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November 17. 2009 6:00AM

Todd Winkel is now seeing a five-year dream rise from the ground up.

Last week, Winkel and business associates broke ground for his new business, Heartland Funeral Home. It will be the second funeral facility in Brandon and is going up in the Heartland Commercial Development at 1801 Frontier St., across from Brandon Mini Lynx Childcare Center.

“This (project) has actually been on the ground since January, but it’s been a five-year dream to get into this realm of business,” Winkel said, “and I’m excited to come back and work in a hometown feel community.”

That “hometown feel” is why Winkel, a Sioux Falls native, decided to build his business here. “I have many friends from Brandon that have embraced me, so I feel like a part of Brandon already.”

Construction on the 7,000 square-foot building got underway earlier this fall, and Winkel plans to take occupancy in March. The funeral home will feature a chapel with a capacity of about 200, a separate viewing room, prep room, lunch facility, merchandise room, offices, a conference area and a fireside room. Heartland Funeral Home will also have its own Web site, www.heartlandfunerals.com and will make available several technological offerings, Winkel said.
In the future, he plans to add an outdoor area for family, including a play space for children.

Since Aug. 1, Winkel has been operating as Heartland Funeral Chapel in rented space at 1324 E. Cedar St.

“I was able to find a location here where I can sit down and meet with families and have a little bit of a showroom,” he said. Until Winkel is in his new facility, he is working through Chapel Hill Funeral Home in Sioux Falls on an extension of their license.

“It’s granted me some exposure and granted some people the opportunity to come in and see what options they have here in Brandon,” he said.

Kim Cerwick, executive director of Brandon Valley Area Chamber of Commerce, is elated Winkel chose Brandon for Heartland Funeral Home.

“It’s always great to get another business and having two of something is never a bad thing,” she said. “Obviously, the addition of any business is a positive for our community.”

Brandon is actually gaining two businesses under one roof. Winkel will share space with Shon Thompson, who will relocate Thompson Bookkeeping and Printing from his home outside of Colton to Brandon.

“That way, I will always have a person working in the office with me,” Winkel said. “Because what I really want to focus on is the personal touch of this business. I want to give people 100 percent confidence that I am totally there for them.”

Winkel has had a varied work career, having worked in radio, lawn care and landscaping, and law enforcement. He’s also worked at funeral homes in Sioux Falls and Sturgis.

It was his work in law enforcement that sparked his interest in a career as a mortician and funeral home director.

“Working in law enforcement I saw death in a different way,” he said. “Having to notify people (of a death), I realized I wasn’t bothered by death and my faith has always allowed me to deal with death.”
Winkel, who has a degree in public relations, received his degree in mortuary science from the Kansas City School of Mortuary Science. After completing a nine-month apprenticeship, he worked at Kinkaid Funeral Home in Sturgis for two years before coming to Brandon.

“All of these things have given me some life experience,” he said. “We all come from different walks of life, and this has taught me to relate with all people.”