About Us

About Us & Our Commitment to You

Our Founder

Schroeder-Lauer Funeral home was founded by Richard H. “Dick” Schroeder in 1941. Dick was born February 10, 1912 in East Chicago, Indiana. At the age of 12, his family moved to Lansing, Illinois. Dick attended Indiana Avenue Grammar School in Lansing, and in 1930 graduated from Thornton Fractional High School in Calumet City, Illinois. Dick continued on to Worsham College of Mortuary Science from where he graduated in 1938. After graduating from Worsham he served his apprenticeship at Caroll's Funeral Home in Chicago. In 1941, Dick's in-laws helped him establish the Schroeder Funeral Home where it stands today. Along with the funeral home, Schroeder also operated an ambulance service, which kept him very busy. Joe Lauer started working for the Schroeder Funeral Home in 1950 and became a lifelong friend. Dick's oldest son, Richard, also attended mortuary school with the intent to help his father run the business. In 1966, Dick's son was killed in the Vietnam War. Dick Schroeder and Joe Lauer became business partners in 1968 and the name was changed to Schroeder-Lauer Funeral Home.

In 1935, Dick married Bessie Lanting. Bessie worked for her parents at Lanting's Dry Goods Store in Lansing. Dick and Bessie raised three children and attended Munster Christian Reformed Church in Munster, Indiana. Bessie passed away in 1985.

Richard Schroeder passed away in 1995. He was known throughout the community for his honesty and compassion. Dick had a great sense of humor and enjoyed a good joke. He was a lifetime member of the Lansing Lions Club and served on the Board of Directors for the Bank of Lansing.

Sepia portrait of R. M. Schroeder in a suit and bow tie, with decorative border.
Sepia portrait of R. M. Schroeder in a suit and bow tie, with decorative border.

Over the Years

Over the years Schroeder-Lauer Funeral Home has seen many changes. Opening for business in 1941, Schroeder was here to see the town “build up”. As the years went on and Lansing grew, so did Schroeder's business. The original building was built as a funeral home, however, a larger facility was needed to accommodate the growing communities.

Today Schroeder-Lauer Funeral Home offers two spacious parlors, restrooms, and office space on our main level. We have two kitchens upstairs for family and friends to gather and take a break with a light meal, or cup of coffee. There is parking on both sides of our building as well as behind the building. We are proud to remain family owned and operated.

Ten Commandments of Human Relations

  1. Speak to People. There is nothing so nice as a cheerful word of greeting.
  2. Smile at People. It takes 72 muscles to frown, only 14 to smile.
  3. Call People by name. The sweetest music to anyone's ears is the sound of his own name.
  4. Be Friendly and helpful. As you would have friends, be a friend.
  5. Be Cordial. Speak and act as if everything you do is a genuine pleasure.
  6. Be Genuinely interested in people. You can like almost anybody if you try.
  7. Be Generous with praise. Be cautious with criticism.
  8. Be Considerate with the feelings of others. There are usually three sides to a controversy; Yours, the other fellow's, and the right side.
  9. Be Alert to give service. What counts most in life is what we do for others.
  10. Add to This a good sense of humor, a big dose of patience and a dash of humility, and you will be rewarded many-fold.