After I posted the same review on google maps Mr Pietryka found a way to remove his negative…read morereviews from there and now he shows up as a 5-star business. This is not true. Yelp doesn't allow businesses to remove the reviews so you will find here more accurate reviews. I chose this funeral home to transport casket to Poland. Through the whole complex process there were many mistakes, poor communication and poor execution. Below I provided some of the examples of Pietryka Funeral Home professional negligence: - The death certificate had to be corrected TWICE because Pietryka funeral home submitted wrong information - as basic as the birthdate of a deceased person, marital status and a county for the address. It's really perplexing how a funeral home couldn't handle correctly their basic responsibility. - After reviewing an initial quote I realized that Mr Pietryka charged me for services not performed and I had to request a credit. I received the credit but it is appalling to take advantage of people in such a painful life circumstances. - Mr Pietryka picks up every phone call, but I have never received a phone call back nor I was informed at any point about the progress of formalities. The phone calls with Mr. Pietryka were quick and dismissive. For example, I was told that death certificate will be completed Monday afternoon, but it was completed on Friday and they didn't inform me about it. They started sending it out to other parties with wrong information (including Polish authorities). I found out about it on Tuesday, and the first mistake was corrected on Wednesday causing a delay in processing all of the formalities that needed to be resubmitted. - Pietryka funeral home assured me that the casket can be open in Poland. But later, while I was already in Poland, I found out from their transportation partner that the Polish law doesn't allow that. How come the funeral home doesn't know the law (in business they claim to be for 20+ years) is beyond me. That was the first thing that their transportation partner told me when I was with them on the phone. - Mr Pietryka gave me wrong information about the final delivery date in Poland (he didn't know how the logistics of their transportation partner work). - Pietryka funeral home did not once call me or took responsibility for handling communication with their transportation partner. I had to call them separately for information and clarifications. There were other conflicting information coming from their transportation partner vs what Mr. Pietryka initially told me (too morbid to describe here). - I had to request an invoice twice after they charged me and I got one a week later (invoice was needed for some formalities). Pietryka's professional negligence and failure to perform basic tasks is staggering. I worried about many things that I shouldn't be worried during this difficult time. I paid a lot of money for an "expert" to handle formalities but as it turned out they were failing at basic tasks, lacking basic knowledge, compassion, sensitivity and decency in this most challenging moment of my life. There is no do-overs in the last journey of a loved one. And once they get you they know you can't change it. I wish I had chosen a different funeral home to help me say final goodbye to my mother. I didn't feel that my mom's final journey was handled in a respectful and honorable manner causing even more pain in this already painful life circumstances. I received a few recommendations for Wojchechowski funeral home, unfortunately, it was after I already started business with Pietryka. Maybe it will be helpful for those who are reading this comment and don't know other alternatives.

I am so disgusted and disappointed in the workers who run this funeral home. We had a wake today…read morefor my Uncle who passed away a few days ago. Not only was there NO WORKER in sight most of the time, but we had to ask them numerous times to actually do what they were supposed to do during the wake. But the main thing that made me so mad was the fact that they allowed A RANDOM PERSON TO TOUR OUR WAKE CEREMONY! I understand showing the empty rooms but DO NOT ALLOW SOMEONE TO WALK IN AND TOUR AN ACTIVE WAKE CEREMONY. And yes, I heard the worker tell the woman who was touring, "yeah absolutely take a look inside". HOW DARE YOU!! And when we addressed the issue, the acted as if it wasn't a big deal. They only care about business, they have NO compassion and NO heart. They disrespected my Uncle and I truly suggest going anywhere but here. All they care about is money.

Chaz, the director. Was great, guided us through the whole process, during one of our most trying…read moretimes. Everything was perfect. Our lovely angel looked beautiful.

Stepson Funeral 2-16-18. Nice, clean facility…read more Very life like appearance of my stepson....exceptional! Reasonable price. Owner answered all questions...very helpful. Would definitely recommend.

I have had prior experiences with Smith & Thomas that have been satisfactory. However, when I dealt…read morewith them on a more personal and intimate level in regards to my wife's internment, I was beyond satisfied. They presented my darling Wife to the world as being the beautiful, smiling woman that I fell in love with at Austin High all those years ago. I can't say enough on how the staff helped me through some of the most difficult days of my life. The service was handled with care and professionalism. I thank the entire staff for the way my Neicy was treated! Darryl E. Blackmon

If I could give this place zero stars I personally would. I never experienced the level of…read moredisrespect, disregard and unprofessional from a company until I did business with Smith and Thomas Funeral Home Inc. 1.) In the middle of making my dad's funeral arrangements. My baby sister was in a physical altercation with an employee of Smith and Thomas Funeral Home. No staff members apologized to the family or even attempted to remove the violent employee from the premises. I sadly was in the middle of the physical altercation and I am currently 5 months pregnant. 2.) While making our funeral arrangements the next day. The owner Mary Smith was micromanaging every step of planning process. There was constant calls and she kept demanding to have our life insurance policy brought to her. I believe these matters could have and should have been handle once we left the office. 3.) My father was not dressed in the appropriate attire that I picked out and informed the funeral director of my selection. When I asked a staff member why is my dad dressed that way. They informed me "Oh I don't know, Ms. Smith instructed me, oh there is nothing I can do". My siblings and I were faced with complete disrespect and disregard. It wasn't until I threaded to make a formal complaint that my wishes were taken seriously. 4.) During my father's visitation the owner Mary Smith, verbally attacked me. 5.) At my dad's funeral that same employee Eunice Young who attacked my sister was apart of his funeral service. Mary Smith and her staff had no regard for the disrespect and violence me and my siblings endured. Losing a loved one is a difficult time. Losing a parent is a very hard pill to swallow. A company such as Smith and Thomas Funeral Home who has been in business this long. Should have been more professionally and more respectable. Due to my siblings really wanting to use their services that is the ONLY reason we went with them. Sadly, my father Eric Smith was the vice president of Smith and Thomas Funeral Home. He worked there for 26 years. This establishment found every way possible to constantly disrespect and disregard his children. I highly advise NO ONE to use their services. Please seek peace and use another company. This is a terrible company.

Great Funeral Home that I recently visited. Last time I was here it was over 10 years ago. The…read moreservice provided here for a friend of mine that recently passed away was above and beyond. Great levels of hospitality and it is a warm, inviting environment. What I do recommend that I think is the major issue here is that if you know that the person has a large family please carpool over here because parking is limited and I had to see people park half a mile away or across the street to make their way into the funeral home.

Our family will be forever grateful to Damar-Kaminski Funeral Home & Crematorium for the…read moreextraordinary care and compassion they showed us during the most difficult time of our lives. Losing someone you love is never easy, but the way they guided us through every step brought comfort when we needed it most. From the very first conversation, Bogdan Gal treated us not just as clients, but as family. His kindness, patience, and genuine empathy meant more than words can express. He handled every detail of the arrangements for Joanna Bednarz's funeral with the utmost dignity and respect. The service was truly beautiful -- thoughtful, elegant, and perfectly reflective of Joanna's life and spirit. Bogdan's steady guidance helped us feel supported and reassured through every decision. We are also deeply thankful to Renia, whose warmth and understanding comforted us from the moment we walked through the doors. She was incredibly organized, responsive, and gentle in every interaction, making a painful process feel a little less overwhelming. A heartfelt thank you as well to Donna and the entire staff. Every single person we encountered showed compassion, professionalism, and sincere care. Their attention to detail and quiet support during the service did not go unnoticed. They created an atmosphere of peace and respect that allowed our family to grieve, remember, and honor Joanna in the most meaningful way. In a time filled with sorrow, Damar-Kaminski Funeral Home & Crematorium provided light, comfort, and dignity. We will never forget the beautiful service they created for Joanna or the compassion they showed our family. From the bottom of our hearts, thank you for helping us say goodbye with love and grace. May God Bless you all, Bednarz Family

Not the usual place you'll see reviewed on Yelp, but at some point in everyone's life, you need to…read morefind one. We're pleased to say that we found an absolutely exceptional one when my dad passed away. We've had prior dealings with this funeral home, as it was the same place where my wife's grandmother and her father had their wake years ago. Schielka has been a recognized place on the far NW side of Chicago for a long time, serving the community in the O-streets and P-streets on the edge of the city. While Cumberland Chapels in Norridge is bigger and seemingly more popular, Schielka is a smaller yet more suitable venue, especially for a small family like ours who did not need to pay a premium for a large facility that can accommodate hundreds of visitors. Schielka has several chapels, divided by removable curtain-style wall partitions, which can be expanded into a larger room if needed. Bob, the funeral director was a pleasure to deal with. We first met him last July, since my dad was in hospice and at end stage Parkinson's. My mom and I pre-selected the casket and set up the preliminary details since we knew we would need to do this sooner or later. We told him about my dad's personal background he needed to make a newspaper obituary as well as our church of choice and some of the basic requests for the ceremony. When time came to set the day and time for the wake, Bob was both compassionate and helpful in arranging the details, a true professional for a very difficult job. He helped us with everything from filing the death certificate paperwork to the choice of printed cards we were going to give out with my dad's name on back and a prayer. My family was impressed with the embalming work too. In his final days, my dad's face shrunk and his temples sagged inward. He was chewing his lips and they were bloodied and damaged badly. Using a photo from the 1990s I furnished, Bob was able to make my dad look natural, and about 10 years younger, as if there was nothing wrong with him. We appreciated all the attention to details Bob gave and would recommend Schielka to anyone.

I can't say enough about the support, comfort, and care we received during a heartbreaking time in…read moreour lives. Bob treated us like family. Everyone at Schielka was so very kind and above and beyond. so many changes came up and Bob just guided us through. He was a backbone when needed it and understanding. He took soooo many calls day and night and again we were treated like family. This place is exceptional! Bob is exceptional. From the bottom of my heart, thank you! God bless you as you sure do bless others!!!!!!! xoxoxoxo Patti G

In my line of work, I have had to deal with funeral homes quite a bit. Lakeview Funeral Home is by…read morefar the superior funeral home in the Chicagoland area who will treat you with the grace, sensitivity and respect that you need and the one that you lost deserves. No one's mind is in the right place when they have lost someone they love but with the staff at Lakeview (and big shout out to Willie Rodriguez who is my go to point of contact), what you forget, they will remember for you and they take care of everything so you can really focus on saying goodbye.

I am giving Andrea Estrada@ Lakeview Funeral Home a 5-star rating,…read moreThe Japanese American community has been doing business with Lakeview since Hiro Masumoto was a funeral director. They support the JA community so when I needed assistance, I went to Lakeview Funeral home. The old adage, one hand washes the other. Andrea is thorough, business minded and caring at the same time. Never dismissive. I did not choose a funeral service that was high priced. And to her credit Andrea did not try to sell me one. I believe that no matter what the funeral service price is, she would give you the same attentive, caring treatment. My phone calls are answered quickly, email questions answered promptly. I recommend Lakeview Funeral Home. When I walk into Lakeview the first person, I usually see is William Rodriguez, who always greeted me with a smile, how you doing? and directed me to where I needed to go.

A bit antiquated. So I came in for my friends father who had passed away. I go to wakes all the…read moretime because when friends need me, I have to pay respects. This funeral home is nice but very simple as far as decoration. It seems like they got stuck in a time warp from the 70's. With its paneled walls and carpeting. Although still a bit dark for my taste. They do have lamps all around, but I think that makes it seem older. Most of the wakes I have come to here are from the neighborhood. Older Polish families, but with the influx of Latinos, times are a changing. I like the fact that although parking lot is small, its still can hold at least 30 cars which of course is not bad. The service was simple, they put snacks in the kitchen (which also is a bit on the older side), and well what else can I say. Would I have my own family for a service here? Ehhh, probably not, but it is simple and I am sure inexpensive. I asked my friend (yes we have a pretty good relationship that I can ask), if her family spent a lot here. She stated the reason they had it at this particular home is because their prices are compatible. But there you go.

My uncle was in hospice and asked my sister to start planning his funeral services. He didn't have…read moreany children and my sister and I stepped in to help. We were very close to him and this was very emotional and difficult to do. We had never had to plan services and didn't know where to begin. We visited a few other locations in the area and were greeted in a very "business" manner. Although we were trying to fulfill our uncles wishes by planning ahead, some of the nearby funeral homes refused to discuss options in detail or show us caskets because he had not passed away yet. Despite my sister having legal documents to prove she was his power of attorney, one gentleman in particular told us that one of my uncles siblings had to be present to make arrangements as that was his next of kin. We left the location feeling very disrespected and disappointed. Im glad we left because upon entering Modell we were greeted by Mari. Our experience from that moment on was one we will never forget. She was very helpful, compassionate and patient. She took her time to show us around, answered our questions and never once did she question our intentions. She allowed us to pick out every detail without asking us for a dime. We then met Gloria and we felt right at home. My uncle ended up passing away later that week and we were glad were able to plan ahead. I can't imagine making arrangements during those difficult times. All in all I have much respect for this place and all of its staff. My uncles services were perfect and Gloria did such an amazing job with his makeup. Modell is family owned and we were treated like family from the moment we walked in, to when they picked up his body at the hospital, to the moment he was laid to rest. Im thankful for their team and I highly recommend their services.

Highly recommend this funeral home for your loved one's services. Steve and his team are…read moreprofessional and very efficient. They were able to accommodate most, if not all, of my family's requests. They have several chapels to choose from but all were clean and more modern than other funeral homes I've been to. Thank you Cumberland Chapels for being able to send my father off in a dignified and compassionate way.

We recently used their services. They went above and beyond with being helpful in our time of…read moresorrow. I highly recommend using them for your loved ones.