NEW ULM — Minnesota Valley Funeral Homes & Cremation Services recently paid patronage dividends to its members.

Dividends of just under $75,000 went to families that had funerals in 2013, said General Manager Eric Warmka. These dividends equated to half of the total patronage dividends owed to the families served in 2013.

Minnesota Valley Funeral Homes & Cremation Services hope to pay the families of 2013 the remaining half sometime in the next year.

Minnesota Valley is a funeral co-op operating under the laws of cooperatives in Minnesota. In addition to General Manager and licensed director, Eric Warmka, the staff includes licensed directors Peter Macho, Dan Baltramonas, Blake Stiernagle, Zack Jensen, and Amber Germscheid. Board members are President Gary Hulke, Vice-President Doug Wills, Secretary-Treasurer Mert Gustad, and directors Brad Portner, Mark Dick, Clete Krzmarzick, and Rosemary Dittrich.