Our Staff

Our Caring Staff

Sam Steffel

Sam Steffel

Owner / Funeral Director

Sam grew up on a farm outside of Olivia, Minnesota and graduated from BOLD High School in Olivia in 2009. He attended Minnesota State University – Mankato where he earned an Associates of Arts degree before transferring to the University of Minnesota, receiving a Bachelor of Science degree with a major in Mortuary Science. Sam began his career at the Hantge Funeral Chapels in Hutchinson and later worked for the funeral homes in Northfield before moving to the Waseca and Janesville area in 2016.


Sam, his wife Tara, and their daughters Nora and Everly reside in Waseca. Tara is a third grade teacher at Sacred Heart School in Waseca. In his spare time Sam likes to follow high school and college wrestling and enjoys going to the lake, ice fishing, and deer hunting.  


The Steffel family partnered with the Omtvedt family to purchase the funeral homes and establish Dennis-Steffel-Omtvedt Funeral and Cremation Service in the summer of 2022.

 Aaron Omtvedt

Aaron Omtvedt

Owner / Funeral Director

Aaron grew up in Estherville, Iowa and graduated from Estherville Lincoln Central High School in 1998. Following graduation, he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Northern Iowa, majoring in Interpersonal Communication and minoring in Religion. He then attended mortuary school at the Worsham College of Mortuary Science in Wheeling, Illinois. Aaron began his career as a funeral director and embalmer at a small funeral home in central Iowa before beginning to work in Waseca and Waterville in the fall of 2005.


Aaron, his wife Carol, and their daughters Ava and Stella reside in Waseca. Carol spent many years as a kindergarten teacher at Sacred Heart School in Waseca and now offers massage therapy services at Xpressions Salon in Waseca.  The Omtvedt family enjoys hiking, camping, skiing and snowboarding, and attending the girls' many high school events and activities.


The Omtvedt family partnered with the Steffel family to purchase the funeral homes and establish Dennis-Steffel-Omtvedt Funeral and Cremation Service in the summer of 2022.

Sarah Miller

Sarah Miller

Funeral Director

Sarah is originally from Waldorf, Minnesota and graduated from Janesville/Waldorf-Pemberton High School in 1993. Following graduation she attended South Dakota State University in Brookings, South Dakota before transferring to the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis. In 1997, she graduated from the University of Minnesota with a Bachelor of Science degree with a major in Mortuary Science. She began working for Dennis Funeral Homes in June of 1997, and remained on staff through the ownership change in 2022.  Sarah and her husband Bruce live and farm in Iosco Township, Waseca County.

 Anna Hagel

Anna Hagel

Funeral Director

Anna grew up in Waseca, Minnesota and graduated from Waseca Junior Senior High School in 2016. Following graduation, she attended Gustavus Adolphus College in St. Peter, Minnesota before transferring to the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis. In 2019, she graduated from the University of Minnesota, receiving a Bachelor of Science degree with a major in Mortuary Science. Anna began her career at Gearty-Delmore Funeral Chapels in Robbinsdale, MN before moving back to Waseca in the spring of 2022. She began working for Dennis-Steffel-Omtvedt Funeral and Cremation Service in July of 2022.  Anna and her husband, Lucas, live in Janesville.

Bob Johnson

Bob Johnson

Funeral Director

Bob was born and raised in Volga, West Virginia. After graduating from Philip Barbour High School in 2014 he attended Fairmont State University where he earned the necessary credits to attend mortuary school. After serving his apprenticeship in 2019, he went on to attend The Cincinnati College of Mortuary Science and graduated with his Bachelor of Mortuary Science degree in the spring of 2021. Following mortuary school, Bob returned home to work in West Virginia as a licensed funeral director.  In August 2022, Bob moved to Waterville, MN to join the staff of Dennis-Steffel-Omtvedt Funeral and Cremation Service. After passing the Minnesota State Board exam, Bob chose to maintain his license to practice in West Virginia and is now licensed in two states.

Tim & Becky Dennis

Tim & Becky Dennis

Previous Owners / Funeral Directors

Tim grew up in Long Prairie, Minnesota and graduated from Long Prairie High School in 1979. He attended Moorhead State University in Moorhead, Minnesota for two years before transferring to the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis, graduating with a Bachelor of Science degree in Mortuary Science in 1983.


Becky is originally from Warren, Minnesota. She graduated from Warren High School in 1979. She attended Moorhead State University in Moorhead, Minnesota and earned an Associate of Arts degree in psychology. She transferred to the University of Minnesota and earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Mortuary Science in 1984.


In 1993, Tim and Becky purchased the Kinder Home for Funerals in Waseca and renamed the business Kinder-Dennis Home for Funerals. In 1996, they purchased the Prosch Funeral Home in Waterville and renamed that location the Prosch-Dennis Funeral Home.  In 2020, Tim and Becky merged their business with Sam Steffel’s former businesses in Waseca and Janesville.


The Dennis family retired from funeral service in the summer of 2022 and sold their business and four locations to the new partnership between the Steffel and Omtvedt families.  Tim and Becky continue to live in Waseca and remain an important and active part of their community.

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