For four generations and 110 years, the Kleemann family of funeral directors has provided professional and compassionate care for the community of Waikerie and its surrounds. After 25 years of dedicated service, Stephen and Bev of SA Kleemann Funerals have decided it is time to move toward retirement, a transition that marks the end of an era.
However, the torch has been passed to a familiar face in the community, the locally owned and operated, Riverland Funerals.
As a third-generation, family-owned and operated funeral home, Riverland Funerals carries the same family values and dedication to community that residents of Waikerie are accustomed to. While
Riverland Funerals has already been serving the Waikerie community from their existing sites in Berri and Renmark, the team is now looking forward to serving the families of Waikerie from Waikerie.
Riverland Funerals intends to continue operating the Waikerie chapel, office, and mortuary as a fully functional and full-serviced funeral home. The telephone will still be answered 24 hours a day, seven days a week. All existing staff have been offered the opportunity to stay on with Riverland Funerals and they will now be supported by more than 10 additional staff from the Berri office. This will result in additional services being offered in the Riverland West and Mid Murray areas as Riverland Funerals roll out other offerings that are currently provided in the Renmark and Berri districts.
Once established at the Waikerie site, Riverland Funerals will be advertising for additional positions based in Waikerie, as the business believes that each area needs to have the opportunity to be served by people from within their local community. This will generate new employment opportunities within the Waikerie region in the coming months and years.
Those who have pre-planned funerals with SA Kleemann Funerals can rest assured that Riverland Funerals will honour all existing pre-paid funerals and bonds and have received all records related to preplanning from Steve and Bev.
Both SA Kleemann and Riverland Funerals have had a long history as active members of the Australian Funeral Directors Association (AFDA) demonstrating their commitment to ongoing development and high professional standards.
Riverland Funerals: A short history of three generations
The story of Riverland Funerals began in the late 1970s when John Sweet and his wife Joy entered a partnership with his friend David Chandler of Chandler Funerals to form Riverland Funerals.
However, the identity of Riverland Funerals as a completely family-owned and family-operated funeral home began in 1984 when John’s daughter and son-in-law Robyn and Terry Mullan purchased the remaining share of the company from David.
Through his active involvement in the Australian Funeral Directors Association (AFDA), the peak industry body for the funeral industry, John set Riverland Funerals on a path of continual improvement and client-centric service.
During the late 1980s, John’s wife Joy, and sons Don and Bill joined the business. In 1993, Bill left to pursue a life in the state’s South-East. As John and Joy transitioned to retirement later in the 1990s Don took on the role of Managing Director, and along with the support of his wife Vicky, re-imagined Riverland Funerals as a horizontally integrated funeral service provider delivering a truly personalised experience.
During the 1990s Don’s son Leon also joined the team and engaged in all aspects of the business before deciding to focus primarily on monumental masonry and purchasing a separate business, Riverland Memorials, in 2014.
As a related entity, Don and Vicky also established Riverland Cremation Services, a local crematorium, in 2004, which meant that Riverland residents no longer needed to leave the region to be cremated.
Sharyn Moll, Don’s sister, and John’s middle child joined the team in 2016. As Don approached his own retirement Sharyn took on Don’s role in leading the business and is now the General Manager of Riverland Funerals.
Sharyn’s son, Colin Moll joined the team in 2018 and now carries the role of Business Systems Manager. Later that year, Bill also returned to the Riverland and now carries the role of Operations Manager.
Over the years Sharyn’s husband and two other sons had minor roles in the business as well, as did Don’s son Allan.
More recently in 2024 Bill’s son McCartney, has also joined the team at Riverland Funerals and is looking forward to learning many aspects of the business.
The organisation has now expanded to include the management team, funeral directors, and funeral directors assistants. The majority of staff are full time supplemented by some casual positions.
Both John Sweet and Don Sweet have served as President of the SA/NT Division of AFDA and Sharyn Moll will become President of the SA/NT Division of AFDA later this year. In 2018 Don even received a Distinguished Service Award in recognition of his contribution to both the AFDA and the wider funeral profession. All three have also served in various other capacities including as National Directors of the AFDA.
Managing Your Grief
Grief is complex and has many facets. There is no right or wrong way to react to a loss. No two individuals will react in the same way.
Grief can include physical, intellectual, spiritual, social, emotional and occupational elements and is considered to be normal response to an abnormal event.
When you are recovering give yourself some time to grieve and work through your emotions. There is no set time-frame when it comes to recovery.
Acknowledge what you are going through.
Know that your emotions are likely to change day by day.
Maintain a normal routine whenever possible.
Ensure you are getting enough sleep or rest.
Try and maintain a healthy and balanced diet.
Drink plenty of water.
Talk openly with family and friends on how you are really feeling.
Seek out professional help if you feel you need to.
Consider joining a support group.
