“Cooperative” Organizations in the Lansing, MI Area

UPDATED: March 19, 2025

This webpage lists funeral homes and cremation organizations in the Lansing, MI
area that we deem “cooperative.” A “cooperative” funeral home or cremation organization meets two criteria:

ACCESS

  • makes its facility available to pathology personnel on a daily basis. At minimum, a four-hour window each day is necessary.
  • ideally, makes its facility available on a 24×7 basis.

FEES

  • charges a reasonable fee, if any, and assesses that fee only if the facility is utilized after-hours. We have not included funeral homes or cremation organizations where the facility charge exceeds $500.
  • ideally, charges no fee to the family (or anyone else) for allowing pathology personnel to use its facilities.

Listed below are places we’ve worked with or called somewhat recently that we deem “cooperative.” This list is not intended to be exhaustive, and serves only as a starting point. If you identify other organizations that should be on this list, let us know.

Fees listed assume that your family is utilizing this business for final arrangements.

Note 1: if you are using a funeral home or cremation organization that does not allow the work on its premises, we can ask one of these “cooperative” funeral homes whether its facility can be rented for a fee for the brain donation work. And the “cooperative” funeral home may provide transportation from the place of death.

Note 2: there are two rare cases when a funeral home or cremation organization need not be open on a daily basis: (1) if death has occurred or (2) if the loved one is utilizing a “death with dignity” act on a certain day/time.

 


Estes Leadley Funeral Home

Lansing and Holt, MI

Phone: 517-482-1651 (Lansing), 517-694-2631 (Holt)
Web: estesleadley.com

Regular Hours
M-F 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Fee:
None
After Hours
Willing to open after hours and weekends by appointment. Fee:
$300


Gorsline Runciman Funeral Homes

Lansing (2 locations), East Lansing, Mason, Dewitt, and Williamston MI

Phone: 517-482-1533 (Lansing), 517-321-2211 (Tiffany Chapel Lansing), 517-337-9745 (East Lansing), 517-676-2447 (Mason), 517-669-6465 (Dewitt), 517-655-2158 (Williamston)
Web: dignitymemorial.com

Regular Hours
M-Sat 8 a.m.-5 p.m., Sun 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Fee:
None
After Hours
Willing to open after hours by appointment. Fee:
None

Brain donation work is done at the Michigan Ave location in Lansing.

 


Keck Coleman Funeral Home

St. Johns, MI

Contact: Ken Kutzli
Phone:
989-224-4422
Web: mcgeehanfh.com

Regular Hours
Daily as needed. Fee:
None

No refrigeration available.

 


Smith Family Funeral Homes

St. Johns, Elsie, Ovid, and Fowler, MI

Phone: 989-224-2365 (St. Johns), 989-862-4311 (Elsie), 989-862-4311 (Ovid), 989-593-2484 (Fowler)
Web: smithfamilyfuneralhomes.com

Regular Hours
M-F 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Fee:
None
After Hours
Willing to open after hours and weekends by appointment. Fee:
None

Watkins Brothers Funeral Homes

Laingsburg, Perry, and Bancroft, MI

Phone: 517-651-5415 (Laingsburg), 517-625-3177 (Perry), 989-725-7171 (Bancroft)
Web: watkinsfuneralhomes.com

Regular Hours
M-F 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Fee:
None
After Hours
Willing to open weekends by appointment. Fee:
None