Our Proud History

For over 120 years, we have been providing the highest quality of funeral service to families of the Greater Milwaukee Area. This proud heritage of service is due to the confidence and trust placed in us by the families we serve. We continue to remain one of the largest providers of funeral service in the state of Wisconsin. The following is a brief history of our past 120 years.

The Year 1887

In Milwaukee, John F. Schmidt, along with his nephew, John G. Schmidt, established the John F. Schmidt Undertaking & Livery Service Co. In the same year, Martin and William Hilgendorf started their Livery Service and a partnership was formed in 1889.

The Year 1896

In Menomonee Falls, Ed and Albert Schmidt (brothers) added funeral and ambulance service to their already established furniture business. This company was known as A.A. Schmidt & Sons and was located at the corner of Roosevelt Drive and Appleton Avenue. Over the years the furniture and ambulance service portions of the business were phased out.

The Years 1922 - 1928

Louis F. Bartelt entered into a partnership with John G. Schmidt to form the Schmidt & Bartelt Funeral Home then located at 1415 W. Vliet Street, Milwaukee. In 1928, they moved to their new location in Milwaukee at 5050 W. Vliet Street, where Willmer G. Schmidt, son of A. A. Schmidt from Menomonee Falls, joined the partnership.

The Years 1961 - 1968

The Charles Gerber Funeral Home, which was also established in 1887 and was then, located at 10121 W. North Ave. in Wauwatosa, merged with Schmidt & Bartelt. We continue to operate from this location today.

In 1968, Schmidt & Bartelt purchased the O’Boyle-O’Brien Lakeshore Funeral Home at 106 W. Silver Spring Drive in Whitefish Bay, where we continue operations today.

The Years 1976 - 1988

In 1976, Schmidt & Bartelt, through its affiliate A. A. Schmidt & Sons of Menomonee Falls, built a new funeral home in Sussex at the corners of Hwy 164 and VV.

In 1979, Guardalabene & Amato Funeral Home, then located at 2001 N. Holton Street in Milwaukee, merged with Schmidt & Bartelt.

In 1988, Notbohm Funeral Home and the Kreutzmann Funeral Home both in Oconomowoc merged with Schmidt & Bartelt and are being operated as Schmidt & Bartelt – Notbohm – Kreutzmann Funeral Home at 121 S. Cross Street in Oconomowoc.

The Years 1991

Schmidt & Bartelt purchased the funeral home property and building of Philip J. Weiss Funeral Home at 10280 N. Port Washington Road in Mequon, where we currently operate today.

The Year 1994

Schmidt & Bartelt purchased and subsequently remodeled the Van Valin Funeral Home at 315 Main Street in Mukwonago.

The Year 1996

Schmidt & Bartelt completed construction and commenced operation of a new funeral home and crematory facility in Menomonee Falls located at the corner of Town Hall and Menomonee Avenue.

The Present

The guiding force in the development of Schmidt & Bartelt, as it is today, is largely due to the foresight of Willmer G. Schmidt, second-generation funeral director/owner. Mr. Schmidt continued to operate A.A. Schmidt & Sons, which was his father’s in Menomonee Falls until his death in 1978. His late son, W. Grant Schmidt, carried on the proud tradition started by his grandfather as the business grew from four locations to the present seven, today. The service that families have come to expect continues today with Grant’s sons, Bob and Steve along with an excellent staff that is still family and employee owned.