Meet Our Staff
Outstanding Service is Our Priority
The highest level of care starts with the quality staff members who will meet with your family. When you lose someone you love, you need someone who will listen to you and provide a healing and meaningful experience. Our highly qualified staff is ready to assist you throughout this difficult time.
Dale and Tonya Knouse
Owners
Dale began his career in funeral service in 1980. He is a graduate of Worsham College of Mortuary Science, where he was awarded the Restorative Art Award.
He and his wife, Tonya, were married on September 29, 1990, and have two sons, David and Matthew. Dale and Tonya worship at La Porte Missionary Church.
The Knouses became part of the Cutler Family on December 1, 1993. Dale is a Funeral Director and Tonya is our Administrative Assistant. After almost 20 years of service with the Cutler Family, they became owners of the funeral home on January 1, 2012.
Rob Stone
Director
Rob obtained an associate degree in applied science from Ivy-Tech State College in December of 2004. He is a licensed funeral director and embalmer in the states of Indiana and Illinois. He has been with Cutler Funeral Home since 2013, bringing with him a great deal of experience. Rob is a supporter and volunteer for the La Porte County Republican Party.
Lisa Novak
Administrative Assistant
Lisa Novak, through a series of "God-orchestrated" events, joined the Cutler family as the Administrative Assistant in April 2019. She was raised in the close-knit community of Bunker Hill, Indiana, attended Taylor University, and graduated from Indiana Wesleyan University in 1995.
Lisa and her husband, Charlie, have been married since 1997. They have lived in La Porte for most of their married life and have two very loved daughters, Elisabeth and Rebekah. Their family worships at La Porte Missionary Church.
Dora Nelson
Preplanning Advisor
Dora Nelson became part of the Cutler Family in 2020. She and her husband, Richard, live in La Porte.
The Cutler Family knows that each and every person matters, and Dora is experienced in helping a person work through their own memorialization. Today, there are so many ways we can remember and honor the unique lives that we live. Memorialization can be a personal experience that reflects the personal values, interests and experience of our lives and help those who we leave behind to remember what matters the most.
Andrew Knouse
Family-Focused Ambassador
Andrew has been associated with funeral service since 1980. Andrew wears many hats at Cutler Funeral Home and is involved in everything from building maintenance to accounting. We are blessed to have a third Knouse Family member as part of the Cutler Family.
He and his wife, Cathy, live in Michigan City, where Andrew is a firefighter with the Michigan City Fire Department and Cathy is a teacher at Joy Elementary School. They have two daughters, Hannah and Emily. In their spare time, they enjoy camping, fishing, and sports. They worship at Queen of All Saints Catholic Church in Michigan City.
Ken Croumlich
Family Ambassador
Ken's interest in funeral service dates back to the late 1960s. When his grandmother died while he was in junior high school in North Liberty, he had the opportunity to observe funeral directors helping his family. The great value of their service was obvious, and he felt a calling to be involved in some way. Even though his life went a different direction and he did not become a funeral director, funeral service was always in the back of his mind.
In 2011, Ken became part of the Cutler Family. He is honored to work with a group of kind and compassionate individuals with a common goal of helping families cope with their loss. He and his wife, Nancy, live in New Carlisle, and are active in their church and other activities in La Porte.
Tony Williams
Family-Focused Ambassador
Tony Williams became part of the Cutler Family in October 2014. He holds a B.A. in Political Science and American Studies from Anderson University in Indiana and an M.A. in Public Administration from Miami University in Ohio. His father is an ordained minister and his exposure to funeral service began at an early age.
Tony is the proud father of a terrific daughter, Natalie, and is blessed to worship at First Church of God in La Porte. He is honored to be able to serve his community through Cutler Funeral Home and strives to bring integrity, compassion, and caring to the process of assisting families cope with one of life's biggest challenges - the loss of a loved one.
Tiffany Dobben
Family Ambassador
Brittany Meadows
Family Ambassador
Brandon Martin
Family Ambassador
Michael Smesler
Family-Focused Ambassador
Thomas Matz
Family Ambassador
Thomas joined the Cutler family in January 2023. Thomas and his wife, Linda, live in La Porte. He is a maintenance technician with Gene B. Glick Company, and Linda is a teacher at Riley Elementary School. They have a beautiful daughter, Avalyn, and worship at Christ Gospel Church of La Porte, where Thomas is the piano player and music director. In his free time, Thomas enjoys playing the piano and being outdoors with his family.
In Loving Memory
John "Jack" Hodowal
In Loving Memory
In August 2001, after a fifty-year career in sales, John "Jack" Hodowal became part of the Cutler Family. Jack honorably served our country as a Navy Veteran. Jack passed on September 22, 2015, at the age of 85. We were blessed to have Jack as part of our caring staff. We honor his memory by continuing to proudly display his staff photo as a tribute to a life well-lived.
Dennis G. Durnell
In Loving Memory
Dennis, a 49-year veteran in funeral service in La Porte County, joined the Cutler Family in 2000. He passed on June 8, 2014, and as a loving tribute to him, his wife Karen, and their family, we display his photo in honor of the countless families he served over the span of five decades.
SUPPORT AFTER A LOSS
Circle of Friends+ provides you with resources on grief support and settling affairs, sent to you via text and email.
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