Meet Our Caring Team

Originally from Valley City, ND, Kasie attended Valley City State University and the University of North Dakota, where she studied marketing and forensic pathology. She graduated from mortuary school in 2015 from the Pittsburgh Institute of Mortuary Science, where she was Class President and President of the Student Senate. Kasie worked as a licensed funeral director in York County Pennsylvania for seven years and maintains her licensure in Pennsylvania. She is an Insight Institute Certified Funeral Celebrant, which means she is able to create and officiate uniquely personalized and meaningful services for families. In addition, Kasie is a Cremation Association of North America Certified Crematory Operator. Kasie is a member of the 2022-2023 NFDA National Emerging Leaders Program and plans to obtain her Iowa Funeral Director Licensure and Certified Funeral Service Practitioner certification.

Kasie enjoys traveling and trying new foods. She has visited nearly thirty different countries. Currently, Kasie is learning to play the piano and also aspires to run a marathon. 

Tracy (Murra) Jutting comes to us from Buffalo Center, IA. She graduated high school from there, attended Worsham College of Mortuary Science in Wheeling, IL and returned in 2011 to get back into small town funeral service, where it’s a good thing that everyone knows your name. 

She has enjoyed getting to know the people of Blue Earth and the surrounding communities since starting with the Southern MN group in 2018 and looks forward to many more years to come. She and her husband (Jarvis) enjoy traveling, and participating in area cornhole tournaments and home improvement projects. They have two boys, Jaycob & Domenic.

Rena graduated from the University of Minnesota Mortuary Science program in 2018. She is originally from Blue Earth and is excited to return home to serve the families of this community. She enjoys spending time with family and friends, working out and taking annual fishing trips up north. 

Royce is a native of Buffalo Center, IA.

He is a 1991 graduate of North Iowa High School in Buffalo Center and a 1993 graduate of Iowa Central Community College in Fort Dodge, IA with a degree in Broadcasting. He started his broadcasting career at KIOW Radio in Forest City, IA when he was a senior in high school. He later joined the staff at KBEW Radio here in Blue Earth in 1993, as 98 Country’s first weekend announcer. He moved into the sales and sports departments in 1994 and remained there until 2001, when he enrolled in the Mortuary Science program at Carl Sandburg College in Galesburg, IL and graduated from the program in 2003.

Royce worked for Winter Funeral Home and Cremation Service of Buffalo Center starting in 1996, and returned there after graduating from Mortuary school to run there Blue Earth location which opened in 2003, he returned to KBEW in 2005 also in the sales department and as a sports broadcaster, and can still be heard on KBEW.

He is a Minnesota and Iowa licensed funeral director and joined our staff in 2014.

Royce lives in Blue Earth and is single.

Royce is a member of his home church, the First Congregational Church in Buffalo Center and enjoys being with family and friends, sports, especially the Iowa Hawkeyes and the Minnesota Vikings and traveling.

Andrew Schwarz joined Patton Funeral Home & Cremation Service as an Advance Funeral Planner in January of 2022. He grew up and graduated from Charles City, Iowa, and later moved to Des Moines, Iowa where he spent several years working in the mortgage industry. He completed his MBA at the University of Phoenix and taught classes as an adjunct college instructor for four years. In June of 2012, he moved to Albert Lea and has lived and worked there since.

Andrew and his wife, Corissa, were married in October of 2018. Together, they have four adult children. One of Andrew’s favorite pastimes is searching for antiques at various estate sales and auctions. He is an avid collector of several types of antiques, including a large collection of old books, cameras, tobacco tins, and antique commercial trade cards. He also enjoys spending time on walks and bike rides with his wife along the many beautiful nature trails and lakes. You’ll often find him fishing on Fountain Lake and gardening in his spare time.

Gwen (Braunshausen) Armon grew up on a farm in rural Easton, MN, and graduated from Delavan High School in 1989. She went on to get a four-year degree in hotel and restaurant administration at Southwest State in Marshall, MN. After living in the Twin Cities for two years, she moved back to the area in 1995 when she married her husband, Ted Armon. Together they have three children: Jared, Madison, and Katherine. Gwen worked for United Hospital in town for over 20 years and really enjoyed her work in Home Health/Hospice. After taking a break from working, she always thought she would like to join the staff at Patton Funeral Home. Life’s experiences have taught her to show compassion and kindness to people, especially in difficult times. Gwen loves the balance of working part time at the funeral home and being a mom and wife. Her favorite things to do are spending time with family and friends, talking, taking boat or Jeep rides, having bonfires, and being up north.

Tracy has been helping conduct funeral services for three years. Tracy is a lifelong Elmore resident, graduating from Elmore High School in 1983. Tracy farms near Elmore and lives in Blue Earth. He is the father to two wonderful daughters, Rena and Delaney. Tracy enjoys spending time with his family, golfing, fishing and participating in all kinds of recreational sports.