Heritage Life Story Funeral Homes

What Heritage Life Story Funeral Homes does

Heritage Life Story Funeral Homes is a privately held, two-chapel funeral services provider headquartered in Grand Rapids, Michigan, employing 8 people across the Van Strien Creston Chapel (Plainfield Ave.) and the Alt & Shawmut Hills Chapel (Lake Michigan Dr.). The company is co-owned by Lee Karelse and Matt Hollebeek and is differentiated by its proprietary "Life Story Experience" — a methodology centered on documenting, sharing, and preserving the life stories of the deceased through digital Memory Pages, life story videos, guestbook entries, and personalized ceremonies. Website and digital memorial technology are delivered through a core agreement with LifeStoryNet, LLC.

The company monetizes across three revenue streams: professional funeral directing services (a la carte tiers plus a non-declinable basic services fee), merchandise sales (caskets, urns, outer burial containers, keepsakes, printed materials subject to Michigan Sales Tax), and pass-through cash advance items for third-party charges such as cemetery fees, obituary costs, and permits. Published pricing spans $1,250 for an online-only immediate cremation up to $6,800 for full visitation, viewing, and funeral service before burial or cremation, with tiered packages (graveside, self-directed with guidance, immediate cremation with in-person consultation) bracketed in between; a value guarantee matches lower competitor pricing on written estimates.

Distribution is overwhelmingly direct and physical: in-person consultations at the two chapels, home visits, venue services including an outdoor tent for gatherings, and a self-serve online channel for cremation. Customer segments include grieving families (primary), veterans and their families, environmentally conscious families seeking green burial, and advance planners. Marketing relies on an educational blog, Facebook, community events such as the First Christmas in Heaven service, partnerships with local hospices and churches, and an annual 5th-grade Life Story Writing Contest.

Name

Heritage Life Story Funeral Homes

Legal name

Heritage Life Story Funeral Homes

Website

https://heritagelifestory.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Heritage Life Story Funeral Homes is a privately held, two-chapel funeral services provider in Grand Rapids, Michigan, employing 8 people and offering personalized funeral, cremation, and memorial services distinguished by its proprietary Life Story Experience platform that documents and preserves digital life stories of the deceased.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Funeral and Memorial Services

NAICS

Funeral Homes and Funeral Services (812210)

akta.pro primary industry

Bereavement & Grief Support Services (Hospice-Affiliated/Independent) (HLADAHAL)

Keywords

• Funeral services
• Memorial services
• Cremation services
• Funeral merchandise
• Life story memorials

Headquarters

HQ city

Grand Rapids

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Professional Funeral Services: Core funeral directing services including visitation planning, funeral coordination, transportation and preparation of deceased, paperwork and documentation, and ceremony directing. This includes Basic Services of Funeral Director and Staff as the non-declinable charge plus a la carte service options.
2. Merchandise Sales: Sale of funeral merchandise including caskets (various materials including wood, steel, bronze, copper), outer burial containers, urns, flowers, printed and multimedia materials, and keepsakes. Michigan Sales Tax applies to all merchandise items.
3. Cash Advance Items: Third-party charges passed through to families including cemetery costs, obituary fees, honorariums, crematory fees, permits, and death certificates. These are not marked up by the funeral home.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Heritage Life Story Funeral Homes provides funeral, memorial, and cremation services for bereaved families in the Grand Rapids, Michigan area, delivered through its proprietary "Life Story Experience" methodology. Offerings span tiered service packages — from a $1,250 online-only immediate cremation to a $6,800 full visitation/viewing/funeral before burial or cremation — covering transportation and preparation, visitation planning, ceremony directing, graveside services, and Life Story documentation. Merchandise (caskets, urns, outer burial containers, printed and multimedia materials) and pass-through cash advance items (cemetery fees, obituary fees, permits, death certificates) are also provided.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Life Story Experience A meaningful process that honors the legacy of loved ones by writing, sharing, and preserving life stories. The experience engages family and visitors, connecting across generations both at in-person events and on the Life Story page online, including digital memory pages with photos, guestbooks, eulogies, and life story videos.
• Visitation (with Viewing) and Funeral before Burial/Cremation Complete funeral plan ($6,800) that includes visitation, viewing, life story experience, funeral service, graveside ceremony, directing, transport & prep of deceased, and paperwork. Allows for a robust and meaningful sendoff over a single day.
• Visitation or Funeral after Burial/Cremation Condensed plan ($4,600–$6,000) for family and friends to gather after burial or cremation has taken place. Includes transport, visitation/funeral service, life story, graveside ceremony, directing, and paperwork.
• Graveside Funeral Brief graveside funeral service ($4,800) held on site during burial or scattering. Includes graveside funeral service, life story experience, directing, transport, and paperwork.
• Self Directed Event with Guidance Self-directed memorial event ($3,400) with guidance and support from funeral home staff. Allows hosting and directing memorial events at a time and place of choice with Life Story support.
• Immediate Cremation Essential services only cremation options. In-Person Consultation plan ($2,300) or Online Only plan ($1,250) for those seeking minimal services and cost-conscious options.
• Online Obituary Search Searchable database of obituaries and life stories. Allows searching by time period, last name, and keyword.
• Memory Pages Personal memorial web pages where families can share life stories, photos, guestbook entries, memories, eulogies and poetry. Supports social sharing via Facebook, Twitter and Email.

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• BallParkFloral.comminorOthersThird-party flower delivery service integrated into the funeral home website for ordering and purchasing flowers for memorials. The funeral home recommends this florist to families and earns revenue through this referral relationship.
• Berean Baptist ChurchminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-sponsor of the annual First Christmas in Heaven memorial service for families who have experienced loss, providing a community space for grief support during the holiday season.
• Cook Funeral and Cremation ServicesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint partner in the annual First Christmas in Heaven memorial service, collaborating with multiple funeral homes to serve the broader Grand Rapids community.
• LifeStoryNet, LLCcoreTechnology or IntegrationParent company providing the proprietary website platform, digital memorial technology, and Life Story Experience system used by Heritage Life Story Funeral Homes. Website provided through an agreement with LifeStoryNet, LLC.
• Faith HospiceminorOthersProvides grief support resources and educational materials for families, including holiday coping guides and memorial ideas shared on the Heritage blog.
• Emmanuel HospiceminorOthersBereavement services partner providing grief support educational content and resources for the Heritage Life Story community.
• Making Choices MichiganminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal non-profit helping people determine end-of-life preferences and document them in advance directives. Heritage has spoken about green burial options at their educational events.
• West Side Christian SchoolminorOthersPartner for the annual Heritage Life Story Writing Contest, hosting the contest at their school and providing student participants for the intergenerational storytelling program.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Foundation Partners Group: A private equity-backed funeral and cemetery services platform operating across multiple U.S. states. Comparable as a consolidator in the same funeral services category, actively acquiring independent operators like Heritage.
• Dignity Memorial: The consumer-facing brand of Service Corporation International, providing funeral, cremation, and cemetery services across North America. Comparable as a broad incumbent offering the same core funeral services as Heritage but with national brand recognition and pricing infrastructure.
• Carriage Services: A publicly traded funeral and cemetery services provider with a national footprint. Comparable as a broad incumbent in the same death care services category, though operating at scale far exceeding Heritage's two-chapel footprint.
• Service Corporation International (SCI): The largest funeral, cemetery, and cremation services operator in North America, operating brands including Dignity Memorial. Comparable as a broad industry incumbent with overlapping funeral service offerings, but at vastly greater scale and geographic reach than Heritage.
• StoneMor Partners: A multi-state funeral home and cemetery operator. Comparable as a broad incumbent in the death care services industry with overlapping service offerings, though at significantly greater scale than Heritage.

Emerging players

• Everdays: A digital memorial and funeral planning app that helps families coordinate end-of-life logistics and create lasting memorial pages. Comparable as a digital memorial competitor whose online memory page capabilities overlap with Heritage's Life Story Experience platform.
• Tulip Cremation: A direct cremation provider offering online-arranged, low-cost cremation services nationally. Comparable as a digitally-native, low-overhead competitor to Heritage's $1,250 online cremation tier, particularly for cost-conscious consumers in Heritage's geography.
• Cake: A consumer-facing end-of-life planning platform helping families navigate funeral decisions, compare costs, and pre-plan services. Comparable as a digital-first resource competing for the same 'Families in Grief' segment Heritage serves, though operating as a technology platform rather than a funeral home.

Direct peers

• Cook Funeral and Cremation Services: A local Grand Rapids funeral home co-partner with Heritage on the 'First Christmas in Heaven' community memorial. Directly comparable as an independent, community-embedded funeral provider serving the same West Michigan market with overlapping service offerings.

Others

• LifeStoryNet, LLC: The parent technology partner that provides Heritage's website, obituary system, and Life Story Experience platform. Comparable as the enabling technology provider underpinning Heritage's digital offering, and a related-party vendor whose platform could potentially be offered to other independent funeral homes.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/fITqom
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/heritage-life-story-funeral-homes

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Heritage Life Story Funeral Homes