The Chelsea Senior Center is offering a Loss & Healing Support Group that meets Tuesdays from 12:30-1:30 pm at the Washington Street Education Center, 500 Washingotn St, Chelsea.
* An ongoing Support Group for anyone coping with a loss or grieving a past or recent change in your life.
* Join Gina Frankhart & Ginnie Hartman to learn about the stages of grief coping skills, and creative expression.
* Find a place to talk, share, listen & heal
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. 
We offer choices in cremation service, including:
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
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.
Of Chelsea, Michigan, went to be with his Lord and Savior at the age of 73, on Sunday, September 6, 2026, surrounded by his family in his home in Chelsea. The family would like to thank Arbor Hospice staff for the care they gave him. He was born December 6, 1952 in Gladwin, Michigan, the son of Cyrus York & Megan (Meyer) AtLee.
After graduating as Valedictorian from Gladwin High School class of 1971, Cy earned his BA in electrical engineering from U of M. He spent his entire career working at various companies in the plastics production industry. Most recently, Cy worked at Bekum America, where he was appreciated and supported.
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of Chelsea, Michigan, formerly of Royal Oak and Troy
Betty was 92 when she was welcomed into her heavenly home on Friday, August 28, 2026, at Chelsea Retirement Community. She was born on May 5, 1934, in Chicago, Illinois, to Weldon Ray and Isabel (Gardhouse) Carnahan.
Betty worked at Commercial Contracting Corporation as a payroll accountant. After retiring she volunteered in the outpatient surgical department at Beaumont hospital. During her lifetime she was active in many ministries at Royal Oak Church (formerly Royal Oak Missionary Church). Betty enjoyed reading, crocheting and traveling. Her greatest joy was spending time with her family. She found great pleasure in making each family member feel special.
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Raymond Walter Niles Jr. of Munith, Michigan, age 93, passed away Saturday, August 22, 2026, at his home. He was born February 8, 1933, in Saline, Michigan, the son of Raymond Walter and Ruth Rosinia (Lindenschmidt) Niles, Sr.
Raymond graduated from Saline High School in 1951 and then earned an associate's degree from American River Junior College in California. Raymond served 9 years in the US Navy Reserves. He started as a mechanic and then worked as Radar Operator. Raymond worked as a Mechanical Designer for Gar Wood Truck Company and Aerojet-General Corporation, which was a rocket and missile propulsion manufacturer for the space industry in California, from 1959-1966. During that time, he also worked with McDonnell Douglas where he worked on the Saturn V. Raymond then worked with Gelman Sciences where he worked on electrophoresis blood machines before moving back to California to design hard drives. Raymond built and enjoyed flying his remote control airplane and enjoyed reading historical nonfiction. He was a member of the Zion Lutheran Church of Chelsea and helped manage the church's cemetery.
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Therese Marie Donahue of Potterville, formerly of Chelsea, Grand Rapids, Essexville, Ossineke, Parchment, and Ypsilanti, age 78, passed away Saturday, August 22, 2026, at Sparrow Hospital in Lansing. She was born October 6, 1947, in Grand Rapids, Michigan, the daughter of Frank Henry and Mary Cecilia (Dolan) Donahue.
Therese and her twin sister were baptized Catholic and later became Dominican Sisters for a period of time in 1989. She graduated from Marywood Academy in Grand Rapids, earned her bachelor’s degree from Aquinas College in 1972, and eventually earned her Master’s in Social Work from the University of Michigan. She worked as a middle and high school teacher in the Catholic Diocese of Traverse City; she was a Catholic Associate Pastor, ACSW, Realtor, and U.S. Rural Route Postal Carrier. Therese was a social worker for the State of Michigan Correction Facility in Jackson. She retired from the Ann Arbor Veteran's Hospital. Therese was a member / volunteer for the Chelsea Wellness Center.
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David Scharphorn of Jackson, Michigan, formerly of Chelsea, Michigan, age 92 passed away Monday, August 24, 2026, at Legacy Assisted Living in Jackson. He was born on October 25, 1933, in Allendale, Michigan, the son of Joseph and Dena (Manning) Scharphorn.
David attended Zeeland High School. After graduation, he went on to attend Grand Rapids Junior College before transferring to the University of Michigan, where he obtained a Mechanical Engineering Degree. David worked on engines for several companies and was a member of the Society of Automotive Engineers. He was also a member of the EAA (Experimental Aircraft Association) and was a private pilot. Their farm included an airstrip and hanger, allowing them to make many trips across the United States and Canada in their private plane. David enjoyed farming, flying, and riding bicycles.
Of Chelsea, Michigan, age 89, passed away Sunday, August 23, 2026, at his home in Chelsea. He was born May 20, 1937, in Chelsea, Michigan, the son of Vernon J. and Edna C. (Ortbring) Satterthwaite.
of Jackson, Michigan, formerly of Chelsea, Ann Arbor, and Grass Lake, age 88, passed away Saturday, August 22, 2026 at Henry Ford Hospital in Jackson. He was born October 13, 1937 in Marion, Illinois, the son of John Wesley Quayle Stafford and May Mamie Pedigo. In 1953, the Stafford family moved to the Ypsi/Ann Arbor area.
John graduated from Ypsilanti High School in 1956. In 1967, he created John Stafford Carpentry and served in the Ann Arbor area for more than 50 years. He always loved the City of Ann Arbor and specialized in the Old West Side. John was very artistic and creative, with a gentle, sweet spirit. He loved old cars and tractors, and was a member of the Jackson Tractor club. John took his Farmall tractor across the Mackinac bridge during the Mackinac Bridge Antique Tractor Crossing. His favorite TV shows were “bitchin’ rides” and old Westerns. John enjoyed his music, including Neil Diamond, Glen Campbell, and Hank Williams. He spent his last few years of retirement living with his love Nancy Layton, and his precious angel dog Maddie. John loved his children and grandchildren, along with his 1948 Chrysler, and 1988 Cadillac.
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