Staff

Our dedicated staff members are here to provide support, compassion, and information to help you through your journey of grief and the celebration of your loved one’s life.

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Neal J. Schneider Funeral Director/Owner

Neal is the 5th generation of the Schneider Family to become a funeral director. Neal attended UW Rock County and UW Whitewater and is a 2005 graduate of the MATC School of Mortuary Science. He served his apprenticeship at Schneider Funeral Home and Crematory, Janesville, and had also worked at Becker Ritter Funeral Home in Brookfield until returning to Janesville upon graduation.  In 2015, Neal joined the partnership with his father and grandfather, and when Neal's grandfather retired in 2016, he became partners with his father, William Schneider.  Neal later purchased the remaining share of the funeral home from his father in April of 2019, when William retired. When not working Neal enjoys motorcycles, snowmobiles, and boating.

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Nicole Gensler General Manager nicole@schneiderfuneraldirectors.com

Nicole is a fifth generation Janesville native. She is honored to again be serving Janesville and the surrounding communities with Schneider Funeral Directors, Inc.

She graduated from Parker High School and received her degrees from Madison and Milwaukee Area Technical Colleges. Nicole has been a Wisconsin licensed funeral director/embalmer since 2010 and a Wisconsin licensed cosmetologist since 2003. Nicole completed advanced embalming training in post-mortem surgical reconstruction and is a certified crematory operator. She takes great pride in being able to create a peaceful, respectful and lasting memory when viewing a loved one for the last time.

In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with her husband and family, being on the open road driving her Janesville-built 1968 Impala convertible or riding her Harley Davidson Ultra Classic motorcycle.

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Aaron Kerr Funeral Director

Hi there!  My name is Aaron and I appreciate you taking the time to read this to get to know my backstory a little better.   I was born in Rockford, Illinois on a cold fall morning; the son of Rev. Dr. William R. Kerr, Sr. and Diane (Johnson) Kerr.  Both of my parents were heavily involved in funeral service during my entire life, as my father had his Doctorate in bereavement and served families regularly in the transition and celebration for people who were dealing with a loss.  My mom is a very talented beautician and has worked for a well-respected funeral home in the area now for the past 50 years.  I regularly tagged along on their trips to the funeral homes, and eventually found myself being called upon to play my bagpipes at funerals regularly. In 2010, I enrolled at the Worsham College of Mortuary Science, and received my funeral director and embalmers license in 2011.  Since then, I’ve been called on by the Schneider Family on a consistent basis, to play my pipes for the families of the greater Janesville area, which has always been an absolute honor for me.  In January of 2018, Bill and Neal Schneider gave me the invitation to serve the Janesville community as a director and arranger for the Funeral Home, and I’ve loved it here ever since. I have two boys, Malcolm and Ronan; and our dog Mabel.  We like to stay active with family time and wherever that takes us!  Outside of my time at the funeral home, I am honored to serve as the Duty Piper for Janesville Police Department, and I also enjoy participating in bagpipe competitions in the greater Midwest area and even Canada.  It’s an honor to be in this position to help serve the families of Janesville and provide a well-suited option for the people they love so dearly.

 

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Craig Roman Funeral Director craig@schneiderfuneraldirectors.com

Craig has been a licensed funeral director since March 1996, graduating from Worsham Mortuary College in Wheeling, IL. He started his career in Chicago and has learned many burial customs from various firms he has worked for. He and his wife Stacey recently relocated to Evansville, and joined Schneider Funeral Directors. Together they have 3 boys Nate, Joshua and Connor. Craig enjoys trips with the family and spending time with his 3 boys. His youngest son is a type 1 diabetic and he has run 4 marathons for Team JDRF, raising much needed money to find a cure.  Craig has run the Chicago Marathon in 2019, (virtually) 2020, 2021 and Big Sur (along the California coast) in 2023. Craig enjoys running, wood working, making muskie lures and fishing for muskie in Canada and locally.

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Andi Emmel Funeral Director/Director of Cremation Services

Andi is a Janesville native, graduating from Craig High School in 1982. He served four years of active duty in the U.S. Army as a helicopter mechanic and later, after earning a Associate's Degree in Criminal Justice through Central Texas College, 20 years as a trooper with the Wisconsin State Patrol, retiring in 2014. He then earned an Associate's Degree in Funeral Service in 2015, through Milwaukee Area Technical College. He has been employed by Schneider Funeral Home since 2006; full time since 2015. He has two wonderful children, Aaron and Lindsay, and enjoys boating and traveling.

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Now Hiring !!! Licensed Funeral Director

This could be you! We are hiring and looking for a person to serve the Janesville community as a Licensed Funeral Director. Schneider's is looking for a passionate person and that takes pride in the work they do here at Schneider Funeral Home. Please send a resume to info@schneiderfuneraldirectors.com 

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Matt Bernhardt Funeral Apprentice insurance@schneiderfuneraldirectors.com

Matt was born and raised in Kenosha, Wisconsin, where he attended Tremper High School.  He graduated from the University of Wisconsin Whitewater with a Bachelor’s in Sociology and Criminal Justice. He worked for the Kenosha County Sheriff’s Department for several years. Matt has been an Ordained minister since 2006. Matt and his wife moved to Whitewater, Wisconsin in 2019, where he managed assisted living homes for adults with mental health disorders until he discovered his true passion at Schneider Funeral Directors. Matt likes stand-up comedy, movies, road trips, and spending time with his family in his free time.

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Ju-Leah Wendtland Funeral Apprentice

Ju-Leah is originally from Brodhead, but has been a resident of the Janesville community for the past few years. After graduation from high school in 2011, she became a Certified Nursing Assistant and worked at various nursing homes for 10 years before becoming an Apprentice Funeral Director for Schneider Funeral Home in 2020. Ju-Leah started Mortuary School in May of 2021 to become a Licensed Funeral Director, and is looking forward to a life-long career in Mortuary Science. She has always had a passion for helping and caring for people. Ju-Leah is very excited to see what life has to offer, and where her journey will take her. She plans to eventually travel all over the United States and visit every city on her bucket list. Ju-Leah is a motivated, kind, happy person, and is always willing to jump in and help in any way she can. 

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Crystal Williams Office Manager office@schneiderfuneraldirectors.com

Crystal was born in Rhinelander, Wisconsin but grew up in the Janesville area.  She graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater with a Bachelors in Education with an emphasis in Math and Physics.  Later she obtained a Master’s degree in Technology with an emphasis in Digital Media Education. She always had a passion for helping and caring for people, and spent ten years teaching at Parkview High School and serving as a leader within the Parkview School District for culture building, curriculum enhancement, and technology integration.  The experience she gained through working in the educational field and her exceptional organizational skills made her transition to office management seamless.  She has two children that attend Craig High School and has  a mini-Yorkie that is her constant companion. Outside of work, she enjoys spending her time outdoors whether it be hiking, camping, kayaking, biking, gardening, discovering new places in her Jeep, or just relaxing on her patio.

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Alyce DeJesus Receptionist receptionist@schneiderfuneraldirectors.com

I was born in Camden, New Jersey where my parents owned and operated Len-Lor Florist.  Growing up in the floral business I watched as my parents helped families through difficult times with their beautiful creations.  I saw their compassion and it became part of who I am.  I graduated from Harris School of Business as an Administrative Assistant.  I moved to Shawano, Wisconsin in 2017 to help my daughter and her husband care for their two children. Shortly after, we relocated here to Janesville.  I have seven grandchildren, four in New Jersey and three here in Janesville; they are all the light of my life.  I am a member of New Life Assembly of God where I am very involved as a volunteer. 

Neal J. Schneider

Funeral Director/Owner
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Neal is the 5th generation of the Schneider Family to become a funeral director. Neal attended UW Rock County and UW Whitewater and is a 2005 graduate of the MATC School of Mortuary Science. He served his apprenticeship at Schneider Funeral Home and Crematory, Janesville, and had also worked at Becker Ritter Funeral Home in Brookfield until returning to Janesville upon graduation.  In 2015, Neal joined the partnership with his father and grandfather, and when Neal's grandfather retired in 2016, he became partners with his father, William Schneider.  Neal later purchased the remaining share of the funeral home from his father in April of 2019, when William retired. When not working Neal enjoys motorcycles, snowmobiles, and boating.

Nicole Gensler

General Manager
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Nicole is a fifth generation Janesville native. She is honored to again be serving Janesville and the surrounding communities with Schneider Funeral Directors, Inc.

She graduated from Parker High School and received her degrees from Madison and Milwaukee Area Technical Colleges. Nicole has been a Wisconsin licensed funeral director/embalmer since 2010 and a Wisconsin licensed cosmetologist since 2003. Nicole completed advanced embalming training in post-mortem surgical reconstruction and is a certified crematory operator. She takes great pride in being able to create a peaceful, respectful and lasting memory when viewing a loved one for the last time.

In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with her husband and family, being on the open road driving her Janesville-built 1968 Impala convertible or riding her Harley Davidson Ultra Classic motorcycle.

Aaron Kerr

Funeral Director
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Hi there!  My name is Aaron and I appreciate you taking the time to read this to get to know my backstory a little better.   I was born in Rockford, Illinois on a cold fall morning; the son of Rev. Dr. William R. Kerr, Sr. and Diane (Johnson) Kerr.  Both of my parents were heavily involved in funeral service during my entire life, as my father had his Doctorate in bereavement and served families regularly in the transition and celebration for people who were dealing with a loss.  My mom is a very talented beautician and has worked for a well-respected funeral home in the area now for the past 50 years.  I regularly tagged along on their trips to the funeral homes, and eventually found myself being called upon to play my bagpipes at funerals regularly. In 2010, I enrolled at the Worsham College of Mortuary Science, and received my funeral director and embalmers license in 2011.  Since then, I’ve been called on by the Schneider Family on a consistent basis, to play my pipes for the families of the greater Janesville area, which has always been an absolute honor for me.  In January of 2018, Bill and Neal Schneider gave me the invitation to serve the Janesville community as a director and arranger for the Funeral Home, and I’ve loved it here ever since. I have two boys, Malcolm and Ronan; and our dog Mabel.  We like to stay active with family time and wherever that takes us!  Outside of my time at the funeral home, I am honored to serve as the Duty Piper for Janesville Police Department, and I also enjoy participating in bagpipe competitions in the greater Midwest area and even Canada.  It’s an honor to be in this position to help serve the families of Janesville and provide a well-suited option for the people they love so dearly.

 

Craig Roman

Funeral Director
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Craig has been a licensed funeral director since March 1996, graduating from Worsham Mortuary College in Wheeling, IL. He started his career in Chicago and has learned many burial customs from various firms he has worked for. He and his wife Stacey recently relocated to Evansville, and joined Schneider Funeral Directors. Together they have 3 boys Nate, Joshua and Connor. Craig enjoys trips with the family and spending time with his 3 boys. His youngest son is a type 1 diabetic and he has run 4 marathons for Team JDRF, raising much needed money to find a cure.  Craig has run the Chicago Marathon in 2019, (virtually) 2020, 2021 and Big Sur (along the California coast) in 2023. Craig enjoys running, wood working, making muskie lures and fishing for muskie in Canada and locally.

Andi Emmel

Funeral Director/Director of Cremation Services
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Andi is a Janesville native, graduating from Craig High School in 1982. He served four years of active duty in the U.S. Army as a helicopter mechanic and later, after earning a Associate's Degree in Criminal Justice through Central Texas College, 20 years as a trooper with the Wisconsin State Patrol, retiring in 2014. He then earned an Associate's Degree in Funeral Service in 2015, through Milwaukee Area Technical College. He has been employed by Schneider Funeral Home since 2006; full time since 2015. He has two wonderful children, Aaron and Lindsay, and enjoys boating and traveling.

Now Hiring !!!

Licensed Funeral Director
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This could be you! We are hiring and looking for a person to serve the Janesville community as a Licensed Funeral Director. Schneider's is looking for a passionate person and that takes pride in the work they do here at Schneider Funeral Home. Please send a resume to info@schneiderfuneraldirectors.com 

Matt Bernhardt

Funeral Apprentice
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Matt was born and raised in Kenosha, Wisconsin, where he attended Tremper High School.  He graduated from the University of Wisconsin Whitewater with a Bachelor’s in Sociology and Criminal Justice. He worked for the Kenosha County Sheriff’s Department for several years. Matt has been an Ordained minister since 2006. Matt and his wife moved to Whitewater, Wisconsin in 2019, where he managed assisted living homes for adults with mental health disorders until he discovered his true passion at Schneider Funeral Directors. Matt likes stand-up comedy, movies, road trips, and spending time with his family in his free time.

Ju-Leah Wendtland

Funeral Apprentice
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Ju-Leah is originally from Brodhead, but has been a resident of the Janesville community for the past few years. After graduation from high school in 2011, she became a Certified Nursing Assistant and worked at various nursing homes for 10 years before becoming an Apprentice Funeral Director for Schneider Funeral Home in 2020. Ju-Leah started Mortuary School in May of 2021 to become a Licensed Funeral Director, and is looking forward to a life-long career in Mortuary Science. She has always had a passion for helping and caring for people. Ju-Leah is very excited to see what life has to offer, and where her journey will take her. She plans to eventually travel all over the United States and visit every city on her bucket list. Ju-Leah is a motivated, kind, happy person, and is always willing to jump in and help in any way she can. 

Crystal Williams

Office Manager
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Crystal was born in Rhinelander, Wisconsin but grew up in the Janesville area.  She graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater with a Bachelors in Education with an emphasis in Math and Physics.  Later she obtained a Master’s degree in Technology with an emphasis in Digital Media Education. She always had a passion for helping and caring for people, and spent ten years teaching at Parkview High School and serving as a leader within the Parkview School District for culture building, curriculum enhancement, and technology integration.  The experience she gained through working in the educational field and her exceptional organizational skills made her transition to office management seamless.  She has two children that attend Craig High School and has  a mini-Yorkie that is her constant companion. Outside of work, she enjoys spending her time outdoors whether it be hiking, camping, kayaking, biking, gardening, discovering new places in her Jeep, or just relaxing on her patio.

Alyce DeJesus

Receptionist
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I was born in Camden, New Jersey where my parents owned and operated Len-Lor Florist.  Growing up in the floral business I watched as my parents helped families through difficult times with their beautiful creations.  I saw their compassion and it became part of who I am.  I graduated from Harris School of Business as an Administrative Assistant.  I moved to Shawano, Wisconsin in 2017 to help my daughter and her husband care for their two children. Shortly after, we relocated here to Janesville.  I have seven grandchildren, four in New Jersey and three here in Janesville; they are all the light of my life.  I am a member of New Life Assembly of God where I am very involved as a volunteer.