Mealy Funeral Home

Mealy Funeral Home, now operating as Mealy-Stencel Funeral Home, is a cornerstone of the Waterford, Wisconsin community, offering compassionate funeral and cremation services from its historic location at 225 West Main Street. The business traces its roots to 1864, when the building was first established as the village's first store and post office. Originally a furniture and coffin manufacturing business under Wallman & Steinke, it provided both furniture and burial services, a common practice at the time. In 1923, Harry W. Mealy and his wife Dena took over, transitioning the focus to funeral services while also selling furniture and Maytag washing machines. The Mealy family added an ambulance service in the 1940s, the first in Waterford, which operated for two decades. Over the years, the business passed through generations, with Harry Jr., Thomas "Spud," and Ione Mealy contributing to its reputation for professional and personalized care. In 2000, Ione's son John Kojis assumed leadership, continuing the family tradition until his retirement in 2024, when he sold the business to an employee. It now operates under the name Mealy-Stencel Funeral Home while retaining the long-established website and phone number.

Today, Mealy-Stencel Funeral Home provides a full range of services including burial services, cremation services, and preplanning options. The facility is wheelchair accessible with on-site parking, ensuring ease for all families. The staff emphasizes creating personalized, meaningful services that honor the life of the deceased, from arranging flowers to coordinating gatherings in their welcoming spaces. The website offers obituaries for Waterford, Norway, Rochester, and Racine County, updated regularly, and provides resources for grief support through the Circle of Friends+ program. Preplanning events, such as free Lunch and Learn sessions, are held to help families prepare for future needs, and a downloadable preplanning checklist is available. The funeral home is also dedicated to community history, with a rich heritage celebrated by the Racine County Historical Society as the oldest commercial building in the village. Despite a temporary closure indicated on some listings, the funeral home continues to serve families with dedication and expertise, maintaining its legacy as one of the area's longest-running businesses.