About Us
Our Story

In 1905 William Ohde and his brother Jacob Ohde, formed a partnership and started the firm known as “Ohde Brothers Furniture and Undertaking” at 320 Main Street in Manning. This firm engaged in the furniture business and funeral directing. William Sr. earned a diploma from Hohenschuh-Carpenter College of Embalming in Des Moines in 1906. About a year later George Ohde took over the interest of his brother Jacob. In 1927 William and George purchased the undertaking business of Henry Mueller, which dated back to 1892. Following the death of George in May of 1929, William Ohde continued to operate the business which became known as Ohde Furniture Store.
In 1931 William, Sr. built the Ohde Funeral Home at 108 First Street in Manning. An open house was held when the funeral home opened and an estimated 3000 people toured through it in a two-day period. An annual event is the Christmas season lighting program which has attracted visitors from far and near.
William F. Ohde, William’s son, attended the Hohenschuh-Carpenter School of Embalming in St. Louis, Missouri, and, upon graduation in 1938, joined his father as a licensed funeral director and embalmer.
Due to an ever-expanding funeral business, the furniture store was sold in 1951 so that more time could be devoted to the people of Manning and surrounding communities with the best of funeral service. William and William F. then formed a partnership. In 1955 William F. and Leonard Greteman established the Ohde-Greteman Funeral Home in Manilla. In August of 1963, when William F. Ohde bought the Huebner Funeral Home in Manilla, the Ohde-Greteman partnership was dissolved and the establishment took the name of Ohde Funeral Home.
During the 1960s and 1970s, the firm expanded and acquired the Mason Funeral Home in Coon Rapids and the Starling Funeral Home in Bayard. In 1971 a third generation Ohde, William G., joined the firm as a licensed funeral director and embalmer. In 1978 a daughter of William F., Ruth, joined the firm. Ruth completed the mortuary program at Southern Illinois University and returned to Manning, making three licensed funeral directors available to the area serviced by Ohde Funeral Home. In 1988 Ruth served as the first female president of the Iowa Funeral Directors Association. In 1997 Ruth Ohde purchased the business from her brother William G. Ohde, who subsequently retired from funeral directing.
The addition of additional staff allowed Ohde Funeral Home to purchase the Steen Funeral Home in Kimballton in July of 1998 and Ohde Twit Funeral Home in 2007.
In 2003 Ruth Ohde’s daughter, Alison (Ohde) River, joined the firm as a mortuary student and in 2004 graduated from the Department of Mortuary Science at Arapahoe Community College in Littleton, Colorado. Alison was licensed in November of 2005 and joined her family as a fourth generation funeral director.
Scott Erickson and Michael Hoy purchased the funeral home in November of 2019. Scott, Mike and their staff are continuing to serve the Manning, Manilla, Kimballton and Coon Rapids communities with a tradition of honesty, integrity and dignity.
Our Team

Scott Erickson
Owner/ Funeral Director
Scott is a second generation funeral director from Webster City, Iowa.
Scott Erickson
Scott is a second generation funeral director from Webster City, Iowa. Scott attended Iowa Central Community College in Fort Dodge where he graduated with an A.A.S. in 2001. To further his education, Scott earned his Mortuary Science degree from Mesa Community College in Mesa, Arizona in 2002. He then returned to Webster City to work alongside his father who owns and operates Foster Funeral and Cremation Center, a family funeral home with a strong commitment and dedication to the families of Hamilton County.
In May of 2004, Scott returned back to Scottsdale, Arizona, where he took a position as pre-need counselor for Great Western Funeral Planning, to gain more experience in pre-need sales. In May of 2006, he returned back to Webster City to continue working at the family funeral home, and later that year he earned the designation of a Certified Pre-Planning Consultant with the National Funeral Directors Association. In 2007, Scott founded Foster Monument Company which handles all various types of memorial choices for families and their loved ones.
On August 1, 2011, Scott became the owner of Hertz Funeral Homes in Carson, Glenwood and Malvern and Hertz Monument Company. In the spring of 2012 he changed the name to Loess Hills Funeral and Cremation Center. In November of 2019, he purchased Ohde Funeral Home.
Scott and his wife Ashley, have two children, son Jaxon and daughter, Vivian and the family resides in Glenwood. They belong to and support a variety of different clubs and organizations throughout the communities they serve.
Scott continues to carry on the tradition of commitment and dedication to the families of Southwest Iowa by offering unique and personalized services as the life lived.

Mike Hoy
Owner / Funeral Director
My career in funeral service began when I was fourteen years old.
Mike Hoy
Life for me has always been about service to others. While attending college, the owners of the funeral home sold their ownership to a national firm and there was no room for me after this acquisition. Seeking service to others, I took a job with the Pottawattamie County Sheriff's Office as a corrections officer and that led to being promoted as a deputy sheriff. Eventually, I was hired by the Iowa Department of Public Safety. During my 10 year career, I served in the Division of Criminal Investigations and as a state trooper with the Iowa State Patrol.
I found my time serving in law enforcement personally rewarding, especially the helping others in my community, my passion for helping families with funeral service never was silenced. During my time with the Iowa State Patrol, I was able to complete my education as a funeral director and for a few years I worked two jobs. I worked as a trooper on the midnight shift and as funeral director/mortician during the day.
In August of 2011, my family and I opened Hoy-Kilnoski Funeral Home and in November of 2019, I purchased Ohde Funeral Home; this is an extension of my life in service to all of you.

Burke Johnson
Funeral Director/Embalmer
Burke Johnson has been licensed in Iowa since 1997. He worked with Ohde Funeral Home from 1997 to 2006.
Burke Johnson
Burke Johnson has been licensed in Iowa since 1997. He worked with Ohde Funeral Home from 1997 to 2006. He returned with the firm in 2017. He and his wife Boni have three sons, Jackson, Nathan, and Ryan. "I feel privileged to serve Manning and surrounding communities with our quality staff."

Katie L. Fitzsimmons
Funeral Director/Embalmer
Katie Fitzsimmons is a first-generation funeral director and a native of Guthrie Center, Iowa. She attended Guthrie Center High School and graduated with the class of 2011.
Katie L. Fitzsimmons
Katie Fitzsimmons is a first-generation funeral director and a native of Guthrie Center, Iowa. She attended Guthrie Center High School and graduated with the class of 2011. After graduation, Katie received a certified nursing assistant diploma and worked for Thomas Rest Haven in Coon Rapids, Iowa for many years.
In 2013, Katie suffered the loss of her fiancé in a car accident and she switched her career focus from nursing to becoming a funeral director. She graduated from Des Moines Area Community College with her Associate’s Degree in General Education in 2016 and Mortuary Science degree in 2017.
Katie was working as a Funeral Director at Hoy-Kilnoski Funeral Home in Council Bluffs, Iowa before transitioning to Ohde Funeral Home.
After losing a loved one herself, Katie acknowledges the true gift in honoring a life well lived. She is very dedicated to her profession and is committed to provide impeccable care and respect to each and every family.
Katie is married to her husband, Matthew and they have a daughter, Lilah and son, Holsten.

Danielle Sondag Mikels
Funeral Director/Embalmer
Danielle Sondag Mikels found her interest in funeral service at a young age. She started working at a funeral home at the age of 15; helping with evening visitations and weekend services.
Danielle Sondag Mikels
Danielle Sondag Mikels found her interest in funeral service at a young age. She started working at a funeral home at the age of 15; helping with evening visitations and weekend services.
At the age of 17, she enlisted in the Iowa Army National Guard. Danielle graduated high school in 2009. She enjoyed every opportunity traveling within the United States for various military training purposes and served her country for a total of six years.

Tina Bartelson
Pre-Arrangement Consultant
Tina Bartelson resides outside Irwin with her husband and their three children. She has been a licensed Iowa and Nebraska funeral director for over 10 years.
Michelle Meyer
Michelle Meyer has been our part time office assistant since 2005. Michelle performs all aspects of office work and helps with our computer applications. She completes most of our video applications as well as assisting during visitations. She and her husband Bill live in Manning and have four grown children and two grandchildren.

Debra Hansen
Office Manager
Debra Hansen started working for Ohde Funeral Home in March of 1996. She has a Cosmetology Degree and Associates Degree from DMACC.
Debra Hansen
Debra Hansen started working for Ohde Funeral Home in March of 1996. She has a Cosmetology Degree and Associates Degree from DMACC. Some of her duties include filing death certificates, paperwork of decedents, managing the phones, and day to day things to keep the office running smoothly. She also maintains her Cosmetology License and styles decedent's hair when needed. In her spare time Deb enjoys spending time with her family, scrap booking, bicycling, and gardening.

Kathy Kraus
Funeral Assistant
Kathy Kraus has been a part of the Ohde Funeral Home staff since 2008.
Kathy Kraus
She helps assist the funeral directors with various tasks in preparation for visitations and funerals. Some of her other duties entail: daily upkeep of the funeral homes , equipment, and vehicles. Away from work, she enjoys spending time with family and friends, volunteering and being on various boards within her community, church, and school. Kathy and her husband Brian and their family live in Arcadia.

Austin Schechinger
Funeral Assistant
Austin has lived in Shelby and Crawford Counties most of his life.
Austin Schechinger

Kay Vaux
Funeral Assistant

Dan Wittrock
Funeral Assistant

Ernie Reinke
Funeral Assistant
Ernie was born and raised in Manning. He and his wife Karen have two sons and three grandchildren.
Ernie Reinke
Ernie was born and raised in Manning. He and his wife Karen have two sons and three grandchildren. He worked for John Deere for 47 years and retired in 2020. He was a member of the Manning Fire Department for 27 years. In his spare time, he enjoys golfing, fishing and being a referee for his school sporting events. He is a member of Zion Lutheran Church.
Rick Lohrmann
Funeral Assistant
Deb Knueven
Funeral Assistant
Chris Macumber
Funeral Assistant

Ramona Anderson
Funeral Assistant