Our Staff 

William H. Kieser

Owner, Supervisor

Born in Williamsport and raised near Trout Run, Bill spent the summers of his youth in Newberry at the Diamond Street home of his grandmother, Rena B. Kieser. He spent countless hours in Newberry Park and played Original Little League and West End Babe Ruth Baseball. At the age of 16, when Bill‘s parents instructed him to "go find a summer job”, he approached his grandmother’s neighbor, and his father’s friend Larry Sanders who owned the funeral home next door. He started working at Sanders Mortuary during the summer of 1992, cutting grass and filing papers. He has been an employee ever since. 

Bill graduated from Liberty High School in 1994 and earned a B.S. in Business Administration from Lycoming College in 1998. In 1996, he made the decision to attend mortuary school at the Pittsburgh Institute of Mortuary Science (PIMS). In 1999, he graduated from PIMS with honors. Bill returned to Williamsport to complete his apprenticeship with Larry and Nancy Sanders. After passing the state and national boards in 2000, he became a licensed funeral director. Bill continued working at Sanders Mortuary and in December 2009, he became the owner of Sanders Mortuary, with Larry and Nancy Sanders staying on staff as licensed funeral directors. 

Bill is actively committed to serving the community in which he lives and works. Most notably, he is past president of the Newberry Lions Club and past president of the Newberry Community Partnership. He serves on the Board of Directors for the Salvation Army and Susquehanna Health Heartworks Program. He is a Leadership Team and active member of Pine Street United Methodist Church. In his spare time, he enjoys being with his family, coaching baseball at Original Little League, and once in a while can be seen out playing golf, hunting and snowmobiling. 

Bill resides in Williamsport with his wife Sarah, his son Pence ,and his daughter Pippy.

Bill continues to uphold the standards of integrity and excellence that have been the trademarks of Sanders Mortuary throughout the past seven decades as he continues to serve families in the greater Williamsport area and beyond during their most solemn times of need.

Sarah E. Kieser

Funeral Director & Family Care

Born and raised in York, Pennsylvania Sarah is now delighted to call the Northern Tier of the state home. She has been with Sanders Mortuary since 2014 and is a Licensed Funeral Director, a Certified Celebrant and holds a PA Life Insurance License. Sarah graduated from Red Lion High School, York College with a Bachelor’s degree in Public Relations and Speech Communication. She earned a Master of Science degree in Gerontology from Towson University, Towson, MD and a Mortuary Science degree from American Academy McAllister Institute, New York, NY. Prior to working alongside her husband Sarah assisted funeral directors in PA, DE, RI and MA with their Pre-Planning programs, helping them educate their communities on the important benefits of advance funeral and cremation planning.

Often found helping with many tasks around the funeral home, Sarah embraces working with families and finding a creative spin to celebrate one’s life. She hosts our Lunch & Learn workshops, helps with monuments and represents the funeral home at community outreach events. Sarah truly enjoys having conversation and helping folks pre-plan their funeral services ahead of time for complete peace of mind.

Sarah helps coordinate our Wreaths Across America Program, Operation Valentine, Valentines Luncheon, Holiday Remembrance Service and so many more programs that Sanders participates in. She currently serves as the Pine Street United Methodist Church Coordinator for Family Promise of Lycoming County, is a Past President, Secretary and Treasurer of the BNI Millionaires Networking Chapter, serves as a Committee Chair for the American Cancer Society’s Destiny Ball Event, and plays an active role currently serving as President for the Newberry Lioness Club.

Sarah enjoys being with her family, cheering on Pence & Pippy in all of their events and taking trips to York County and the beach whenever she can. You may even spot her walking around Newberry with her dog Saki or volunteering around town. Sarah and Bill are proud to call Williamsport Home and be of service to the many great neighbors they are blessed with.  

Michael R. Lingg

Funeral Director

A native of Williamsport, Mike grew up in the East End and graduated from Bishop Neumann High School in 1992. After graduation he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Mansfield University in 1995 and graduated from Simmons Institute of Funeral Service, Syracuse, NY in 1997. Mike became a licensed Funeral Director in 1998 and has since worked in funeral homes in both Lancaster and Williamsport.

In addition to his funeral director license, Mike has his life insurance license, enabling him to provide pre-need funeral insurance to families that we serve. Mike has been a vital part of the Central Penn Funeral Directors Association where he has served various roles.

Community involvement is important to Mike. He has served on committees with the Williamsport / Lycoming Chamber of Commerce, and is a member and former past president of the Williamsport Area Management Association. Mike enjoys coaching his sons in AYSO soccer, Loyalsock Little League, Trinity Basketball teams in the Bower League and Little Lancer Basketball Program. Mike serves as an usher at Trinity Episcopal Church where he and his family attend.

Mike and his wife, Amy, live in Loyalsock Township with their sons Steven and Ryan. His oldest child, Renee graduated from Penn State University and currently resides in Boston where Mike likes to visit and delight in New England cuisine. 

Alyssa L. Kutza

Funeral Director

Born in Williamsport and raised in the outskirts of Jersey Shore, Alyssa is a 2012 graduate of Jersey Shore Area Senior High School. After graduation she attended Pennsylvania State University until transferring home and graduating from Pennsylvania College of Technology with a B.S. in Business Administration Management Concentration with a minor in Marketing and a B.S. in Business Administration Banking and Finance Concentration with a minor in Small Business and Entrepreneurship. Alyssa obtained her degree in Mortuary Science from Pittsburgh Institute of Mortuary Science. In the warmer months Alyssa can consistently be found on the water with her family and friends kayaking the local creeks, river and streams or hiking the local state woods searching for waterfalls.

Ian Helt

Funeral Director

Ian is a dedicated funeral director with over 11 years of experience serving families with compassion and professionalism. A native of Lewisburg, he graduated from Piedmont Technical College with a degree in mortuary science and has since been committed to guiding families through difficult times. Ian excels in preparation work and takes great pride in ensuring each individual is cared for with dignity and respect.

Now living in South Williamsport with his wife, Nicole, and their son, Nico, Ian values time spent with his family. Outside of work, he enjoys hosting cookouts, playing soccer with his son, and tinkering with computers, combining his hands-on curiosity with his love for learning and problem-solving.

Nicole Brungard-Short

Funeral Director

Born and raised in Lock Haven, “Nikki” was a 2017 graduate of Central Mountain High School. In 2020, she graduated from Slippery Rock University with a bachelors degree in Integrated Marketing and Communications and a minor in Sociology. She then graduated with a Mortuary Science degree from the Pittsburgh Institute of Mortuary Science and has worked at Sanders Mortuary since 2023. Nikki loves to read, enjoys an afternoon with her husband Austin, dog Nala, and a good tv show. She can usually be found on a cruise ship at least once a year enjoying the sun. Her favorite part of her job is having the privilege of helping people when they need it most.

Jennifer Bussetti

Funeral Director

M. Nicole Helt

Funeral Director

Born and raised in Liberty, South Carolina, Nicole is a proud honors graduate of Liberty High School’s Class of 2008. Her calling to funeral service began early, job-shadowing in the profession during high school, and she never looked back. After graduation, she began working full-time in funeral service and went on to earn her Associate Degree in Funeral Service from Piedmont Technical College in 2012.

With many years of experience in funeral directing, preplanning, monument design, and management, Nicole brings both knowledge and calm leadership to the families she serves. She is deeply committed to guiding families with compassion and clarity, offering steady support during some of life’s most challenging moments. 

Nicole met her husband, Ian, a Lewisburg native, while living in South Carolina. After visiting Pennsylvania, she quickly fell in love with the area and knew it was where she wanted to raise a family. Nicole resides in South Williamsport with Ian and their son, Nico, and enjoys spending quality time together as a family.

Desire Worth

Administrative Assistant

Born in Williamsport and raised in Linden, Desiree is a 2012 graduate of Jersey Shore Area Senior High School. She continued her education at Mansfield University before transferring to Pennsylvania College of Technology, where she earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with a concentration in Management and a minor in Marketing.

Desiree loves to read, enjoys cuddling up with her cat, Ash, and can often be found eagerly waiting for the timer to ding on whatever baked treat is baking in the oven.

Jessica Swarthout

Graphic Designer/ Marketing Specialist

Jess was born in Williamsport raised in Jersey Shore she is a 2017 graduate of  Jersey Shore High School. She earned her Bachelor’s degree in Graphic Design from Pennsylvania College of Technology in 2023, with minors in Photography, Marketing, and Psychology.

Jessica’s educational background provides a well-rounded foundation in visual communication, branding, and media design. Her experience in both design and photography allows her to create thoughtful, polished visuals across a variety of platforms.

Outside of her professional work, Jessica enjoys spending time with her husband, and family. She is especially passionate about photography and often spends her free time capturing images of nature, family, and friends.

Bryan H. Hunsinger

Funeral Director - In Loving Memory 1964-2023