Family-Owned Matters

Why Family-Owned Matters

Serving Kalamazoo, Portage & Southwest Michigan families with locally-owned care since the early 1920s.

The Difference You Can Feel

When families in Kalamazoo, Portage, Plainwell, Vicksburg, Schoolcraft, and communities across Southwest Michigan turn to Avink, McCowen & Secord Funeral Homes and Cremation Society, they are often arriving during one of the most difficult moments of their lives. We consider it an honor — not a transaction — to walk alongside them. Not all funeral homes are what they appear. While many may seem local and personal on the surface, they are often owned by large national corporations whose priorities lie with shareholders far removed from our communities. At Avink, McCowen & Secord, we have been independently owned and operated since our founding. We answer to the families we serve, not to an out-of-state executive or a corporate earnings report.

When you choose a locally owned funeral home in Kalamazoo County or the surrounding area, you choose people who live here, worship here, and are committed to this community for generations to come. You can feel that difference in every interaction.

The Values Behind Independent Ownership

Rooted in Southwest Michigan

We are your neighbors — in Portage, in Kalamazoo, in Vicksburg and Plainwell and Schoolcraft. Our team lives in the communities we serve. We know these families. We attend the same churches, cheer at the same Friday night games, and mourn at the same community losses. That is not something a corporate parent can replicate.

Decisions Made Here, For You

Corporate-owned funeral homes often set pricing and policies at the national level, leaving local staff with little flexibility to meet a family’s unique needs. As an independent funeral home serving Kalamazoo and the surrounding area, our team has the freedom to listen to what matters most to each family and provide genuinely individualized care. What is right for you will always guide our decisions.

People, Not Numbers

Every family we serve represents a relationship, not a revenue line. We have been entrusted with the stories of Southwest Michigan families for over a century, and we take that responsibility seriously. Our focus is on creating meaningful ways to honor a life lived — ways that will be passed down and remembered for generations. You will always be people to us.

A Legacy of Community Care

Since the early 1920s, the Avink, McCowen & Secord name has been woven into the fabric of Allegan, Barry, Cass, Kalamazoo, St. Joseph, and Van Buren counties. That longevity is not possible without the genuine trust of the families and communities we serve — and it is a responsibility we carry forward with humility and pride in each location we call home.

Our Service Area

Proudly Serving Families Across Southwest Michigan

Our locations in Portage, Plainwell, Vicksburg, and Schoolcraft allow us to be close to the families who need us most. We serve communities throughout Kalamazoo County and beyond, including families searching for a trusted funeral home near Kalamazoo, cremation services in Portage, or compassionate burial care in the smaller towns and townships that make Southwest Michigan home.

No matter where you are in our region, you deserve funeral services from people who are genuinely invested in your community, not a national chain that happens to have a local address.

Kalamazoo, MI • Portage, MI • Plainwell, MI • Vicksburg, MI • Schoolcraft, MI • Marcellus, MI

Otsego, MI • Paw Paw, MI • Mattawan, MI • Parchment, MI • Comstock, MI • Richland, MI

Allegan, MI • Three Rivers, MI • Wayland, MI • Pavilion Township, MI

Know Who is Caring for Your Family

We believe you deserve to make an informed choice, so below is a reference for families in the Kalamazoo and Portage area researching funeral service providers and their ownership.