Mitchell Funeral Home Enters Third Generation of Service in Chelsea

Mitchell Funeral Home in Chelsea, Michigan, celebrates 45 years under the Mitchell family and welcomes a third generation. Discover how their legacy of compassion and community continues after 170 years.

Photo: Three generations of Mitchell funeral directors: (L-R) Johnny Mitchell, AJ Mitchell, John Mitchell Sr., and Michael Mitchell. John Sr. holds his certificate recognizing 60 years as a licensed funeral director. Courtesy of Staffan-Mitchell

The Mitchell family has quietly become one of Chelsea’s most enduring presences, guiding families through life’s most difficult moments for nearly half a century. On April 1, 2025, they entered their 45th year since John Mitchell Sr. purchased the Staffan Funeral Home, continuing a tradition that began with Chelsea’s earliest settlers.

“You know, there’s probably nothing greater in a small community than small-town funeral service,” says John Mitchell Jr., known in the community as ‘Johnny.’ “There is nothing more gratifying than you’re walking down the street, if you’re going into Heydlauff’s, Merkel’s, or the hardware store, and you see a family that you’ve served. They come up and they give you a hug, and they mean it.”

The Staffan-Mitchell Funeral Home traces its lineage back to 1853, when French immigrant Frank Staffan opened a business making caskets and offering funeral-related support to local families. His son, George P. Staffan, helped modernize the profession by manufacturing embalming fluid and adopting one of the region’s first motorized hearses. George L. Staffan, the third generation, introduced Chelsea’s first ambulance service, often using the same vehicle as a hearse. By the time of his passing in 2007, George L. held the distinction of being Michigan’s oldest licensed funeral director, marking more than a century of continuous funeral care by the Staffan family.

Now, 170 years later, a third Mitchell generation is stepping in.

Andrew J. “AJ” Mitchell, the youngest son of Johnny and Cindy Mitchell’s four children, recently became a licensed funeral director after graduating from Worsham College of Mortuary Science in Chicago. At 23, he is one of the youngest people in the profession—and a rare third-generation funeral director.

AJ’s early exposure to funeral work became personal during high school. “Chelsea High School lost a lot of young kids, and we served a lot of those kids,” says AJ. “One of those kids was a close childhood friend of mine. That’s when I first really found a love and passion for this business.”

The Mitchells have built their reputation on compassion, professionalism, and community connection. Johnny’s eyes get misty when he says, “You’re in a small town. You know 90% of your clientele. They want you. They don’t want somebody else. That’s very humbling. Maybe your close friends hand you a child. That’s not easy. But you take care of your friends.”

Following in his father’s authentic nature, AJ has learned to bring his own personality to the work. “I think if I’m myself, people respect you a lot more,” he says. “I think I have a light sense of humor that people appreciate in the right moment. But at its heart, this is a serious business. People can read through you if you don’t treat it with respect.”

The family approach is central to the Mitchells’ way of doing business. Cindy Mitchell, who trained as a nurse and worked at the University of Michigan before joining the funeral home, said the transition came from necessity and love. “As we started having kids, the two careers just didn’t jive,” she explains. “So, I left that career when child number two came along and joined the business.”

The Mitchell legacy also includes John’s brother, Michael, who is also licensed and now handles day-to-day operations alongside Johnny and AJ. “He graduated from Chelsea and has a true passion for some of the newer types of funeral service, especially the green burials,” says Johnny.

John Mitchell Sr., the patriarch of the Mitchell family, recently celebrated the remarkable milestone of 60 years as a licensed funeral director. He began his journey in Milwaukee at the Institute of Mortuary Science, where he earned his degree before returning to Michigan to complete his licensing process.

A part of that process was an interview in Detroit with Mrs. Suley Stinson, an influential African American funeral director. John Sr. says her first question was blunt: “Can you tell me why you want to be a funeral director? I’ll bet you want to drive Cadillacs and wear nice-looking clothes.” Mitchell responded with “I always had a little something in the back of my mind that I wanted to be a funeral director.” Stinson threw up her hands from her reclining chair and exclaimed, “Lord, Lord. We got a calling.”

And now, with nearly two centuries of history behind it, the Mitchell funeral home itself is part of Chelsea’s identity. “Our funeral home is the oldest continuing business in Chelsea,” John Sr. notes. “It was established in 1853, and it’s the third-oldest funeral business in the state of Michigan.”

Though now retired from daily operations, John Sr. remains deeply proud of his family legacy and AJ’s decision to continue that story. Cindy describes it as “busting his buttons over AJ joining the family business.”

The Mitchells know that theirs is an unusual business to pass from one generation to the next. “In this day and age, to have a third generation is really something special,” says Johnny. “A lot of family-owned businesses don’t make it this far. So, to see it continue and to be lucky enough to be a part of it, especially in funeral service, is kind of cool.”

Community connection, the Mitchells believe, is what makes small-town funeral service different. “There’s nothing more gratifying than seeing a family you’ve served, and they come up and give you a hug and say, ‘Thanks again,’” says Johnny. “That’s not all of why we’re in the funeral service, but it does help make our world go round.”

And sometimes, the work takes a lighter turn. The family owns an original horse-drawn hearse, which they decorate for parades and fill with frisbees. “We stuff the horse-drawn hearse full of some 1800 frisbees,” says Johnny. “I sit atop the hearse and throw frisbees as fast as I can with both hands. It is one of the best times of the year.”

For AJ, that community spirit, alongside a deep sense of care, was the deciding factor. “Growing up seeing my dad helping people as he does and having fun like in the parade, that’s what I want to do,” he says.

After more than 170 years of service, from hand-built caskets and ice boards to green burials and community hugs, the Mitchells remain committed to what matters most: being there when Chelsea needs them.