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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
Raymond John Sleep
Raymond John Sleep was born in Detroit, Michigan on June 11th, 1931 to Alice (Neish) and John Sleep. He was the eldest of their three boys, including Richard and Ernest.
Ray’s love for literature, writing and learning began at a young age and he loved to teach himself. In childhood, he skipped school to lie on the roof of their Detroit home and read. He and his brothers had many adventures boating and swimming in the Detroit River near Belle Isle. Ray graduated from Southeastern High School in 1949 and went on to Wayne (State) University. He left Wayne University in pursuit of his dream of becoming a writer and moved to Manhattan in 1949 for six weeks, when he ran out of money and claimed, “my pen just wouldn’t write a story”.
Read more ...Betty Ann Bock
of Chelsea, Michigan, formerly of Pittsburgh, PA and Buffalo, New York, age 98, passed away peacefully on Saturday, September 21, 2024, at Silver Maples of Chelsea. Betty Ann was born August 23, 1926, to John Armstrong Young and Anna Mae (Kelly) Young in Oakdale, Pennsylvania. Betty Ann graduated from Oakdale High School and Westminster College in New Wilmington, PA.
Betty Ann worked in Pittsburgh before her marriage and after the family was raised. She and three friends owned Paper Parade in Plymouth, MI.
She enjoyed flower arranging and the competition of flower shows. She was Past President of the Farmington Garden Club, an Elder in the Presbyterian Church, a reader for the blind, active in PTA and on several committees at Silver Maples. She loved Northern Michigan and especially the Frankfort summer place and the good times with family and friends.
Read more ...Don Gargaro III
June 13, 1954– Sept. 15, 2024
After a prolonged illness, Don Gargaro III, 70, died peacefully at home at Ellsworth Lake on Sept. 15, 2024 with his devoted partner, Lynne Spencer, and their sweet dog, Davi, by his side. Born in Detroit, he was the eldest of the late Don II and Joann Gargaro’s six children.
Don was an artist at heart. As a teen, his untrained hand and uncanny perception produced sophisticated sketch caricatures, capturing the essence– visible and invisible– of his subjects mostly his family. He was an avid reader, whose recommendations were typically spot-on. He particularly loved music, ranging from the Chicago blues to the British Invasion to the plaintive soul of the Texas Hill Country. He was an excellent guitar player with a great ear and a deep appreciation for the passion of the musicians whose songs he studied and played. His tastes were cultivated with curiosity and wonder, and his opinions were often unyielding. His musical aesthetic remains an enduring influence on his siblings, nieces, nephews, and friends. Most would agree that their playlists and record collections bear Don’s indelible imprint.
Read more ...Linda Marie Smith
of Chelsea, Michigan, age 79, passed away Monday, September 16, 2024, at her home. She was born June 25, 1945, in Pontiac, Michigan, the daughter of James M. and Peggy (Edwards) Dickerson.
Linda graduated from Clarkston High School in 1963. She worked as a Computer Tech at Chelsea Hospital, retiring in February of 1998. Linda enjoyed bowling at Chelsea Lanes during the 80's and 90's, and liked to golf. She loved to read and travel with Hank in the RV. Linda and Hank went to St. Augustine, Florida for the last 35 years.
Read more ...Richard E. Roller
THE LIFE AND TIMES OF RICHARD E. ROLLER
November 22, 1922 - September 6, 2024
Richard (Dick) Roller was born on November 22, 1922, to Edwin and Maud (Trudeau) Roller. He was one of four children; brothers Bill & Sonny and sister Jane completed the family. Times were tough during the Great Depression and the family lost their home when their Dad was laid off from Ford Motor. During the depression, Dick and his father went to farmers markets to buy food which they delivered in bushel baskets to friends, neighbors and family in need.
Dick met Marian Kelly in grade school and a lifetime loving bond was created. Dick and Marian were married in 1942, but their early married life was interrupted by WWII. Dick was working as an 18-year-old tool and die apprentice at Ford Motor Company when he and a select group of apprentices were called into a meeting. They were promoted to Foreman and would be supervising a team of women who had never been employed. They were to build B-24 Bombers at the Willow Run plant. Dick continued in this position for a year then decided he needed to aid the war effort in a different way. He left Ford, giving up his war deferment and joined the Merchant Marine. He was sent to New York for training and qualified as a Second Engineer on Liberty ships. He transported military supplies to both the Atlantic and Pacific theaters. He was very proud of his wartime service. At the end of the war, he returned to the USA and Marian.
Read more ...Jeffrey Kermit Hampel
September 24, 1936 to August 8, 2024
Word has been received from Denver of the death of former Chelsea resident, Jeff Hampel age 87.
Jeff owned a Crooked Lake cottage from 1965 to 2005 when he moved to Green Valley AZ and Dillon Colorado. He also had a family home in Troy MI.
Jeff was born in East Cleveland, Ohio, the son of Alford R. Hampel and Mae (Illingworth) Hampel Ralston.
After graduating from Purdue where he was a member of Kappa Delta Rho fraternity, Jeff served in the U.S. Army Security Agency as an analyst intercepting Soviet communications during the Berlin Wall crisis.
Leaving military service, Jeff had a 30 year career as a sales representative for Magic Chef, Litton Microwaves, and Fisher Electronics.
Robert Hamel
Age 55, passed away Thursday, August 29, 2024 at his sister's house in Chelsea. He was born February 17, 1969 in Garden City, the son of Edward Robert & Kathleen Mae (Waun) Hamel.
Robert graduated from Chelsea High School in 1987. He was a chef at many restaurants, but was especially known for working at Thompson's Pizza. His colorful character impacted many people. Robert loved life, enjoying time with friends and family.
Read more ...