History
Since February of 2013, Metro First Call has been providing transportation services for funeral homes, medical colleges, and medical examiners throughout the state of Minnesota. In January of 2017, we expanded and diversified our services for the industry to include cremation, preparation, shipping, and refrigerated storage. In an effort to further serve our clients, alkaline hydrolysis was added to the list in January of 2018. Metro First Call is committed to offering our customers quality service and competitive pricing, as well as to providing our employees with a positive, interesting, educational, and fairly compensated employment experience, all while maintaining a safe working environment.
Get in touch
We at Metro First Call know that finding the right service to represent your funeral home is a choice not to be taken lightly. Give us a call to schedule a tour of our facility and to discuss your needs.
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Licensed Staff
Minnesota License No. M-2839
Owner
Timothy Koch
Tim, owner of Metro First Call, grew up a Viking fan in Rhinelander, Wisconsin. As a freshman in high school, he already knew he was going to be a funeral director. Tim credits his mentor, a family friend and funeral home owner: “He always found lots of little jobs for me so I spent quite a bit of time at his facility…cleaning, moving flowers, etc.“ After graduating from the University of Minnesota in 1982, Tim worked as a funeral director for 10 years. He then accepted the position of mortician inspector with the Mortuary Science Section of the Minnesota Department of Health. After 20 years in this capacity, in February of 2013, Tim started Metro First Call, a transport service for funeral homes, medical colleges, and medical examiners. His original idea was “One Man and a Van.” However, today he is grateful to the many customers and dedicated employees who have put their trust in Metro First Call, making it possible to expand on services offered for the industry.
Education
COLLEGE
University of Minnesota, MN
DEGREE
B. S. in Mortuary Science
Minnesota License No. M-4150
LICENSED MORTICIAN
Ryan Koch
It’s not always easy being the owner’s son, but someone has to do it! Ryan has taken on that role! Ryan grew up in Savage, Minnesota, where he learned about funeral service at a young age from his dad. He didn’t plan to follow in his footsteps until he was half way through a business degree at Bethany Lutheran College. The opportunity to work for the new family business enticed him away from his summer job at Valley Fair, and he returned to college that fall with new aspirations. After finishing his business degree at Bethany, he continued his schooling in the University of Minnesota Program of Mortuary Science, graduating in the summer of 2016. In his free time, Ryan and his wife enjoy tennis, long walks, and quality time with friends and family.
Education
COLLEGE
University of Minnesota, MN
DEGREE
B. S. in Mortuary Science
Minnesota License No. M-2823
LICENSED MORTICIAN
Mike Shea
Mike Shea, aka national football champion, Vietnam Veteran, Soo Line Railroad worker, grandpa (to 13), author… has worn a lot of hats! Mike has been a funeral director since 1986. After graduating from the University of Minnesota, he began his career at Hoplin Funeral Home in Glenwood, Minnesota, where he still resides today with his wife Peggy.
In 2004 Mike left funeral service to attend Minnesota Adult and Teen Challenge. This led to his current connection with Serenity Village Recovery Ministry and Church in Crystal and New Hope, where he devotes much time to those in recovery from addiction. Mike says, “It's very meaningful to visit prisons and jails…It's been a great joy to be part of growing church in the metro area.“ To spend a few days per week on this passion, Mike makes a 2-hour trek from his home each Sunday, and we at Metro First Call have been able take advantage of his free time on those days since he joined our staff in October of 2013.
Education
COLLEGE
University of Minnesota, MN
DEGREE
B. S. in Mortuary Science
Minnesota License No. M-2371
Licensed Mortician
Dick Schmidt
Dick Schmidt is our Renaissance Man…mortician, business owner, death investigator, Trails & Waterways Technician for the Department of Natural Resources, eye enucleator, private pilot, farmer, family man, and even medic for the US Army Reserves!
Dick has worked in the death-care industry since 1973 when he graduated from the University of Minnesota’s Program of Mortuary Science. Dick has worked in various capacities in the field. He opened and operated a livery service in St. Paul in the mid-1970s, providing hearses, limousine service, first calls, and trade embalming to local funeral homes. Following this was 37 years of part-time work with three Minnesota medical examiner offices, starting as an autopsy prosector and advancing to position of death investigator. In the 90s, Dick added to his resume Certified Enucleator for the Minnesota Lion’s Eye Bank. We were delighted to welcome him to our team in December of 2015.
Many of Dick’s off-duty days are spent on his hobby farm where he resides with his wife of 50+ years. Here he can be found hiking, sport shooting, mushroom hunting, and spending time with seven grandchildren.
Education
COLLEGE
University of Minnesota, MN
DEGREE
B. S. in Mortuary Science
Minnesota License No. M-4144
LICENSED MORTICIAN
Devon Sandgren
Devon is our sports enthusiast who grew up in Redwood Falls, Minnesota, with his parents and 4 siblings. Creighton University in Omaha was his first venture from the nest. After 2 years there, he began his mortuary science endeavor at the University of Minnesota where he graduated in 2016. He then returned to Redwood Falls to complete his internship, but his home town couldn’t hold onto to him. In August of 2017, he returned to the twin cities area and began his journey here at Metro First Call where he has been a great fit!
In his free time, Devon enjoys watching sports (especially baseball and hockey), playing video games, and hanging out with friends.
Education
COLLEGE
University of Minnesota, MN
DEGREE
B. S. in Mortuary Science
Minnesota License No. M-4158
LICENSED MORTICIAN
Jacob Sellers
Although night call is typically not a favorite part of funeral service, Jacob took it on with no complaints for three years when he began his journey with Metro First Call in March of 2018. He has since graduated from the “graveyard” shift and has adjusted very well to the daytime crew.
Jacob grew up in Watertown, South Dakota, with his parents and his brother, Nick. His first college endeavor was that of a pharmacy student at South Dakota State University where he earned a Bachelor of Science in general biology. Jacob soon decided this pharmaceutical career would not fulfill his desire to interact with people. Several family deaths piqued his curiosity for funeral service, instigating a move to the twin cities. In 2016, Jacob graduated from the University of Minnesota, earning a Bachelor of Science in biology with an emphasis in Mortuary Science.
Jacob and his wife enjoy walking their two dogs Harper and Demon and exploring other trails in the metro area. In his free time Jacob enjoys reading, games, and catching up with friends.
Education
COLLEGE
University of Minnesota, MN
South Dakota State University, SD
DEGREE
B. S. in General Biology
B. S. in Biology with Emphasis in Mortuary Science
Minnesota License No. M-4183
Licensed Mortician
Nick Strehler
Nick dates back to the beginning of Metro First Call, our first summer in business! We knew he was a keeper after he spent over 24 hours with Tim and still stuck with us! At the time he was a student at Bethany Lutheran College, majoring in Exercise Science. By the end of that summer his plans had changed. So, after finishing his first degree at Bethany, he entered the Mortuary Science Program at the University of Minnesota where he earned his second Bachelor of Science in 2017.
Nick had a double focus during college, as he was also serving in the National Guard. After joining in 2010, he spent time in Kuwait and Iraq, among other places. He left the military in 2016 as a sergeant. Besides spending his free time with his wife and son, he may be found exercising, target shooting, and playing video games.
Education
COLLEGE
University of Minnesota, MN
DEGREE
B. S. in Mortuary Science
Minnesota License No. M-2468
LICENSED MORTICIAN
Tim Clausen
Tim grew up in Bloomington, Minnesota and is a 1976 graduate from the School of Mortuary Science at the University of Minnesota. He began his career in funeral service in the fall of 1974 at Werness Brothers Funeral Chapels. Early in his career he wanted to experience funeral service in rural Minnesota while briefly employed in West Concord and Owatonna. Tim spent the majority of his career, 38 years, at Willwerscheid Funeral Home and Cremation Service in Saint Paul, Minnesota, till he retired full time from them on June 15th, 2019. Throughout Tim’s career he experienced immense satisfaction in serving thousands of families one at a time at their worst possible moment in life, that being the death of their loved ones. Tim and his wife enjoy fishing, hiking, and spending time up north at the lake with their 5 grandchildren, family, and friends. They become snow birds in the winter spending two months in Tucson, Arizona, each year.
Fun Fact: Tim Clausen (TC) and Tim Koch (TK…see 1st bio) first crossed paths in 1980 when TC was a mortician and TK was a U of M student, both working for Werness Brothers. Now 40 years later, the two Tims are working together again.
Education
COLLEGE
University of Minnesota, MN
DEGREE
B. S. in Mortuary Science
Minnesota License No. M-3734
LICENSED MORTICIAN
Angela Woosley
Angela grew up in Kenosha, WI, the daughter of a registered nurse and a Lutheran pastor. She believes if you cross your eyes and squint, “that’s a mortician!” After graduating from UMN in 2004, she worked at and managed several funeral homes in the Twin Cities metro, then joined the faculty at the UMN Program of Mortuary Science in Fall 2009. After ten years molding a generation of future funeral directors, she embarked on a new adventure in deathcare as the proprietor of Inspired Journeys and also joined our team part-time at Metro First Call. She is especially passionate about including and inviting families into the process of an initial transfer to create powerful moments of meaning at the first call. In addition to her spouse and a burgeoning ark of pets, she enjoys playing Scrabble, collecting Blythe dolls, and making handmade lampwork glass beads and jewelry.
Education
COLLEGE
University of Minnesota, MN
DEGREES
B. S. in Mortuary Science
M.A. in Family Social Science
Minnesota License No. M-4210
LICENSED MORTICIAN
Joua Her
Joua grew up with five brothers and one sister in White Bear Lake, Minnesota. As a youngster, she and her family attended many funerals, and Joua was drawn in by the history, culture and science of this profession. By the time she was in 4th grade, she already had her answer to the common question, What do you want to be when you grow up? In 2018 her dream was realized when she became a licensed mortician after earning her degree at the University of Minnesota. Joua worked a few years at a funeral home in St. Paul before coming on full time with Metro First Call in the fall of 2020. Her favorite part of funeral service is helping families. In the future she plans to work more directly with the Hmong community.
Joua resides with her husband and their two cats. One of her favorite activities is bouldering, and she also enjoys long drives and road trips.
Education
COLLEGE
University of Minnesota, MN
DEGREES
B. S. in Mortuary Science
Minnesota License No. M-2726
LICENSED MORTICIAN
Barth Humlie
Barth’s story is one that has “dedication” written all over it! In April of 2021, he retired from full-time funeral service. At the time he was working at Morris Nilsen Chapel, where he served for 37 years of his 42-year career, demonstrating an unwavering passion for funeral service. He was involved in all aspects of the profession right up to his last full-time day. During these years he especially enjoyed meeting people from all walks of life, hearing their life experiences, and helping them through a difficult time.
Barth and his wife have two children and two grandchildren. He enjoys travel, biking, fishing, and the great outdoors!
Education
COLLEGE
Worsham College of Mortuary Science
DEGREES
B. S. in Mortuary Science
Minnesota License No. M-3707
LICENSED MORTICIAN
Shaun Heath
Shaun is a native of Eau Claire, Wisconsin. In spite of his allegiance to the Packers, we knew he would be a great fit at MFC! After two years studying Natural Resources at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, he was inspired by biological sciences, specifically Mortuary Science. With no previous death care experience, he began an apprenticeship at an Eau Claire funeral home and realized his calling to serve the deceased and bereaved. Shaun transferred to the University of Minnesota to continue his baccalaureate and earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Mortuary Science in 2004. Following practicum, he returned to work in Eau Claire before moving on to Duluth, Rochester, and currently the metro. Shaun has many years of experience in anatomical bequest and organ and tissue donation having supported transplantation, medical education and research in Minnesota. Shaun joined Metro First Call in March 2022. In his free time he enjoys foraging, rucking and international travel with his girlfriend.
Education
COLLEGE
University of Minnesota, MN
DEGREES
B. S. in Mortuary Science
Minnesota License No. M-4358
LICENSED MORTICIAN
Chloe Iverson
Chloe is a first-generation mortician who grew up in rural Dassel, Minnesota, a whopping 10-minute drive from the world’s largest ball of twine! At the age of 16, she began a 5-year stretch as a nursing assistant at long-term care facilities, and also through home care and hospice care. During that time, she encountered many morticians who would often share their experiences and include her in the transfers. This was an honorable and special opportunity for Chloe to provide final care to patients who had become like family to her. In 2019, she eventually had the “courage” to reach out to a funeral home to discuss a mortician’s career. Unexpectedly, this funeral home offered her an administrative position, and she wound up loving the work! After completing and graduating from the University of Minnesota Program of Mortuary Science in 2022, Chloe returned to that same funeral home to complete her internship. She joined our team here at Metro First Call in August of 2023. Among the many components of this profession, Chloe most appreciates the variety of personal skills which are used, developed, and discovered.
In her free time, Chloe enjoys exploring new restaurants and shops, spending time on the lake in the summertime, trying out fitness classes, and touring parades of homes.
Education
COLLEGE
University of Minnesota, MN
DEGREES
B. S. in Mortuary Science