Indianapolis was a rough frontier town when David and Sarah Buchanan moved their family from Virginia to Indiana’s new state capitol in 1826. They came via covered wagon before there were roads, only trails. This city represented the land of opportunity for these Scottish Buchanans who sought the adventure of a fresh start. Orpha Flanner brought her family here for other reasons. She had lost her husband in the Civil War and being destitute, left Missouri to find refuge here with a sister. The Buchanans were strong Christians, the Flanners, Quaker. Both families believed in basic American values that grew from their faith.

This leads me to the woman who made our family and business happen – Anna Flanner Buchanan. Anna was one of Orpha’s seven children. She had a brother named Frank W. Flanner who had developed an interest in the undertaking trade. He became a local pioneer in modern embalming techniques and struck out on his own in a storefront on Illinois Street near Market Street. This was in 1881, the same year as the shootout at the O.K. Corral out west. Orpha gave up some of her Civil War pension to help him start the business. Frank was industrious and entrepreneurial. Besides undertaking, Frank later invested in real estate.

In 1884, Anna married a fellow schoolteacher named Charles J. Buchanan. Their relationship exposed Charles to Frank’s business and in 1887 Charles bought out Frank’s partners to form the Flanner & Buchanan partnership.

To me, Anna represents everything our family and business stands for. She was a homemaker, artist, Sunday school teacher, moralist, and highly-respected civic leader – the consummate matriarch. If I could go back in time to meet one relative, she would be the one.

So how did our business stay family owned (and thrive) for 140 years? Most businesses don’t transfer because the next generation wants to do something else. Flanner Buchanan survived because we built a structure that allows for the owner to not be a funeral director. I thank my grandfather, Paul H. Buchanan, Sr., for developing a culture that has the staff running the day-to-day business. This key fact sets the stage for my next point.

Out of the eight Flanners and Buchanans that have been owners since our founding, only one started their professional career as a funeral director. We have all brought our experiences of former careers in mostly law, education, and journalism to enrich the funeral business. My father, for example, served our business for close to 70 years and never left his law profession.