Compassionate People

Providing compassionate funeral care requires compassionate people. Dealing with the loss of a loved one is never easy, but you should know when the need arises at that difficult moment there will be trained professionals available to help.  The staff at Stewart Baxter is always here for you.

Jacob Wittrock - Owner & Funeral Director

jacob@stewartbaxter.com

Jacob has been serving Cedar Rapids and Marion area families since 1997. In December of 2008, he purchased the Stewart and Baxter Funeral Homes. He is dedicated to providing each family with the care and compassion they deserve. 
A native of Holstein, Iowa, Jacob attended Kirkwood Community College and the Cincinnati College of Mortuary Science, where he earned a Bachelor of Mortuary Science. He has served the community in many ways including the Hospice of Mercy Advisory Board, the American Red Cross Board of Directors, the Rapids Aids Project Advisory Board, and the Commission on Christian Unity & Inter-religous Concerns with the Iowa United Methodist Church. He is currently a member of Faith United Methodist Church, and the Marion-East Cedar Rapids Rotary.
Outside of caring for families, Jacob values time with his family and friends, enjoys a good business book, and loves traveling to warm destinations during Iowa's cold months.

Phillip Olivier - Funeral Director

Phillip "Phil" has been serving the families of Cedar Rapids and Marion at Stewart & Baxter Funeral Homes since 1964. He worked for the Stewart and Baxter families with a long history of dedication to them and the families they served. He took over as owner at Baxter's in 1993 and Stewart's in 2003. In 2008, after 44 years of serving families, Phil passed ownership of both funeral homes to Jacob Wittrock and Scott Greenman. Phil has recently semi-retired but still enjoys working with families at Stewart Baxter Funeral & Memorial Services.

A native of Alabama, Phil moved to Cedar Rapids after serving in the US Army. It is here, he met his wife and made Cedar Rapids his home. He has 4 children and many grandchildren. He is a member of St. Wenceslaus Catholic Church and the Knights of Columbus. When he is not still serving families, he is spending time with his wife, and grandchildren.  Phil is a lover of the outdoors and can be seen fishing on his boat with friends and family.

Dan Lewis - Funeral Director

Dan was born and raised in Charles City and continued his education with a business management degree from the University of Northern Iowa.  He has over 24 years of retail management experience and in addition to serving Stewart Baxter families he is also the store manager for Petco in Marion. He answered his calling to funeral service by completing the mortuary science program at Des Moines Area Community College in 2007.
He and his wife, Angela have three children, Nikolai, Bronwyn, and Kuiper.  Dan enjoys golf, weight training, and crossword puzzles.  He also has served on the board of directors for Miracles in Motion since 2006.

Scott Greenman - Owner & Community Care Director

scott@stewartbaxter.com

Scott has called Cedar Rapids home since 1997.  He grew up on the shores of northern Ohio in a city famous for roller coasters, Sandusky.  He is proud to be an alumnus of Bowling Green State University and the Cincinnati College of Mortuary Science.
As Community Care Director, Scott  helps families with preplanning, accessing community bereavement resources, and leading the Stewart Baxter continuing care program. And as owner, he takes care of the myriad of administrative duties in the operations of the funeral home.
He is a member of ImpactCR and Faith United Methodist Church, where he has served as Lay Missioner for the congregation.  Scott loves watching old movies, listening to music from the Rat Pack era, and cooking up a meal for family and friends to enjoy.

Pauline Hoth - Hospitality Associate

Pauline's motherly hugs and warm personality will likely be your first impression when you visit the funeral home for a memorial.  Her lifetime of customer service experience is evident in everything she does.  Many will recall her smiling face from her 15 years at Armstrong's Department Store and more recently her work at Norwood/Souvenir Company.  She is a member of Our Savior's Lutheran Church, where she is active with the Chancel Choir, serves on the Executive Board and is secretary of the Planning Council.
Pauline's grandchildren mean the world to her and she enjoys being involved in their activities.  She likes taking care of her yard and flowers, knitting, reading, and keeping in touch with her friends.  Several times a year she travels to see family in West Virginia and Arizona. 

Keith Etzel - Hospitality Associate