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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

Loss & Healing Support Groups

Mondays, 10:30-noon, facilitated by Gina Frankhart. For those newer to the grief and healing journey.

Tuesdays, 12:30-2 pm, facilitated by Gina Frankhart and Ginnie Hartman.

At Chelsea Senior Center, 500 Washington St, Chelsea. Open to all at no charge.

 

 


 

 

 

 

 

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.

Recent Obituaries

David “Dave” Frank Busfield

David “Dave” Frank Busfield
April 25, 1946 - November 5, 2026

With heavy hearts, the family of Dave F. Busfield, age 80, announces his passing on November 5, 2026, though we find comfort in knowing he is reunited with his “wifey,” Mary Ann, who preceded him in death on January 18, 2026.

Dave was born on April 25, 1946, to Amos and Dorothy “Dot” (Kimball) Busfield in Allegan, Michigan. He graduated from the University of Michigan with a business degree and was proud to say he was a businessman and entrepreneur, owning two successful businesses during his professional career. He and Mary Ann lived their dream of owning a log home on 10 acres, which Dave nurtured into their own private nature preserve. Over the years he had the satisfaction of watching the dozens of trees he planted as babies grow to towering maturity.

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Rhoda Anne Giebel

Rhoda Anne Giebel died on November 4, 2026. She was 74 years old.

Rhoda was born on July 29, 1952, in Detroit, Michigan, to Richard Emil Giebel and Jean McCombie (Blackwood) Giebel. Rhoda graduated from Cass Technical High School in Detroit in 1971. Rhoda earned a bachelor’s degree at Wayne State University majoring in computer science.

Rhoda began her career as a computer programmer working for The Bell System in Southfield. After positions with several other companies, her last place of employment was with ADP.

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Leo Richards

Leo Richards of Ypsilanti, Michigan, age 79, passed away Wednesday, November 4, 2026, at the Villa at Willow Place in Ypsilanti. He was born February 11, 1947, in Ann Arbor, the son of Royal Lewis “Louie” Richards Sr. and Lavon (Suman) Riplow.

Leo graduated from Pioneer High School in 1965. He served in the US Army from 1968 until 1971. He was a field mechanic, serving in Viet Nam. Leo was a self-employed scrapper and volunteered at the VA Hospital in Ann Arbor. He loved fishing. Leo was a very caring person who helped anybody that he could. He was the life of the party, with a joke and a smile ready to cheer you up.

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Edward Lorenz “Ed” Wenk

of Howard City, Michigan, formerly of Chelsea, age 87, passed away Thursday, October 29, 2026, at The Comfort Home in Reed City. He was born March 17, 1939, in Chelsea, Michigan, the son of Lorenz W. and Ruth M. (Grau) Wenk.

Ed graduated from Chelsea High School in 1957. He served in the US Navy and worked as an Insurance Adjuster for State Farm and Hartford Insurance. Ed enjoyed fly fishing, deer hunting, and duck hunting. Ed was a cantankerous man, but was a great dad.

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Travis Allen Lammer

Travis Allen Lammer of Grass Lake, Michigan, age 25, passed away Sunday, October 18, 2026. He was born July 27, 2001, in Ann Arbor, Michigan, the son of Timothy Allen and Lisa Annette (Bell) Lammer.

Travis graduated from Grass Lake High School in 2019. He worked for Fitzgivens Fleet Fabricators and then at Lester Brothers as a directional driller. He fixed underground pipes, was a welder, and worked on electrical, plumbing, and waterlines. Travis rebuilt and modified his hot rod truck. He enjoyed motorcycles, especially dirt biking up North with his friends, and fishing with his niece, Candace, at Grass Lake.

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Joanne Lawren Oesterle

Joanne Lawren Oesterle of Chelsea, Michigan, age 87, passed away Friday, October 16, 2026, at her home of 68 years. She was born February 21, 1939, in Illinois, the daughter of Samuel and Clara (Credi) Ghidotti.

Joanne spent her very early years in southwestern Michigan before moving to Chelsea with her mother and older sister, Mary Lou. She attended catholic school through 8th grade and graduated from Chelsea High School in 1957. While in high school, she worked at the downtown Chelsea Pharmacy lunch counter making sandwiches and serving ice cream. In the summers, she also worked at Gaunt’s gladiola farms, becoming a top flower grader for the company by the time she was 18.

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Helen Loretta O'Brien

Helen Loretta O'Brien of Chelsea, Michigan, formerly of Sylvania, Ohio, age 99, went to be with the Lord, Thursday, October 8, 2026, at the Chelsea Retirement Community. She was born February 7, 1927, in London, Kentucky, the daughter of Robert Oliver and Fanny Ellen (Bunch) McCowan.

Helen attended Lynn Camp High School in Corbin, Kentucky. She was a long-time member of Hope Baptist Church in Toledo, Ohio, was on a bowling league, and worked 40 years as a CNA at Lake Park Hospital in Sylvania, Ohio. She liked to quilt and garden and shop at the Dollar Tree. Helen had a heart for Jesus, was faithful in prayer and in reading scripture, and loved sharing stories from the Bible with her grandchildren and anyone who would listen. Most recently, she was a member of the Faith Baptist Church in Chelsea.

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