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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
Antonius "Tom" Vandervoort
of Chelsea, Michigan, passed away peacefully on May 11, 2025. He was 92 years young, born on April 13, 1933, in Sassenheim, Netherlands.
Known to all as Tom, he lived life to the fullest, living by the motto "work hard, play hard." Tom's passion for hockey was a lifelong affair, and he continued to play himself well into his 70s. He was the life of the party, a natural entertainer who loved to dance and had an uncanny ability to make people laugh. Tom's warm and engaging personality meant he was cherished by many, and there wasn't a person who didn't enjoy his company.
Read more ...Jean Schmidt
Our mom calmly passed away on Tuesday, May 13, with an independent personality that continued until her final day.
She was born January 8, 1929, to Lynn William and Viola Marie (Nellis) Eisenbeiser in Jackson, Michigan, and was raised in the country near North Lake. She attended a one room country school - ‘Pumpkin College’ and graduated from Chelsea High School with the class of 1946. She was a 1950 grad of Michigan State Normal College with a degree in special education and taught hearing-impaired children at the Upjohn School in Kalamazoo. After raising her children, she returned to teaching fourth grade in the Chelsea Public Schools, retiring in 1985.
Read more ...John “Jack” Edward Simpson
of Jackson, Michigan, formerly of Chelsea, age 87, passed quickly Wednesday, April 30, 2025, at Henry Ford Hospital in Jackson, Michigan. He was born June 15, 1937, in Yreka, California, the son of Franklin Arnold and Grace Elizabeth (Paul) Simpson.
Jack moved to Whitmore Lake, from Oakland, California, when he was 9 years old. He attended high school in Ann Arbor, before joining the workforce. Jack worked many jobs, including Heydlauff Appliances and maintenance and repair work at Central Fiber in Chelsea, before moving east where he worked in Lake Placid. He then moved on to become Head Facilities Operator at Middlebury College in Middlebury, Vermont. Jack was a 32nd Degree Mason and Past Master. He belonged to the Rescue Lodge #772 in Crown Point, New York, and Mount Defiance Lodge #794 in Ticonderoga, NY. Jack loved to play cribbage and could often be seen playing at Seitz’s Tavern.Read more ...Craig "Tim" Ortbring
“If you are a chef, no matter how good a chef you are, it's not good cooking for yourself; the joy is in cooking for others”… Will-i-amThat was how Tim Ortbring lived his life – for others. Craig Timothy “Chef” Ortbring passed away peacefully on Wednesday, April 30th at his home. Cancer claimed Tim’s life but not his legacy.
Tim was one of “Those St. Mary’s school kids” in Chelsea up until middle school where he was able to take advantage of his stocky build. Tim was a battering ram style of fullback and had a strong kicking leg that was received by then new CHS Football Coach, Phil Baries. Tim was a rare 4-year varsity letter winner and old #32 made many a game-winning kick during his career at CHS.Read more ...Sue Ellen Perry
of Columbus, Ohio, age 76, passed away peacefully after a long hard battle on Friday, March 14, 2025, at Regency at Bluffs Park in Ann Arbor, surrounded by her family. She was born August 27, 1948, in Toledo, Ohio, the daughter of Robert Gerald & Patricia Jean (Navarre) Cassidy.
Sue graduated from Bishop Hartley High School in Columbus, OH, and served with the Air Force Reserves for two years. She worked for Big Bear Corporation, and retired from Giant Eagle after 32 years. Sue was a devout Catholic her whole life. She was an avid bowler and bowled in leagues for over 30 years. Sue loved watching British mystery shows and Korean dramas, having a good tea, and enjoyed gardening, crocheting, and creating fairy gardens.
Read more ...Michael Louis Roskowski
His was a story about a man, a motorcycle, a dog, and a kingdom created from old tires, refrigerators, rusty scrap metal and love. As a father, he taught his two children (three if you count the dog) to see the beauty in all things. With his bare hands he built a house for his family, brought cars back from the dead and cooked one heck of a flying saucer sandwich.
As a friend he would give you the shirt off his back, had he been wearing one. Whether waterskiing or fishing at the lake, hunting to put food on the table, or chopping down trees to feed the furnace in the winter, Mike was a true outdoorsman…with his dog by his side wherever he went.
Above all Mike loved riding his Harley with his wife’s arms around his waist, the wind in his hair and sunglasses on…adventure awaited around every corner.
Read more ...Karen Elizabeth Erb Fitzpatrick
Read more ...
of Hudson, New Hampshire, age 73, died peacefully Monday, April 21, 2025, with her family by her side. She was born October 15, 1951, in Exeter, New Hampshire, the daughter of Ruth Berry (Erb) and Stuart Kemp Whipple.
Ruth raised Karen to be independent and adventurous during her childhood in Providence, Rhode Island, where she attended Beneficent Church and graduated from the Lincoln School. She also spent a year as an exchange student in France. She earned her undergraduate degree from Cornell University, and two master's degrees in Education from the University of New Hampshire and Duke University. Karen taught special education and first grade in North Carolina and Southern New Hampshire. As a teacher, Girl Scout troop leader, and mother she loved working with and helping children. Karen found the outdoors inspiring and fulfilling, with that joy first kindled by teen summers at Camp Kehonka. She loved hiking, canoeing, and sailing, and shared that passion with her family and friends. Karen enjoyed creative writing, including writing songs with her sister-in-law, Jane. She was a member of the Unitarian Universalist Church of Nashua. Karen had dogs throughout her life, often more than one, and loved to both tell and hear stories about each dog’s unique personality. Karen was an incredibly kind person and lived her life with enthusiasm, joy, and empathy.