In 2023, we reached a significant milestone, marking our 100th year of serving families across our community. Throughout this century of service, we have experienced tremendous growth and success, earning a reputation as a trusted name for families in need. This page is dedicated to showcasing our rich history and accomplishments, which have been made possible by the incredible support of our community. From the bottom of our hearts, we extend our deepest gratitude to you for choosing us to care for your loved ones.


Meet the Generations

That built our legacy


John Molnar Sr.
May 21, 1882 - November 22, 1950

John Molnar Sr. came to the United States of America from Hungary in 1903 and settled in the Detroit area in 1912 because of the large Hungarian population. Mr. Molnar worked for Cadillac Motor Company, and was one of the 6 people instrumental in the creation of the V-8 engine for Cadillac. He opened the Detroit Hungarian Funeral home, now the John Molnar Funeral Home, in 1923. He had a very strong work ethic and believed that you never stop learning, a trait that has been carried on with all the Molnar Family. Mr. Molnar Sr. passed away at the age of 68, after losing his battle with a terminal illness.


John F. Molnar
July 4, 1906 - May 25, 1950

John F. Molnar worked as a Master Patternmaker and also was the owner of Harvard Pattern Works. With his father’s encouragement, he went back to school and received his Funeral Director’s license on January 20, 1950. The second generation of the John Molnar Funeral Home began with his addition to help run the family business. Mr. Molnar passed away only four months after receiving his license, at the age of 43 due to a brief illness.

Margaret E. Molnar
August 9, 1909 - August 21, 1987

Margaret E. Molnar, the wife of John F. Molnar, owned and operated the Margaret Molnar Beauty Shoppe next door to the funeral home. Following the passing of her husband and father-in-law in 1950, Margaret had to provide for her young son’s future. She gave up her business as a beauty operator to continue the legacy of the funeral home. Mrs. Molnar continued with the daily operations until 1979 and then went into semi-retirement. The Molnar family experienced a great loss on August 21, 1987 with Margaret’s passing. She will always be remembered for her caring manner and compassion for others.


John S. Molnar

John has been involved with operating the John Molnar Funeral Homes as President since 1969. John's leadership qualities have served him well as 1969 Class President of Wayne State University School of Mortuary Science, former President of the Delwood Kiwanis Club, past officer and member of the Southgate Knights of Columbus, and Past President of The Hungarian Heritage Club. Civically, John has served as Chairman of the Southgate Public Safety Commission, and he is also a member of St. Pius X Catholic Church in Southgate. John credits his success to the steadfast support of his wife, Helen. Their daughter, Angela, has proudly continued the family tradition as a licensed funeral director. Although John and Helen are now in semi-retirement, John remains a vital presence at the funeral homes. He enjoys working with his son-in-law and granddaughters and is incredibly proud of them for upholding the family legacy. In their free time, John and Helen cherish spending time with their family and traveling.


Angela M. Molnar-Ferguson

Angela graduated from Wayne State University in the fall of 1993, serving as the Vice President of her Mortuary Science Class. After graduation, she began assisting her father with the operation of the funeral homes and now oversees the day-to-day operations. Community service is a cornerstone of her life; she is a member of Our Lady of the Woods Catholic Church, a past board member of the Brownstown Downtown Development Authority, and has held various roles including secretary, president, and charter member of the Kiwanis Club of Brownstown. Angela takes immense pride in her daughters—Madelyn, Megan, Melanie, and Maranda—for continuing the family legacy and enjoys working alongside them. She has been deeply involved in the efficient operation of the funeral homes, including the integration of the Nixon and Thon Funeral Homes in 2016. Angela feels humbled and proud to be part of such a dedicated team and is known for her drive to keep the funeral home up-to-date, a quality she definitely inherited from her father. Outside of work, Angela cherishes spending time with her daughters and family and visiting her parents in Florida. She loves continuing the Molnar family tradition and working with a remarkable team to serve the families who rely on the Molnar Funeral Homes.


Madelyn M. Ferguson

Madelyn is the eldest daughter of Larry Ferguson and Angela Molnar-Ferguson, and the granddaughter of John and Helen Molnar. A Grosse Ile High School graduate, she served as class president in 2018 before continuing her education at Michigan State University, where she earned a Bachelor of Science in Psychology with a minor in Entrepreneurship in 2022. She later pursued her passion for the funeral profession, graduating from Wayne State University in 2024 with Bachelor of Science in Mortuary Science and Summa Cum Laude honors. Now a certified crematory operator, Madelyn is currently completing her apprenticeship at the Funeral Home. With a strong desire to help others, she is dedicated to offering comfort and support to those navigating loss while honoring her family’s tradition of compassionate care. She looks forward to soon becoming a licensed funeral director and continuing to serve her community.
In her free time, Madelyn enjoys reading, traveling with her family, and spending time with friends. Whether in her personal life or at work, she finds fulfillment in building meaningful connections and helping others through challenging moments.


Megan M. Ferguson

Megan is the second eldest daughter of Larry Ferguson and Angela Molnar-Ferguson, and the granddaughter of John and Helen Molnar. She began her education at Central Michigan University and later transferred to Wayne State University, where she earned a Bachelor's degree in Mortuary Science. Now a Licensed Funeral Director and certified crematory operator, Megan is passionate about helping families through difficult times and takes great pride in working alongside a compassionate team she considers family. Megan finds fulfillment in guiding families with care and understanding, continuing her family's legacy in the funeral profession. Outside of work, she enjoys playing and coaching sports, traveling with her family, and spending quality time with friends. Through all of her pursuits, Megan values the connections she makes with others and remains deeply committed to both her career and community.


Melanie M. Ferguson

Melanie is the third eldest daughter of Larry Ferguson and Angela Molnar-Ferguson, and the granddaughter of John and Helen Molnar. After graduating from Grosse Ile High School in 2021, she pursued her passion for the funeral profession by completing prerequisite courses for mortuary school. Melanie is currently working towards her degree to become a Licensed Funeral Director. Eager to expand her knowledge and follow in her family's footsteps, Melanie values being a part of the Molnar Team. The team's support, compassion, dedication, and the opportunity to make a positive impact on people’s lives inspire her daily. In her free time, Melanie enjoys spending quality time with her friends and family.


Maranda M. Ferguson

Maranda is the youngest daughter of Larry Ferguson and Angela Molnar-Ferguson, and the granddaughter of John and Helen Molnar. She graduated from Grosse Ile High School in 2022 and is currently working toward becoming a Licensed Funeral Director. Maranda is passionate about helping people through their grief and finds deep satisfaction in supporting families during difficult times. She’s proud to carry on her family’s legacy and values the opportunity to make a meaningful impact. In her free time, Maranda loves reading and spending time with her friends and family.

The First Generation

It was in 1923 that John Molnar Sr. first opened John Molnar Funeral Homes, originally known as Detroit Hungarian Funeral Home, within his very own house. It would remain there until 1936 when he relocated it to its Delray location at 8632 Dearborn Avenue. His strong work ethic and desire to give back to the community are traits passed down through the Molnar family and team. 

The Second Generation

John Molnar Sr. had three children. With his father's encouragement, his middle child, John F. Molnar went back to school and received his Funeral Director's license on January 20, 1950, thus beginning the second generation. Unfortunately this pairing of father and son was short lived with both of them passing away in 1950, father due to leukemia, and son after a brief illness. At the time, Margaret E. Molnar, wife of the late John F. Molnar, having to provide for her young son's future, gave up her business as a beauty operator to continue on the legacy of the John Molnar Funeral Home. Mrs. Molnar overcame many adversities operating the funeral home as a non-licensed funeral service practitioner.

The Third Generation

With great pride in 1969, Mrs. Molnar’s dream was fulfilled as her son, John S. Molnar, began the third generation of the John Molnar Funeral Homes by joining her in the day-to-day operations of the funeral home. 





While attending Mortuary school, John S. Molnar led the class of 1969 as its president. 

The move to Southgate

With a vision for the future and a great shift in population out of the Delray area, mother and son made a heartfelt decision to expand their business into the Downriver area. They purchased the Central Baptist Church, in Southgate, and conducted a year-long renovation, turning it into a state-of-the-art funeral home. September 30, 1971, was a monumental day for the Molnar Family, as it marked the birth of John and Helen Molnar’s daughter, Angela, and began the grand opening weekend of the Southgate Funeral Home. 

The Fourth Generation





In 1993, the fourth generation of the John Molnar Funeral Homes began with the addition of John and Helen's daughter, Angela M. Molnar-Ferguson.

This same year also brought about the opening of the Brownstown Chapel, one of the most modern and spacious facilities in the Downriver area. The construction of this facility was prompted when John, Helen and Angela saw the continued growth within the Downriver area, and the need to be proactive and expand South into the rapidly developing Brownstown Township.

Expanding to Wyandotte




In February 2016, Angela and her family acquired R.J. Nixon and H.F. Thon Funeral Homes from Linda Burd Berman, Christine Burd Spedding, and Veronica Burd-Hale. In March 2017 the H.F. Thon Funeral Home became The Thon Center.

Nixon Chapel prior to renovations.

Nixon chapel after renovations.

The Fifth Generation

As Madelyn, Megan, Melanie, and Maranda step into the 5th generation of Molnar Funeral Homes, alongside the support and guidance of the 3rd and 4th generations, we are excited for what the future holds and look forward to many more years serving the community.


For the second consecutive year, we were voted the best funeral home in the Detroit Free Press Best of the Best Community Choice awards. This distinguished recognition would not have been possible without the support of our community. We express our deepest thanks to everyone who voted for us and acknowledged our commitment to providing compassionate and outstanding funeral services. It is a great honor to care for families during their most difficult times, and our dedicated team strives to exceed expectations and provide comfort and solace.




This incredible achievement would have not been possible without the support and trust of so many families in our community. We extend our deepest gratitude to each and every one of you who voted for us and recognized our commitment to providing compassionate and exceptional funeral services. We are honored to have been entrusted with the care of families during their most difficult times. Our dedicated team works to ensure that every aspect of our services exceeds expectations while providing comfort and solace.



This nomination is a testament to the hard work and dedication of our team, who all strive to exceed expectations and provide families with the support they need during their most difficult times. Once again we would like to thank Brownstown Township for the support that they have given us through the years so we are able to continue making a positive impact on the lives of the families we serve.





Once again, thanks to the support of our community, we were nominated for Detroit's 2021 Best of the Best.

Again, we wouldn't be where we are today without the support of the community. We are both proud and humbled by our accomplishments, but our core value remains the same —- we are with you every step of the way. 

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