Floyd L. Williams
May 3, 1904-March 14, 1976

Niles Daily Star, Monday, March 15, 1976, page 2, col. 5, microfilm Niles District Library

NILES-- Floyd L. Williams, 71, of Cassopolis, died at 2:45 p.m.  Sunday at Lee Memorial Hospital, Dowagiac, following a sudden heart attack. He was a retired mechanic for Diamond Lake Marina.

Mr. Williams was born May 3, 1904, in Niles and lived in this area all his life. His wife, the former Mary Jones, whom he married Oct. 7, 1922, at St. Joseph, survives.

Also surviving are a son, Robert of Tampa, Fla.; three daughters, Mrs. Billy (Clara) Worvey of Niles, Mrs. Richard (Vivian) Kenyon of Tampa and Mrs. Donald (Pat) Matthews of Cassopolis; two brothers, Orville of Niles and Thomas of Camden, N.J.; a sister, Mrs. Melivin brown of Colorado Springs, Colo., 12 grandchildren and 13 great-grandchildren.

Funeral services will be held at 1:30 p.m. Wednesday at the Pifer Chapel of the Swem-Smith funeral Home. The Rev. Donald Cozaad, pastor of Grace Methodist Church, will officiate and burial will be in Silverbrook Cemetery.  Friends may call at the funeral chapel after 7 p.m. today.

William L. Everhart
March 8, 1937-Feb. 15, 1958

Niles Daily Star, Wednesday, February 19, 1958, page 1, col. 2, microfilm Niles District Library 

Niles Airman Among 16 Bodies Found in Crash

Ground Patrols

Reach Wreckage 

on Mt. Vesuvius

William L. Everhart 

Among Victims of

Saturday Plane Mishap

Ground patrols reached the wreckage of a U.S. Air Force transport plane on Mt. Vesuvius near Naples, Italy, today and found a Niles airman and 15 other men dead., The Associated Press reported.

The Niles man killed in the crash was [illegible] William Everhart, 20, son of Mr. and Mrs. Marcel Everhart of 620 North Seventh Street.

Everhart, who had been stationed at an American air base in West Germany was aboard the ill-fated C-17 which crashed shortly after taking off from Naples Saturday night.

The wreckage was spotted earlier today by a search plane. The report that all aboard had been killed was relayed to Naples by radio from the ground patrols of U.S. Soldiers and Italian soldiers and police.

Patrols battled snowstorms and sleet to the 3,800-foot level of the 4,000 foot volcano, where the plane crashed four days ago, after taking off from Naples for Athens.

Heavy fog shrouding Vesuvius and southern Italy since the day of the crash lifted earlier in the day and the wreckage was sighted from the air.

Snow and high winds beat back efforts of a helicopter from the U.S. Carrier Saratoga to make a landing near the crash scene. However, U.S. NATO personnel, Italian soldiers and police reached the scene on foot after hours of climbing.

Carrying 15 Air Force men from Ramstein-Landstuhl Air Base in Germany to Istanbul, Turkey, the plane had stopped in Naples Saturday to refuel and pick p a Navy passenger. Ten minutes after take off, the plane's pilot reported he was switching to Rome radio control.  But he never contacted Rome.

Lt. Robert D. Bennett of Cincinnati, piloting a B-25, today spotted the wreckage from an altitude of about 3, 800 feet. He said the mangled plane was well up on the side of the volcano overlooking the Bay of Naples.

Vesuvius had been partially or completely shrouded in fog for four days.

Everhart had been stationed at the air base in West Germany as a radarman. The Everhart family was informed Sunday night that their son was aboard the missing aircraft.

The father said he did not know why the airman was aboard the plane unless he was being transferred to another air base.

The crash victim is one of four children in the Everhart family. He  enlisted in the Air Force on Jan. 14, 1957.

Everhart was graduated from Niles High School in June, 1955, and was employed as a draftsman by the Kawneer Co., before enlisting in the Air Force.

Niles Daily Star, Friday, February 28, 1958, page 1, col. 4, cont. page 2, col. 1, microfilm Niles District Library 

To Hold Rites Monday for Niles Airman

A military funeral will be conducted at 3:30 p.m. Monday from the Pifer Funeral Home here for Airman 3C William L. Everhart, 20, son of Mr. and Mrs. Marcel Everhart, of 630 north Seventh Street, who was killed Feb. 15 when a United States Air Force transport place crashed on Mt. Vesuvius near Naples, Italy. Burial will be in Silverbrook Cemetery.

Color guard, pallbearers, firing squad and a military chaplain will be sent from the United States Air Force Base at Park Ridge, Ill., to conduct the services.

Body of the young airman, who lost is life enroute from Ramstein-Landstuhl Air Base in Germany to Istanbul, Turkey, was to arrive this evening in Niles.

He was born March 8, 1937, in Niles and graduated from high school here in 1955.  Before enlisting in the Air Force on Jan. 14, 1957, he was a draftsman at the Kawneer Company.

While overseas he was stationed as a radar man at an Air Force installation in Landstuhl Airport in West Germany near the Saar.

Surviving besides his parents are: his grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. Glen Goff, of Battle Creek, and a brother and two sisters, Marcel D. Everhart and Sandra Lee and Sharon Joy Everhart, all at home. Also surviving is Nema Barnhart, of South Bend, to whom he was engaged to be wed.

Friends may call at the funeral home  beginning Saturday.

Floyd Allen
Jan. 5, 1935-Dec. 25, 1957

Niles Daily Star, Thursday, January 2, 1958, page 1, col. 6, microfilm Niles District Library

Death of Niles Navy Man Told

Floyd Allen Drowns in San Francisco Bay

A 22-year-old Niles sailor has lost his life in the waters of San Francisco Bay, according to word received by his family recently.

He is Seaman Floyd Allen, son of Mr. and Mrs. John Allen of 310 Water Street.

A telegram and letter from Allen's commanding officer to the family stated the sailor drowned Dec. 15[sic] while working at the San Francisco Naval Yard.  Allen lost his footing and fell into water alongside a pier, the letter stated. Rescue attempts failed and the body has not yet been recovered.

Allen was graduated from Niles High School in 1955 and enlisted in the Navy in June, 1956.

Besides his parents, he is survived by three brothers, Charles of Chicago; William, stationed with the U.S. Navy on Malta in the Mediterranean, and Clarence, who is serving in the Army, and a sister, Sheila Louise, at home.

Niles Daily Star, Tuesday, January 14, 1958, page 2, col. 4, microfilm Niles District Library

ALLEN RITES SET

Funeral devices will be held at 2 p.m. Saturday Pifer Funeral Home here for Floyd Allen, 22, son of Mr. and Mrs. John Allen, of 310 water Street, who drowned Dec. 25, 1957, while working at the San Francisco Naval Yard. Burial will be in Silverbrook Cemetery with military rites at the graveside.

The young sailor was drowned when he lost his footing and fell into the water alongside a pier.

The body will arrive late Thursday afternoon here, and friends may call at the funeral home beginning Friday.

Surviving besides his parents are: three brothers, Charles Allen, of Chicago, William Allen, in the United States Navy, and Clarence Allen, stationed with the Air Force in New Mexico, and a sister Shiela Louise Allen, at home. 

He was born Jan. 5, 1935, in Kansas City, Kas., and had lived in Niles since 1948.  He graduated from Niles High School in 1955, and enlisted in the Navy in June, 1956.

Niles Daily Star, Friday, January 17, 1958, page 2, col. 4, microfilm Niles District Library

RITES SATURDAY

The Rev. Elder J. Harrington, pastor of the Church of God in Christ, will officiate at funeral services to be held at 2 p.m. Saturday in the Pifer Funeral home here for Floyd Allen, 22, son of Mr and Mrs. John Allen, of 310 Water Street, who was drowned Dec. 25, 1957, while working at the San Francisco Naval yard. Members of the Naval Reserve Armory in South Bend will conduct military rites at the graveside, Silverbrook Cemetery.

Louise S. Baker
May 25, 1856-Dec. 16, 1941

Niles Daily Star, Tuesday, December 16, 1941, page 2, col. 4, microfilm Niles District Library

LOUISE BAKER, 85, EX-TEACHER, DIES

Mrs. Louise S. Baker, 85, of 1024 North Sixth street, a resident of Niles for 82 years, died this morning at 5:45 in the Canada Rest home, Berrien Springs.

Daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Isaac R. Johnson, she was born in Kinderhook, N.Y., May 25, 1856. She was married in 1890 to Samuel S. Baker, who preceded her in death.  She was a retired school teacher, and a member of the First Presbyterian church.

Lewis S. Baker, a son, of Ossining, N.Y., is the sole survivor.

Funeral will be conducted Friday afternoon in the Rutherford funeral home by the Rev. G.W. Simon. Burial will be in Silverbrook cemetery. Friends may call at the funeral home.

Harry H. Briney
May 10, 1888-March 18, 1976

Niles Daily Star, Friday, March 19, 1976, page 2, col. 1, microfilm Niles District Library

NILES—Harry H. Briney, 87, of 85 Marmont St., died at 4:20 pm. Thursday at Pawating Hospital. He retired in 1957 as a salesman for Modern Woodman Insurance.

Mr. Briney was born May 10, 1888, at Hollywood, Mich., but had lived here most of his life. His wife, the former Helen Colburn, whom he married Feb. 12, 1972, at Buchanan, died Dec. 31, 1972.

Surviving are a son, Harold of Niles, three grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren.

Funeral services will be held at 1:30 p.m Monday at the Pifer Chapel of the Swem-Smith Funeral Home. The Rev. john Wyngarden, pastor of the First Presbyterian Church, of which Mr. Briney was a member, will officiate and burial will be in Silverbrook Cemetery.

Friends may call at the funeral chapel after 7 p.m. Saturday. Memorials may be made to the Presbyterian Church radio fund.

Marietta Cochran
Nov. 22, 1890-March 12, 1976

Niles Daily Star, Saturday, March 13, 1976, page 2, col. 7-8, microfilm Niles District Library

NILES—Mrs. Marietta Cochran, 85, of 1541 Michigan St., died at 5:15 p.m. Friday in Dor-A-Lin, following an extended illness.

She was born Nov. 22, 1890 in Paradise, Ky., and had lived in this area since 1939 when she moved from Greenville, Ky. She married Charles Cochran Jan. 1, 1939 in Greenville, Ky. He died Jan. 6, 1971. 

Mrs. Cochran is survived by a sister, Mrs. Elida Miller, of Farmington, Mich.

Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m. Monday in the Halbritter Funeral Home, with the Rev. Mark D. Graham, pastor of Wesley United Methodist Church, officiating.  Burial will follow in Silverbrook Cemetery.

Friends may call at the funeral home after 2 pm. Sunday.