Last funeral home in Port Washington gets a new look

Eernisse Funeral Home in Port Washington has a new look after recent renovations.

“We put in all new floors, furniture and lighting,” Vice President Joe Eernisse said. “Everything was changed except the structure.”

The building was well designed when it was constructed in 1986, Eernisse said, noting it provides great accessibility.

“The building is one floor, so there aren’t any steps,” he said. “There’s a lot of parking, too. That was a big deal for my dad when he built it.”

However, Eernisse said, over time the signs of wear and tear became apparent, especially the carpeting and walls.

“We had the same wallpaper in the hallway since it was built,” he said.

The funeral home was founded in 1975 by Eernisse’s father Marc on Grand Avenue near downtown Port Washington and moved to its current Port location farther west on Grand Avenue in 1986. Joe’s sister Jill Eernisse is also involved in the business as an undertaker.

Joe Eernisse said the renovations gave them an opportunity to emphasize the connection the family business has with the community.

“With the art, we have tried to keep it related to the town,” he said, pointing out murals of Port Washington’s lighthouse and marina.

Eernisse’s wife Kory, who is chief operating officer of the business, said occasional renovations had kept the funeral home from becoming outdated.

But, she said they had “spent so long (at the Port Washington location), it just needed a refresh.”

The funeral home will host an open house from noon to 3 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 21, to celebrate the building’s overhaul.

The renovations are timely, considering Eernisse Funeral Home is now the only funeral home in Port Washington.

“We have noticed an increase in funeral prearrangement since Poole Funeral Home closed in December,” Joe Eernisse said.

However, he said, “We never rest on our laurels. Someone else could come around.”

Eernisse said the family’s main goal is serving the community and personalizing funeral services, and updating the Port location helps them to achieve that.

Even if a funeral is going to be in a chapel instead of its location, the funeral home is often used.

“A lot of time we do the visitation here, then plan on going to a church for the service,” he said.

The ample parking, handicap-access and  restrooms usually makes the building a more comfortable option for visitation than many churches, Eernisse said.

“At St. Mary’s, for example, there’s only one bathroom in the back and steps to get up there,” he said.

Over the course of Eernisse’s 20 years in funeral service, he said, cremation has exploded in popularity.

“When I started with my dad, it was 20% cremation and now it’s about 70%,” he said. “During the 2008 economic downturn, it had the largest spike.”

He said cremations are increasingly popular as a cost-saving method and a way to honor loved ones, allowing relatives the option to spread ashes, keep them close by or place them in columbariums.

For people who want to adhere to Catholic burial practices, Eernisse said, they can bury the ashes in consecrated ground.

“In this area we have many different religious groups, and we try to accommodate all of them,” he said.

Eernisse said cremations are handled at their location in Cedarburg.

That building was converted from a 1950s stone farmhouse by his father in the 1990s and was designed to fit Cedarburg’s architectural style.

Eernisse Funeral Home also has a Belgium location.

Along with seeing the renovations to the Port Washington location, open house visitors can meet Eernisse’s trained therapy dog, Winston.

Winston is a Bernedoodle mix,  Eernisse said, which is one of the least allergenic breeds.

“That was very important,” he said. “We wanted to adopt, but we really wanted to make sure his breed wouldn’t be an issue for guests.”

Kory Eernisse said in the six years since they got Winston, “People have just loved him. They always ask where he is.”

She said he was made for making friends and meeting new people.

“We had a few different dogs we were considering from a picture of his litter,” Kory Eernisse said. “But when the breeder heard the dog would be working at a funeral home, she insisted on Winston.”

She said Winston works at visitations when requested by families and can be found most weekdays wandering their Port offices.

“He’s always following us around,” Joe Eernisse said.

Families often want Winston at the visitation after meeting him, he said.

“Winston gives out more business cards than me,” Eernisse said.