Eric Warmka
General Manager-Licensed Funeral Director
Email: [emailprotected]
Eric Warmka is a native to southern Minnesota where he grew up on his family’s century farm in rural Wells-Easton. While earning his Bachelor's degree in Business Management from St. Cloud State University, he worked at a local funeral home in St. Cloud. He started at the ground level in maintenance, but later became a Certified Pre-Planning Consultant, a Certified Crematory Operator, and a licensed insurance agent before eventually attaining a degree in Mortuary Science in 2010. A career in funeral service was not something he originally planned for in life, but after a short time in the funeral industry he learned the significance a good funeral director can make on a family as they work through an incredibly difficult time in their life. With this understanding of what it meant to be a funeral director, he then knew that this was the correct career for him. While in the central Minnesota area, he was active in many local organizations including the St. Cloud and Sartell Chambers of Commerce and the Stearns History Museum. Eric and his wife Sarah moved to the New Ulm area to give their son Jackson the experience of growing up in a pleasant community that still has small town pride. Eric became General Manager of Minnesota Valley Funeral Homes in March of 2017. He is currently active with the Oak Hills Living Center Foundation Board, the New Ulm Medical Center Board of Directors, and was elected to serve on the New Ulm City Council representing Ward 2 since the fall of 2020. When he's not at work, Eric enjoys coaching his son's soccer team, working on projects at his house, spending time with his family at their cabin on Fox Lake, and appreciating the Minnesota winters on snowmobile.
Peter C. Macho
Licensed Funeral Director
Email: [emailprotected]
Peter is a New Ulm native and a 1980 graduate of New Ulm High School. After high school he attended St. John's University, the University of Minnesota and was a graduate of the San Francisco College of Mortuary Science. Peter worked as a licensed funeral director in the Bay area of California before returning to New Ulm and joining the staff at the Minnesota Valley Funeral Home in 1990. Peter has one daughter, Ariel. He is a member of the Cathedral of the Holy Trinity, a 25 year member of the New Ulm Volunteer Fire Department, the Seifert-Bainchi Post #132 Sons of the American Legion, Turner Halle, New Ulm Country Club and the Isaak Walton League. Peter is licensed by the State of Minnesota as a funeral director, a Minnesota Lions Eye Bank eye enucleator, an insurance agent and a public notary.
Dan K. Baltramonas
Licensed Funeral Director
Email: [emailprotected]
Baltramonas grew up in southeastern Wisconsin in the town of Hartland and graduated from Arrowhead High School. He then majored in history and attended UW-Oshkosh before transferring to Arizona State University. Baltramonas then continued his education at Mesa Community College, earning his mortuary science degree, graduating with distinction, and winning the Mu Sigma Alpha Award. After graduation, Baltramonas returned back to his native Wisconsin to begin his funeral service career. He served his apprenticeship at Prock Funeral Home in Eau Claire, and became licensed in Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Arizona. Baltramonas also is a licensed insurance agent, Certified Preplanning Consultant, Certified Crematory Operator, and a Certified Funeral Service Practitioner. He then worked at Lenmark Gomsrud Linn Funeral Home in Eau Claire before taking a position with Martin Schwartz Funeral Homes in Platteville, WI before joining Minnesota Valley Funeral Homes. Baltramonas enjoys golf, travel, ASU Football and Hockey, and yes, the Green Bay Packers. He is excited to be a part of the New Ulm community, and looks forward to experiencing all the area has to offer.
Blake Stiernagle
Licensed Funeral Director
Email: [emailprotected]
Blake Stiernagle is originally from the southern Minnesota city of Albert Lea. While attending Albert Lea High School, Blake worked at a local funeral home assisting with funerals and visitations. He continued that work after graduating from high school and while attending Riverland Community College where he graduated with his Associate of Arts degree in 2010. Blake then continued his education at the University of Minnesota – Twin Cities completing the program of Mortuary Science and earning his Bachelor of Science degree in Mortuary Science in May of 2012. While attending the University of Minnesota, Blake worked for and lived above a funeral home in downtown St. Paul. In June of 2012 Blake moved to central Minnesota where he worked for a local funeral home before moving back to southern Minnesota in the fall of 2013 to continue work as a Licensed Funeral Director.
Blake joined Minnesota Valley Funeral Homes in June of 2017 and he and his wife Holly look forward to raising their son in this wonderful and welcoming community. Blake and Holly are actively involved with the Minnesota Ovarian Cancer Alliance (MOCA) and the American Cancer Society and look forward to becoming engaged members of the community.
Zack Jensen
Licensed Funeral Director
Email: [emailprotected]
Zack was born and raised in New Ulm, where he graduated high school from New Ulm Public in 2011. After high school, he moved to Mankato and pursued a degree at MSU. In 2015, Zack earned a bachelor’s degree with magna cum laude honors. During his time in Mankato, Zack met and eventually married his wife, Whitney, on July 2nd, 2016. The couple moved back to New Ulm and are now both active in the community.
Zack’s work career started at his family owned business, Jensen Motors in New Ulm, where he worked in various roles ranging from detailing technician, car consultant, accounting intern, and warranty specialist. After graduating college, he met Eric Warmka through the New Ulm Young Professionals group, learned about the funeral industry, and volunteered on a few occasions at MVFH. Zack then decided to return to college to obtain a degree in mortuary science and has since graduated and become a licensed funeral director as of 2018. In 2020, he took over the duties of the former chapel manager at the funeral home.
In his free time, Zack enjoys building and working on computers and electronics. He attends church services at Christ the King Lutheran Church in New Ulm, is a former volunteer with the Brother/Sister Program at the YMCA in Mankato, and spends a great deal of time seeing his family and friends in the area. Zack and Whitney are very excited to be back in New Ulm and look forward to rejoining the community.
Amber Germscheid
Licensed Funeral Director
Email: [emailprotected]
Phone: 507-354-2312
Amber was born and raised in New Ulm. She graduated from New Ulm High School in 2004. Since early childhood, Amber knew she wanted to be a funeral director. Her path to accomplishing her dream job was detoured with the deaths of her step-dad and mom when she was in her early 20’s, but that didn’t stop her from continuing to work toward her goal. In 2013, Amber moved to the Twin Cities to complete her degree. She graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2019 with a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Mortuary Science. During her time in the metro, Amber worked with some wonderful funeral directors who were great mentors in helping guide her career in funeral service. She learned a lot and had many unique experiences but ultimately her plan was always to return to serve in her hometown. Amber joined the staff at Minnesota Valley Funeral Homes in June 2021. She and her husband Johnny live with their dog Lucy on the outskirts of town. Amber is a licensed funeral director, a certified crematory operator and a public notary.
