Lindsey Rogers began learning the family business by tending the gardens of Reynolds-Jonkhoff Funeral Home in Traverse City when she was 13.
She later made guest books, obituary bookmarks, and other items for families. She became a licensed funeral director at 22 and has done almost every job at the funeral home.
“I have literally done every aspect of the job, from gardening and lawn care,” Rogers says.
Rogers and her sister, Chris Jonkhoff-Hater, now own the funeral home. They are the sixth generation of their family to do this work, starting nearly 140 years ago.
“It is definitely difficult, and there are definitely hard days,” Rogers says. “It’s kind of like our ministry.”
Their family’s story began with Gerrit Jonkhoff, who was born in the Netherlands in 1840 and came to the United States in 1872. A furniture craftsman, he settled in Grand Rapids and worked as a cabinetmaker.
Cabinetmakers often made coffins during that era. In 1884, Gerrit and his son, Ralph, opened the first Jonkhoff Funeral Home in Grand Rapids. The family also provided ambulance service.
“In those days, the cabinetmaker of a town also made caskets,” Rogers says. “They also, in those days, were the ambulance service, and so it all kind of tied together in helping people.”
People often traded goods instead of using money. Families sometimes paid for services with items they grew or made.
“If you worked with a farmer, they gave you the goods that they had,” Rogers says. “It wasn’t really a money transaction at that point. It was all trade business.”
The business passed from one generation to the next. In 1976, Rogers’ grandparents, Jack and Maxine Jonkhoff, sold their Caledonia funeral home and moved north. They purchased Reynolds-Hanson Funeral Home in Traverse City, effective Jan. 1, 1977.
“They loved northern Michigan and wanted to help families in the Traverse City area,” Rogers says.
Her father, Dan Jonkhoff, joined his parents that year after earning a mortuary science degree from Wayne State University. Dan and Peg Jonkhoff acquired the business in 1992.
Rogers and Jonkhoff-Hater acquired the funeral home in 2022, when their father marked 40 years in funeral service. What began with Jack, Maxine and Dan has grown to nearly 50 full- and part-time employees.
The sisters grew up watching their father guide families through some of their hardest days.
“We saw how much he helped people and just saw how much he enjoyed doing what he was doing,” Rogers says.
The funeral home brings that same care to every family. People may need to choose burial, cremation, or body donation. They may also choose a casket, an urn, and other services while grieving a loved one.
Reynolds-Jonkhoff’s primary customer service rule is “all options, all the time.”
“It’s not our job to pick for them,” Rogers says. “We want to help families know what their options are.”
Her father offered another rule: “Don’t worry about the money; just help people.”
A Michigan Retailers Association member since 2007, Reynolds-Jonkhoff uses MRA’s group insurance services. The family also builds relationships by supporting concerts, theater productions, golf outings, and community organizations.
Each Halloween, the funeral home welcomes more than 1,000 trick-or-treaters. The family hands out candy, animal crackers for young children, and treats for dogs. It also provides portable restrooms.
Their display has no coffins or frightening decorations. Peg has dressed as an M&M, a Minion, and a princess.
“We don’t want to be associated with scary,” Rogers says. “She’s something happy every year.”