Park Lawn Corporation announced last week, in this press release, the acquisition of Strode Funeral Home and Cremation in Stillwater, Oklahoma.  To our count at Funeral Director Daily, the purchase of this one stand alone funeral home brings to 15 the number of properties that Park Lawn Corporation has purchased in the state of Oklahoma since December 11, 2025 – exactly six months from last weeks announcement.

According to the website of the Strode Funeral Home the history of the business began as such, “Strode Funeral Home and Cremation began in April of 1889 when Mr. Elwood Oliver Stevenson came to the newly-formed town of Stillwater from Arkansas City, Kansas and opened a furniture business that also provided undertaking services and burial goods”.

Park Lawn Corporation CEO Markus Sturm alluded to that fact when he made this remark in the linked press release from Park Lawn Corporation, “Strode Funeral Home has provided outstanding service to the Stillwater community nearly since the inception of the community itself, and we are honored to welcome the business into the Park Lawn family.  We will continue to build upon the wonderful legacy that Mr. May and Strode’s founding members established since its opening in the late 1800’s.”

According to the press release, Park Lawn Corporation continues to operate Death Care facilities in 18 of the United States and two Canadian provinces.

Tom Anderson
Funeral Director Daily

Funeral Director Daily take:  It’s obvious that when you look at the last 6-month period that Park Lawn Corporation feels that building its facility resources in the state of Oklahoma is a strategy they want to follow.  Looking back on the first six months of 2026 (and including the December 11, 2025 acquisition) we find that they have announced the acquisition of 15 properties in the state in that time period.

Here’s a re-cap of those acquisitions as written up in the Funeral Director Daily archives.  (Dates are the dates that the news appeared in Funeral Director Daily).

• December 15, 2025 —  Park Lawn purchases 8 funeral homes in greater Oklahoma City
• February 17, 2026 —  Park Lawn Corporation adds to their Oklahoma City holdings.
• May 19, 2026 —  Despite management upheaval, Park Lawn acquisitions keep rolling along.

When prompting Gemini AI about cremation rates in Oklahoma, here is the answer I recieved:

“According to the Cremation Association of North America (CANA) the cremation rate for Oklahoma sits at an estimated 45%.  This places Oklahoma below the national average which is around 63%.  While still a minority, cremation has been one of the fastest-growing dispostion methods in the state.

More news from the world of Death Care:

• Grand Prairie Cemetery to install new natural burial area, memorial garden.  Spectrum News 1  (OH)
• Is human composting the future of burial — or just too wierd for most people?  Video news story and print article.  The Roggin Report – NBC TV  (AZ)
• Local group advocates for natural burial.  Athens County Independent (OH)
• Federal officials eye vineyard southeast of Salem for new veterans cemetery.  OPB Public Broadcasting (OR)
• How Final Expense insurance works and when it makes sense.  MSN

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