About Us

Our Beginnings

Schwenke-Baumgarten Funeral Home was established by O.B. Schwenke in 1907. His first partner was Christian Baumgarten, and the business was referred to as Baumgarten-Schwenke Embalmers.

By 1930, Victor Baumgarten had joined the business, and the name of the facility was changed to Schwenke-Baumgarten Funeral Home, Inc.

Bob Kallus, O.B. Schwenke's son-in-law, joined the business in 1936 when Mr. Schwenke's health began to fail. After he died in 1940 and after the untimely death of Mr Victor Baumgarten in 1953, Wilbert "Bill" Klesel, a 1948 graduate of Landig Mortuary College in Houston, joined the business. 

Bill Klesel remained an active owner with Bob Kallus until 1976. At that time, Bill's son, Mark, graduated from Commonwealth College in Houston and began working for the establishment.

Mr. Kallus died in 1978, and the business was purchased from the Kallus Estate by the Klesel family.

Later, in 1990, Bill's other son, Bryan, became an associate with the funeral home after graduating from The Institute of Funeral Service in Houston. With the retirement of Bill in 1995, sons Mark and Bryan became co-owners and took over the business as second-generation funeral directors/embalmers.

Bryan's son, Clayton, returned to Schulenburg in April 2023 to join his uncle and father as the third generation of family funeral directors.

The funeral home is still located at the original location at 701 S. Main.