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.
August Michael “Mike” Rossettie Sr. of Manchester, Michigan, age 88, passed away Tuesday, June 16, 2026, at his home. He was born May 30, 1938, in Malden, Massachusetts, the son of Joseph L. & Gertrude A. (Kuhl) Rossettie.
of Chelsea, Michigan, age 82, went home to be with the Lord on Tuesday, June 16, 2026, at Chelsea Hospital. She was born December 22, 1943, in Detroit, Michigan, the daughter of Wilbur H. and Abbie S. (Reed) Hanson. The pillars that mom’s life stood upon were her faith, her family, service to others and teaching.
Nancy Louise Schutze of Pinckney, Michigan, formerly of Detroit, age 95, passed away Sunday, June 7, 2026, at her home on Halfmoon Lake. She was born August 3, 1930, in Detroit, Michigan, the daughter of William Wallace and Shirley Louise (Slayton) Travis.
Joan Allen of Chelsea, Michigan, age 94, passed away Saturday, May 30, 2026, at the Chelsea Retirement Community. She was born May 26, 1932, in Royalton, Kentucky, the daughter of Homer and Elma (Crace) Howard.
Royal “Roy” Lewis Richards Jr. of Ann Arbor, Michigan, formerly of Ypsilanti, Pinckney, and Gregory, age 82, passed away after a long illness Wednesday, May 27, 2026, at Optalis of Ann Arbor. He was born April 19, 1944, in Ann Arbor, Michigan, the son of Royal Lewis “Louie” Richards Sr. and Lavon Irene (Suman) Riplow.
Raymond Noel Maurer was born on November 26, 1940, to Irene Behrendt Maurer and her husband, Francis. He peacefully passed from this life, surrounded by family, at the age of 85, after complications from Cerebrovascular disease, dementia, and diabetes on Sunday, May 24, 2026.