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Cole Funeral Chapel
Cole Funeral Chapel is a family-owned funeral home committed to caring for your family. An independent funeral home in Chelsea, Michigan, our mission is to meet your needs whatever they may be. We provide a wide range of services, from sitting down with you to discuss future needs to grief counseling after the death of a loved one.Our funeral home was founded in 1898, and was purchased by Donald Cole in 1977. His son, Allen, bought the funeral home from his father in 1999, continuing the tradition of service to the Chelsea area.
We know that making funeral arrangements can be difficult, so let us help you every step of the way. We have a professional staff equipped with many resources that can provide assistance 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Please feel free to call anytime, or e-mail us at staff @ ColeFuneralChapel.com
Cremation Services
We offer choices in cremation service, including:
- direct cremation with no services
- cremation followed by a memorial service or visitation time
- a complete viewing and funeral followed by cremation
We want to help your family choose services that fit your needs. We will walk you through your options without pressuring you, and we will help you to compare the costs of different options. Regardless of your choice, we will treat your loved one with respect, we will help you write and place obituaries, we will obtain death certificates promptly, and help you chose the final resting place for your loved one's ashes. We will not try to sell you services or merchandise you do not need.
Cremation with Public Viewing & Funeral
Cremation Packages - Price list
Read more: Cremation Services
Steps for Planning Ahead
We understand how difficult it is to plan funeral services, so our staff is available to help you in any way that we can. Please call us and we will walk you through every step of planning, and we will offer choices to make the services just right for your family. To help you understand the process, here are some of the steps you can choose to do ahead of time:
Funeral Planning
☐ Fill out basic pre-arrangement information sheet. 15-20 minutes, no charge. This provides the basic information we need to write obituaries and fill out the death certificates. It gives us some information about the type of services you want. Click here to download the Pre-Arrangement form
☐ Fill out funeral service information sheet. 10-15 minutes, no charge. This provides information about the funeral / memorial service you would like: who should lead it, type of music, readings, etc. Click here to download the Funeral Service Information Sheet
☐ Itemize funeral goods and services. 30-60 minutes with funeral home staff, usually at the funeral home, no charge. You choose the goods and services you want, and we will create an itemized funeral bill so you can know the anticipated costs. This is an estimate only, but lets you make many of the decisions in advance, and guides us and your family as to your wishes.
☐ Pre-pay your funeral invoice. 15-30 minutes with funeral home staff. After itemizing the services you want (see previous choice), you may pay for the funeral in one lump sum, or in payments, and lock in the prices for your funeral bill. This saves your family from worrying about paying for your funeral.
Memorial Planning
☐ Choose your cemetery marker. 30-60 minutes, cost vary greatly. You may choose the type of stone or gravemarker you want, and lay out the exact design for your stone. You may wish to save the information until after the death, or have the stone cut and delivered.
☐ Plan a memory slideshow. 30-60 minutes, $95. Choose 30-70 photos to be put into a slideshow that can be played at the visitation and/or funeral. You may put sticky notes on back to indicate an order to the photos if you wish, or to label slides. You may choose to narrate the photos in your voice.
☐ Write a letter to your loved ones. No cost, time will vary greatly. You may write a letter to your spouse or children to be read and re-read after your death. It could be read publicly, or just given to those you choose after your death. We will be happy to file it with your pre-arrangement. Please put in sealed envelope with the name of the recipient on the outside.
Recent Obituaries
Karen Elizabeth Erb Fitzpatrick
of Hudson, New Hampshire, age 73, died peacefully Monday, April 21, 2025, with her family by her side. She was born October 15, 1951, in Exeter, New Hampshire, the daughter of Ruth Berry (Erb) and Stuart Kemp Whipple.
Ruth raised Karen to be independent and adventurous during her childhood in Providence, Rhode Island, where she attended Beneficent Church and graduated from the Lincoln School. She also spent a year as an exchange student in France. She earned her undergraduate degree from Cornell University, and two master's degrees in Education from the University of New Hampshire and Duke University. Karen taught special education and first grade in North Carolina and Southern New Hampshire. As a teacher, Girl Scout troop leader, and mother she loved working with and helping children. Karen found the outdoors inspiring and fulfilling, with that joy first kindled by teen summers at Camp Kehonka. She loved hiking, canoeing, and sailing, and shared that passion with her family and friends. Karen enjoyed creative writing, including writing songs with her sister-in-law, Jane. She was a member of the Unitarian Universalist Church of Nashua. Karen had dogs throughout her life, often more than one, and loved to both tell and hear stories about each dog’s unique personality. Karen was an incredibly kind person and lived her life with enthusiasm, joy, and empathy.
Roy Andrew Yeary
of Napoleon, Michigan, formerly of Inkster, age 66, passed away Saturday, April 19, 2025, at Henry Ford Jackson Hospital. He was born October 23, 1958, in Garden City, Michigan, the son of Willie and Beatrice Evelyn (Garrison) Yeary.
Roy retired from General Motors in 2009. He was an avid fisherman, hunter and collector. He will be greatly missed by family and friends.
Read more ...Jeffrey Bruce Lovely
of Dexter, Michigan, age 63, passed away unexpectedly Saturday, April 19, 2025, at Michigan Medicine in Ann Arbor. He was born February 25, 1962, in Ann Arbor, Michigan, the son of Oren Bruce Lovely and Maurine (Hodgkins) Snay.
Jeffrey attended Chelsea High School and graduated from Huron High School in Ann Arbor. He studied CAD Engineering at Washtenaw Community College and was a CMM Programmer for 40 years. Jeffrey enjoyed traveling; and liked being at the ocean and spending time with family and friends.
Read more ...Craig Alan Maier
of Chelsea, Michigan, age 68, passed away Thursday, April 17, 2025 at Chelsea Hospital. He was born May 26, 1956 in Ann Arbor, Michigan, the son of Walter F. and Joan Neal (Fluno) Maier, Jr. Craig grew up in Ann Arbor, and moved to Chelsea his junior year of high school, graduating in 1974. He attended the University of Michigan for one year before serving in the Army with the 983rd Corp Engineers. He retired from the Army Reserves after serving 24 years. Craig worked for the Village of Chelsea for 25 years, retiring as the Superintendent for the Department of Public Works. He served as Treasurer with Legion Post 31 in Chelsea, and was the Lima Township Supervisor for 8 years.
Pamela Kay Dyer
of Manchester, Michigan, age 73, passed away peacefully Saturday, April 12, 2025, at her home with her family. She was born December 3, 1951, in Ann Arbor, Michigan, the daughter of James & Luella Esther (Steinaway) Dyer.
Pam graduated from Ann Arbor Pioneer High School, class of 1970, and attended Grand Valley State University. Pam lived in Traverse City, and later had a farm and store on Manitoulin Island, Canada, where she sold wool products and maple syrup that she made. Pam moved to Ann Arbor and worked at Workbench Furniture and was a manager at Saturn Automotive Dealership. After years of sales, Pam started her own business, Clear It Out, Clean It Up. She was a member of Bethlehem United Church of Christ in Ann Arbor. Pam enjoyed gardening, traveling, fishing, dancing, and playing with her grandkids and great-grandkids. She was compassionate and protective of her family, and loved her many fur babies. Pam was first and foremost, a caregiver and a best friend to each of her children. Her contagious smile brought joy to everyone.
Read more ...William Howard Boudreau
of Chelsea, Michigan, formerly of Plymouth, age 83, passed into heaven on Wednesday, April 9, 2025, at Chelsea Retirement Community. He was born June 9, 1941, in Newberry, Michigan, the son of John William and Jane Alice (LaPine) Boudreau.
Bill graduated from Adrian High School in 1959. He served in the U.S. Army from 1960-1962, in the 508th Military Police Battalion. He attended Jackson Community College 1966-1967, and transferred to the University of Michigan, graduating in 1971, with a Bachelor of Science in Industrial Engineering. William worked as a Sales Account Manager to Auto OEM Manufacturers, a Sales Engineer and Industrial Engineer all with Johnson Controls, from 1963 - 2002 (including Stubnitz Greene Corp. and Hoover Universal, Inc., acquired by JCI). He attended the Chelsea Church of the Nazarene and previously, the First Church of the Nazarene in Northville. William was a member of the 508th Military Police Alumni Association.
Read more ...David Michael Ball
David Michael Ball, 66, died Thursday, February 11, 2025, at home after many years of suffering with multiple sclerosis. David was born on September 20, 1958, to Norma (née Wood) Ball and Ivan J. Ball in Iowa City, Iowa.
He attended public schools in Iowa City, graduating from West High School in 1976. After high school, David worked as an information technology specialist, first for a consulting company and later for Notre Dame University. As his illness progressed, he was unable to continue working but was able to live with family.
Read more ...