SPONSORED STORY | From formal to personal: Williams Dingmann adapts to funeral trends through 5 generations

This story was funded and reviewed by staff at Williams Dingmann Family Funeral Homes. Their support helps fund Project Optimist’s end-of-life series. 

Most funerals were somber and formal 30 years ago with mourners moving between the funeral home, the church, and the cemetery. 

Now they are often quite humorous and even joyful. And personal. More spiritual than religious; a celebration of life. 

The Dingmanns witnessed that change, along with many other shifts in end-of-life practices through five generations of work at Williams Dingmann Family Funeral Homes. 

“We had a family bring in a bunch of deer mounts out here a couple weeks ago. They displayed those because he (the deceased) was such a big deer hunter,” said Doug Dingmann Jr., president, funeral director, and co-owner of the funeral homes. “We've had a golf cart brought into the funeral home and set up front. Things are so much more personalized to represent the person's life.”

Doug Jr. and Deb Dingmann, siblings, currently run the organization. They represent the fourth generation of their family serving central Minnesota with end-of-life celebrations. And members of the fifth generation are finishing their education in the field or already on staff at Williams Dingmann Family Funeral Homes. 

In April the St. Cloud Area Chamber of Commerce awarded it the 2025 Business Central Mark of Excellence: Family-Owned Business of the Year.

The Dingmann family began providing funeral services in 1909. In 2008 they merged with another funeral home founded back in 1873. That’s more than 150 years of service. And things have changed. 

“We actually grew up at the funeral home in Sauk Rapids, where there were living quarters right connected to the funeral home,” Doug said.

He remembers mowing the grass in elementary school and helping with funerals as he got older. Some nights he’d wake up to help his father transport a body back to the funeral home. 

“I was fortunate to see that work with my dad being a funeral director and seeing how people respected him and appreciated what he did for them,” he said. 

What has changed?

There are more cremations. Gatherings are less strictly religious and more spiritual. And Williams Dingmann has invested in a community outreach coordinator to help people plan ahead for their deaths. 

“When you face that fear, it’s interesting how that evaporates,” said James Neppl, community outreach coordinator and celebrant, “I am so grateful to help others talk about what we don’t want to talk about and assist families in fulfilling what is deeply meaningful.”

It’s rare for a funeral home to have a position like Neppl’s. He gives community presentations about end-of-life planning and helps people plan their own funeral services. 

To schedule an individual consultation or group seminar, email jneppl@williamsdingmann.com or visit www.williamsdingmann.com.

Online pre-planning is available at Plan to Celebrate Your Life.

“It's never too early, but it can be too late,” Neppl says about planning ahead. 

He finds people are relieved to talk about death. And the language is changing. There’s space for the full range of emotions from laughter to tears. It’s not about what they can’t do but more about what they can do. 

“My parents came to us and said, 'Boys, your father and I have planned our funeral. It's all done,’” Neppl recounted. “And it changed the way we all lived from that moment. … You start living differently because it's not hanging out there in the subconscious and thinking: ‘Someday, I have to deal with that.’”

Funerals range from large celebrations to small affairs. Music choices range from religious music to pop songs. More and more people are opting for cremation over a casket – around 60%-65% of families choose cremation. Urn choices also reflect a lot of personality and range from formal to golf-themed. And there’s a biodegradable option. 

What has stayed the same?

Change has been obvious in recent decades at Williams Dingmann Family Funeral Homes. But their core purpose remains the same: provide comfort and guidance during life’s most difficult moments. 

They’re there to help community members memorialize loved ones in a way that feels right for them. 

“The ritual is thousands and thousands and thousands of years old,” Neppl said. “Ritual helps us express what we don't have the words for.”

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