“It’s not every day that you get a high schooler interested in this,” said Trever Zillmer, owner of the local funeral home and provider. During the 2025-26 school year, the 122-year-old business welcomed its first high school apprentice — a senior, named Grace — from Eau Claire’s Regis Catholic Schools.

While a newer business partaking in the area’s Youth Apprenticeship program, this career field is perhaps one of the most in-need of “good people,” Trever said.

But how, and why, does one get into the funeral service industry?

For Shay, the funeral home’s current high school apprentice, it isn’t a fascination with death, but rather the desire to support people going through one of the most vulnerable parts of life — saying farewell to a loved one.

Previously interested in a vocation like counseling, Shay came across the local funeral home during a job fair in Fall Creek. She ended up chatting with Trever for nearly a half-hour, during which she learned about the Youth Apprenticeship program.

“I definitely think college is important in this field, but to be able to be part of it firsthand and see people actually in the trade instead of sitting in a classroom, that’s so much more impactful,” Shay said.

That in-person learning experience is a significant “pro” for the state of Wisconsin, Trever said, noting some states don’t allow funeral industry apprenticeships until after college. Here, students can get a real leg-up by experiencing the work before deciding if they want to invest in higher education.

For both Grace and Shay, the first students to be part of the Youth Apprenticeship at Stokes, Prock & Mundt Funeral Home, every day of work is different. That’s partially due to the wide breadth of skills that funeral industry professionals become equipped with.

Being able to work with people who are so compassionate and passionate about the field, and making sure people have the best experience they can through this — it makes me want to be at their standard.

Shay

local high schooler and apprentice

While the funeral director and staff are available 24/7, ready to care for folks at any time, apprentices will most often see the routine of the traditional workday.

That includes note-taking — every family’s wishes and processes are personal — spending time with the family or individual, walking them through their options, and seeing them through the full process of a funeral and farewell. With explicit parental permissions, some apprentices may observe embalming processes as well.

“I say, we do a little bit of everything,” Trever said. “The biggest thing we can offer anyone is education. What you need before then, is to have genuine empathy and be dedicated.”

With just a few weeks of her first apprenticeship under the belt, Shay said the folks at Stokes, Prock & Mundt Funeral Home have already shown her this could very well be the career for her.

“Being able to work with people who are so compassionate and passionate about the field, and making sure people have the best experience they can through this — it makes me want to be at their standard,” Shay said. “I want to push myself to be the best version of myself.”

Interested in learning more about the Youth Apprenticeship at Stokes, Prock & Mundt Funeral Chapel? Reach out at office@spmcsw.com.

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