Owner / Director
michael@wisefamilyfh.com

Michael was born and raised in Hastings. He graduated from Hastings High school in 1990 before attending his first two years of college at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. When deciding on a career in funeral service, he transferred to the University of Minnesota where he graduated with a BS degree in Mortuary Science in 1994. After graduation he worked for a family owned funeral home in Minneapolis/Edina where he managed their Edina Chapel along with his wife Mary. In 2001 Michael moved back home to Hastings to own and operate the Thomas Ellis Funeral Home, known today as Wise Family Funeral & Cremation Services.

Michael and his wife Mary have been married since 1998 and have two children, Grace and Griffin. He has been very active in the Hastings community having served on many boards such as Augustana Nursing Home and Park Ridge Communities, and the Knights of Columbus. He is the past President of the United Way of Hastings and Oak Ridge Manor Board. Michael is currently the Chair of the Hastings Area Chamber of Commerce and is on the Board of Directors for the St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Cemetery.

His free time is spent with his family where he enjoys coaching his son in hockey, baseball and they enjoy snowboarding together. He is equally as busy with his daughter as he cheers her on in her many gymnastics meets. Michael also enjoys traveling, running, working out and golf.

Owner / Vice President
mary@wisefamilyfh.com

Mary was 18 when she started working in the funeral business at a family owned funeral home in South Minneapolis. The years she worked at that funeral home, they served over 2,000 families each year. While working there, she gained a great deal of knowledge about the funeral industry. At such a young age, she was exposed to many different situations which helped, over the years, to understand how every family and every situation is unique.

While working at the funeral home she met Michael, and they were married 2 years later. Together, they managed a funeral home in Edina for 2 years. When they decided to start a family, she stayed home with their two children, Grace and Griffin.

When the opportunity came along to purchase the Thomas Ellis Funeral Home, Michael and Mary were thrilled. The opportunity to buy a funeral home in the community where Michael grew up and that he loved was a dream come true for both of them. They purchased the business in May of 2001 and moved their family from Minneapolis to Hastings. Their new business venture allowed them to continue doing what they loved and for Mary to be home with their children.

Along with working at the funeral home and carpooling her active children to various activities, Mary is very blessed to be able to volunteer her time in the Hastings community. Some of those wonderful opportunities are delivering Meals on Wheels, Holiday Assistance Program & the Back to School Program at Hastings Family Service, Sharing and Caring Hands, Be Our Guest at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Church, Co-chair of the decorating committee for the St. Elizabeth Ann Seton School Spring Fling, Director of the Spring Fling Grant Committee, and various duties at her kids' school St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic School.

Funeral Director

Rich was born and raised in New Hope. He graduated from Robbinsdale Cooper High School in 1986 and graduated from the Department of Mortuary Science at the University of Minnesota in 1991. For a majority of Rich's career, he owned and operated Havlik Mortuary Service. Rich began working for Wise Family Funeral Home in August of 2010.

In his free time, Rich enjoys spending time with his five children: David, Steve, Jon, Hailey and Faith, hiking, geocaching, fantasy football, and writing short stories. Rich is a member of The Writing Academy a nationwide writers' group.

Office Manager
sarah@wisefamilyfh.com

Sarah was born and raised in Hastings, MN. She is Michael Wise's "little sister." She is a graduate of Hastings High School and attended Bethel College. She spent most of her career with the Target Corporation in Minneapolis, before starting a family with her husband Ben Schwieger, also of Hastings. They have two small children, Matthew and Laney. After starting a family she wanted to have a more flexible career and started working with her brother at the Wise Family Funeral Home. She is a life-long member of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic Church. Sarah enjoys volunteering at Sharing and Caring Hands, "Be Our Guest" at church and at her son's school.

Certified Preplanning Consultant
Scott@wisefamilyfh.com

Scott began exploring a career in funeral service in 1995 when he was first introduced to the concept of Pre-Need. Not long after, he became employed full time in assisting families with their pre-arrangement needs.

Scott came to funeral service from a background in music ministry and education. With extensive training in funeral preplanning through the National Funeral Directors Association, Scott specializes in helping families make detailed funeral arrangements in advance of need.

Scott was married in 1979, and he and his wife, Janet, have three daughters and three sons. The entire family has been quite active in music, both in school and in their church in Rosemount. Scott is a proud new grandpa to Norah. Scott is a graduate of the University of Minnesota. He has spoken frequently at seminars in the greater Twin Cities area on the subjects: "Current Trends in Funeral Service" and "The Six Big Questions of Funeral Preplanning."

Funeral Director's Assistant

Dick and his wife Darliss have lived in Hastings for 40 years. Dick retired in 2007 when he sold his floor covering business in Edina. Dick is active in St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic Church; he is a trustee, a member of both the parish and financial councils and an extraordinary minister of the Eucharist. Dick and Darliss have three married children, Kristin and her husband Kyle, Michael and his wife Mary, Sarah and her husband Ben. They also have ten grandchildren. In 2003, Dick and Darliss lost their daughter, Stacy, to cancer. Dick enjoys golfing, traveling to Mexico and Florida, spending time at the cabin in Lake City and working for his son Michael at the Wise Family Funeral Home.