Our Story

Molthen-Bell & Son Funeral Home began humbly in 1916 as a small storefront on the 1000 block of South Milwaukee Avenue. Simon Rosenblatt, the founder, had a daughter, Rose, and before he allowed her to marry, he wanted to make sure that her suitor would have good, reputable work. So he hired and trained Anthony Molthen, who was employed as an industrial painter. 

In the mid-1920s, the families erected a new funeral home at 700 Milwaukee Avenue, the current site of Molthen-Bell & Son. Simon financed the construction of the new building and Anthony took care of the operations. His son, Anthony Molthen, Jr., would soon join his father in the family business and by 1940 ascend to manager. 

Anthony Sr. passed away in 1952, at which point his wife Rose became the owner. Their daughter Antoinette would meet and marry a man named Raphael Bell, and his partnership with Anthony Jr. after the war would solidify the Molthen-Bell moniker and carry the family business to its most extensive renovation in 1965. This is the building and facilities as you see them today.

In 1990, Anthony G. Molthen and Jeff Bell purchased the business. Later, a fourth-generation member of the family, Cory Stephens, who is Anthony Jr.'s grandson, also became part owner and a vital member of the Molthen-Bell staff. 

Although no longer directly owned by the family today, the business is run just as the founders planned, with Jeff Bell assisting families with pre-arrangements and Cory Stephens often attending services. Caring for local families and providing a trust service to the community allowed us to recently celebrate our 100th anniversary.   

However, the real takeaway from our work and the lives of those who have helped Molthen-Bell & Son become what it is today is that we are all made stronger with the support of family and friends, that our community binds us in faith, service and common understanding, and that our story is just one of many that we expect to tell current and future generations for years to come.