In May of 1881, Frank W. Flanner became Indiana's first licensed embalmer and opened a mortuary in downtown Indianapolis. A few years later, Charles J. Buchanan joined his brother-in-law in the business, and the Flanner and Buchanan partnership was formed.
The company continued to grow under the leadership of Paul H. Buchanan, a son of Charles J. Buchanan, and Frank B. Flanner, Frank W. Flanner's nephew. In 1925, the pair constructed a beautiful new state-of-the-art facility on Fall Creek Parkway at Meridian Street. It became "the" mortuary for northside families.
As the city's population moved north, so did Flanner and Buchanan. In 1953, our stately brick funeral center in Broad Ripple was constructed. Soon after that, our Zionsville location was purchased, and we added facilities on North Shadeland Avenue and Mann Road in Decatur Township. Flanner and Buchanan also purchased the Farley funeral homes on West Morris Street and in Speedway on North High School Road.
Flanner and Buchanan constructed a beautiful new funeral center in Carmel in the early 1980s. Later, Flanner and Buchanan built funeral centers on the grounds of both Washington Park East Cemetery and Washington Park North Cemetery and Family Center. The aging Mann Road funeral center was later relocated to a spacious new home on South Kentucky Avenue.
Funeral Centers at Oaklawn Memorial Gardens and Hamilton Memorial Park now serve Hamilton County residents. Opened in 2008, our newest funeral center is located at Floral Park Cemetery.
Paul H. Buchanan, Jr., represents the third and Brian K. and Bruce W. Buchanan represent the family's fourth generation in the business. They and Flanner and Buchanan's dedicated staff continue the company's commitment to world class service.
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Hon. Paul H. Buchanan Jr. 90, former Chief Judge of the Indiana Court of Appeals and a member of the court for 22 years, and a grandson of the founder of Flanner and Buchanan Funeral Centers, passed away on November 6, 2008. |