquired by Steven Pfeffer and Clyde "Skip" Pfeffer, both of whom are licensed Funeral Directors since the 1970's where they began their careers in funeral service with the Pfeffer Funeral Home of Manitowoc. Also actively engaged in the funeral home operations are Jack Broderick (1957), Jon Ruhbusch, Sarah Seifert.
While the physical structure and the personnel of the funeral home changed since 1901, our basic concept and dedication to serve families in a courteous, sensitive and caring manner has not changed and never will change. Our firm pledges that our present and future years will be governed by our original motto: "A Tradition of Caring Since 1901."
We believe in the value of the traditional full-service funeral. We believe that THE FUNERAL; Helps confirm the reality and finality of death; Provides a climate for mourning and the expression of grief; Allows the sorrows of one to become the sorrows of many; Is one of the few times love is given and not expected in return; Is a vehicle for the community to pay its respects; Encourages the affirmation of religious faith; Is a declaration that a life has been lived as well as a sociological statement that a death has occurred.
While we believe in the value of the traditional full-service funeral, we realize that there are those for one reason or another who desire less than such. That is why our firm offers all of the alternatives to a full-service funeral. We consider ourselves as a full-service funeral home offering the community their choice of funeral arrangements.
We invite you to discuss freely and frankly with us any questions you may have regarding any and all aspects of the funeral including our services and our fees. Funeral directors serve best when such service is based on a mutual understanding between them and those who seek their services. This should prevail during the arrangements for the funeral and until all the needs and desires of the survivors have been satisfied.
We wish to accommodate our families in every way possible. It is our sincere hope that those we are fortunate to serve always remain our closet friends. It is with these thoughts in mind that we are ever so grateful to the families we serve.
