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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


 

 

 

 

 

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.

 

Standard Cremation Package

Cremation with Public Viewing & Funeral

Cremation Packages - Price list

 

Read more: Cremation Services

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.

A cemetery marker is not just a way to mark the grave, but it can tell the story of that person's life.  We enjoy helping you design a special cemetery marker to remember your loved ones.   We also recommend families place a stone on their graves before it is needed, so you can plan your design together.  We work hard to create quality monuments for the families we serve, and offer many choices, and easy ways to personalize the marker.  Let us make a design and give you an estimate with no obligation.

Patten Monument web site

Recent Obituaries

Sara "Sally" G. Peiter

Sara Glock Peiter of Chelsea, Michigan, age 80, died Monday, October 25, 2021 at St. Joseph Mercy Hospital in Chelsea. She was born in Stamford, CT and raised in New Canaan. Sally graduated from Emma Willard in 1958 and went on to earn her Bachelor's degree in Philosophy from Brown University and a Masters in Education from U of M.

Sally was a long-time resident of Chelsea. She taught many years as both a private and public-school elementary teacher. Sally authored the first iteration of a History of Chelsea, a story book for elementary students. She was known to many as an avid mystery story reader, plant enthusiast and dog lover. For 44 years she lived out in the country and would religiously walk her dogs every afternoon--festooned in hunters’ orange--oftentimes battling the elements. We don’t know how her dogs felt about this. Fortunately, her family spent quality time reminiscing with her during her last days at the hospital. She has always been there for her two sons and grandkids and supported them unsparingly.

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Todd Christopher Headrick, Ph.D

Todd Christopher Headrick, Ph.D died October 20, 2021 in Carbondale, IL. He was born February 4,1960 in Ann Arbor, MI. The son of Sally and Don Proctor and Robert F. Headrick. Todd Christopher graduated from Chelsea High School in 1978. Both his Bachelor of Science and Master of Arts were completed at Eastern Michigan University then earned his Ph.D. from Wayne State University in Statistics and Measurement.

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Mercedes Leah Snyder

Born Into Life: 1921                                                                                                                   Entered into Eternity: 2021

Mercedes Leah Snyder was born on December 31, 1921 in Ann Arbor, Michigan. She was the fourth child of twelve born to the union of Charles Henry Baker and Ruby A. Baker.  Mercedes attended Ann Arbor Public Schools, graduating from Ann Arbor High School.  She was united in marriage to Charles Snyder on January 10, 1942, in Ann Arbor, Michigan. To this union 4 daughters were born.  For many years Mercedes lived in Albion, Michigan. In her later years she and her husband moved to Wild Goose Lake. This is where she resided until her untimely death.

Mercedes had a loving warm spirit about her. She is described by her daughters as being strong, generous, considerate, warm, stubborn, and compassionate. When meeting her you were oftentimes met with a big warm smile. She was known for the love of the color Purple. This regal color was reflective of her personality. She loved her family, but she had a special affection and bond for her granddaughters Donna and Arianne. Her great grandson Kaleb also held a special place in her heart. 

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Stanley Jay Parker

Of Manchester, Michigan, formerly of Ann Arbor, age 82, died Wednesday, October 20, 2021 at ProMedica in Ann Arbor. He was born February 6, 1939 in Chelsea, Michigan, the son of Homer Russell and Margery F. (Robards) Parker. Stanley graduated from Dexter High School in1958. He was a life-long farmer. A road is named after his family and his family farm will soon be 200 years old. Stanley attended the St. Paul United Church of Christ in Chelsea. He was on the PLPOA Board; and was a member of the Farm Bureau and the Huron Valley Watershed Council.

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Norman George Johnston

of Chelsea, Michigan, Age 92, died Tuesday, October 19, 2021 at Chelsea Retirement Community Towsley Village; after a long and valiant battle with vascular dementia. He was born September 23, 1929 in Jackson, Michigan, the son of George Miles & Faye (Corley) Johnston.  Norman graduated from Ann Arbor High School in 1947, and earned an Agricultural Degree from Michigan State University. He served in the United States Army from 1951-1953. Norman was a master level machinist, spending 34 years at the University of Michigan’s Chemistry Department, enabling important research and assisted in educating generations of students. He was a member of St. Joseph Catholic Church in Dexter, and served on several ministries. Upon retirement he continued to use his machinist skills as a hobby producing working model engines and other intricate projects. Norm was loved for his quick wit, ability to fix anything, and devotion to family and friends.

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