Obituaries

Sep 16, 2012

Norma Jean Best, 80, of Huntly Road in Niles, MI, died Sunday evening at her home, unexpectedly but of natural causes. She was born August 21, 1932, in Cheboygan, MI, to Richard & Bertha (Lannoo) LaPlaunt, and graduated from Cheboygan High School. She came to Niles in 1953, and was employed at the Simplicity Pattern Company for 40 years before...

Sep 12, 2012

Patricia L. Gallagher passed away of natural causes on Wednesday, September 12, 2012. She was preceded into death by her loving husband of 57 years, James B. Gallagher in 2008 and sister Beverly Magness in 2010. Surviving are son Jon (& Sonya) Gallagher of Niles, Michigan and daughter Jan (& John) Bralick of Union, Michigan; two sisters, Mary Robinson of...

Sep 12, 2012

Mary Ann Thompson, age 87 years, former long-time resident of Niles, Michigan died on Wednesday, September 12, 2012 at her home in Baroda, Michigan following an extended illness. She was born on July 20, 1925 in South Bend, Indiana to Benjamin M. and Esther C. (Cranston) Hance and lived in Berrien County all of her life. She was graduated...

Sep 12, 2012

Mary Ann Thompson, age 87 years, former long-time resident of Niles, Michigan died on Wednesday, September 12, 2012 at her home in Baroda, Michigan following an extended illness. She was born on July 20, 1925 in South Bend, Indiana to Benjamin M. and Esther C. (Cranston) Hance and lived in Berrien County all of her life. She was graduated from...

Sep 11, 2012

Joseph Glenn Pettie, age 63, of James Street, Niles, Michigan died on Tuesday, September 11, 2012 at the home of his sister in Buchanan following an extended illness. He was born May 24, 1949 in Niles to Odis & Isabel (Underwood) Pettie. Joseph attended Ferry Street Exceptional School in Niles. He is survived by brothers Jimmy (& Dee) Pettie of...

Sep 11, 2012

Joseph Glenn Pettie, age 63, of James Street, Niles, Michigan died on Tuesday, September 11, 2012 at the home of his sister in Buchanan following an extended illness. He was born May 24, 1949 in Niles to Odis & Isabel (Underwood) Pettie. Joseph attended Ferry Street Exceptional School in Niles. He is survived by brothers Jimmy (& Dee) Pettie of...

Sep 10, 2012

Biography

Lulu May McGraw, age 81, of Berrien Center died on Monday, September 10, 2012 at her residence following an extended illness. She was born September 14, 1930 in South Bend, Indiana to George Clayton & Nellie Alice (Werz) Syson. She was a long-time area resident and worked for Simplicity Pattern. On December 31, 1982 at Berrien Center Hospital...

Sep 7, 2012

Biography

Roger A. Crowley, age 43 years of Niles, Michigan died at 5:17 p.m. on Friday, September 7, 2012 at Lakeland Regional Medical Center in Saint Joseph, Michigan following a brief illness. His family is grateful to the staffs of Lakeland Hospital in Niles and Saint Joseph, and especially to the staff of Southwestern Michigan Community Ambulance Service for...

Sep 6, 2012

Delores Loraine Cosgrove, age 76, of South 29th Street, South Bend, Indiana died on Thursday, September 6, 2012 at Saint Joseph Regional Medical Center, Mishawaka, Indiana following a brief illness. She was born April 15, 1936 in Plainwell, Michigan to Charles & Frances (Boulter) Crane. Delores graduated from Plainwell High School in 1954 and attended First Presbyterian Church of South...

Sep 6, 2012

Michael D. Alsup, age 63 years of Niles, Michigan died on Thursday, September 6, 2012 at his home unexpectedly but of natural causes. He was born on May 25, 1949 in Benton Harbor, Michigan to Dalton and Evelyn J. (Davis) Alsup. As a child, he was a poster-child for the March of Dimes. He attended Brandywine Community Schools, and...

Sep 5, 2012

Biography

Thomas A. Brigham, Jr., age 86 years of Niles, Michigan died at 5:20 a.m. on Wednesday, September 5, 2012 at the home of his daughter in Granger, Indiana. He was born on January 19, 1926 in Benton Harbor, Michigan to Thomas Arthur and Ethel (Wiggins) Brigham, Sr. He served in the United States Army, returning as a veteran...

Sep 2, 2012

Linda Susan Manchow, age 57, of Lincoln Avenue, Niles, Michigan died on Sunday, September 2, 2012 at Memorial Hospital, South Bend, Indiana following a brief illness. She was born March 15, 1955 in Michigan City, Indiana to Norman Jerome & Mary L. (Woods) Wagner. Linda attended First Baptist Church in Niles and was there she married her partner of...

Sep 1, 2012

Lyle Edward Mead, age 59, of Bond Street in Niles, Michigan passed away on Saturday, September 1, 2012 at his home. He was born December 14, 1952 in Niles, Michigan. Lyle was a 1976 Niles High School graduate and was a water technician for the City of Niles as well as for the City of Mishawaka. He had achieved rank...

Aug 28, 2012

Martha Ann Webber, age 77, of Smith Road, Berrien Center, Michigan died on Tuesday, August 28, 2012 at her residence following an extended illness, surrounded by her loved ones. She was born April 27, 1935 in Reform, Alabama to Ethan & Rose (Zimmermann) Shelton. Martha attended school in Reform, Alabama and moved to Berrien Center in 1947 with her family....

Aug 28, 2012

Mary Elizabeth Morrell, age 92, of Niles, Michigan died on Tuesday, August 28, 2012 at Woodland Terrace in Niles following a brief illness. She was born August 23, 1920 in Woodworth, Ohio to Oliver & Vida (Seidner) Dressel. Mary graduated from Boardman High School in 1938. On July 16, 1944 in Youngstown, Ohio she married G. Arthur “Art” Morrell who...

Aug 24, 2012

Charles Lorne Townsend, age 65 years of Niles, Michigan died at 8:26 p.m. on Friday, August 24, 2012 at Lakeland Community Hospital in Niles following an illness. He was born on January 2, 1947 in Evanston, Illinois to Oscar Lorne and Patricia Evelyn (Seneco) Townsend. He was graduated from Des Plaines (Illinois) High School, and moved to Niles in the...

Aug 23, 2012

Biography

Patricia Joan Hipshear, age 84, formerly of Mayflower Road, Niles, Michigan died on Thrusday, August 23, 2012 at Morningside Nursing and Memory Center, South Bend. She was born October 7, 1927 in Benton Harbor, Michigan to William & Ida (Hill) Wallace. On March 27, 1946 in Greencastle, Indiana, she married Wallace L. “Wally” Hipshear, he preceded her in...

Aug 15, 2012

Dr. John Bruni, age 88 years, of First Court, Niles, Michigan died at 6:50 p.m. Wednesday, August 15, 2012 in his home following an extended illness. Dr. Bruni was born on April 12, 1924 in Detroit, Michigan to Johannes Gottlieb and Alma (Reidlinger) Bruni. A graduate of Wayne State University’s Medical School, he moved from Detroit to Lansing and then...

Aug 8, 2012

John Light, age 67 years, formerly of Dowagiac, Michigan died at 8:40 a.m. Wednesday, August 8, 2012 at his home in South Bend, Indiana following an extended illness. He was born on July 20, 1945 in LaPorte, Indiana to Charles and Anne (Kowal) Light, and was graduated from Dowagiac High School in 1963. He served in the United States Air...

Aug 5, 2012

Dorothy Mae Schmidt, age 99, of River Bluff Road, Niles, Michigan died on Sunday, August 5, 2012 at Lakeland Regional Medical Center in Saint Joseph, Michigan, unexpectedly, but of natural causes. She was born January 11, 1913 in Saint Joseph, Michigan to William and Hulda (Schultz) Tollas. She was a 1932 graduate of Saint Joseph High School. On July 16,...