Obituaries

We now have over 7,000 obituaries collected about the interred here at Silverbrook Cemetery.

The obituaries are transcribed by the volunteers of the Friends of Silverbrook Cemetery from various sources.  If you see an opportunity for an addition or a correction, please email our obituary editor at obits@friendsofsilverbrook.org.

Knoll, William

William Knoll
1866-1931


    DEATH OF WILLIAM KNOLL

    The body of William Knoll was brought to Niles from Chicago this afternoon and taken to the Silverbrook cemetery for burial.  Mrs. Knoll and her daughter Miss Amelia Muelner accompanied the body to Niles.  Mr. and Mrs. Knoll formerly lived in Niles, he having been employed in the signal department of the Michigan Central railroad.  Before her marriage Mrs.Knoll was Mrs. Muelner and she is a cousin of Mrs. Arza Ball.  Mrs.[sic] Knoll's death followed a year of illness.

(Source:  Niles Daily Star, Monday, September 21, 1931, page 4, col. 1, microfilm Niles District Library)

Siebert, Frank C.

FRANK C. SIEBERT
Nov. 18, 1881-May 29, 1958


    Frank C. Siebert [illegible] Seventh Street, died at 8 a.m. today in his home.  He had been in poor health for the past seven years.
    A retired employe of the New York Central Railroad signal maintenance department, Mr. Siebert was born Nov. 18, 1881, in Niles. He was a member of the Railroad Pioneer association and of the Maccabee Lodge.
    Surviving are:  his widow, Dora; six daughters, Mrs. Frances Hipshear, Mrs. Elmer Lewis, Mrs. Harold Snyder and Mrs. Duane Asmus, all of Niles, Mrs. William Shinneman, of South Bend, and Mrs. Fred Patchett, of Kalamazoo; two sons, Floyd and Laverne Siebert, both of Niles; 15 grandchildren, and 11 great grandchildren.
    Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m. Saturday in the Pifer Funeral Home with the Rev. Herbert Meussling, pastor of St. John's United Church of Christ (Evangelical and Reformed), officiating. Burial will be in Silverbrook Cemetery. Friends may call at the funeral home.

(Source:  Niles Daily Star, Thursday, May 29, 1958, page 2, col. 5, microfilm Niles District Library)

Liggans, Florence

Mrs. Florence Liggans
1890-1958

    Mrs. Florence Liggans, about 68, of 500 North Seventh Street, died this morning at Berrien County Hospital, Berrien Center, after a three-year illness.
    She was born in Covert and came to Niles from South Haven in 1920.  She was a member of Mount Calvary Baptist Church.
    Her husband, Eugene, died April 18, 1945. Survivors are a sister, Mrs. Bertha William of Grand Rapids, and five brothers, Charles, Othal and Leonto Shepard, all of South Haven; John Shepard, Chicago, and Fred Shepard, Niles.
    Friends may call at the Kiger-Halbritter Funeral Home beginning Wednesday afternoon.  Services will be conducted at 2 p.m. Thursday in the Mount Calvary Baptist Church by the Rev. Richard Alexander, pastor.  Burial will be in Silverbrook Cemetery.

(Source:  Niles Daily Star, Tuesday, May 27, 1958, page 2, col. 4, microfilm Niles District Library)

Woodruff, Clara Bell

Mrs. Clara Bell Woodruff
May 21, 1871-May 22, 1958


    Mrs. Clara Bell Woodruff, 87, of 1576 Barron Lake Road, died at 7 p.m. Tuesday in the Berrien County Hospital at Berrien Center where she had been a patient for the past four days.  She had been in failing health for the past several years.
    Mrs. Woodruff was born May 21, 1871 in Akron, O., and had lived most of her life in this community, where she was a member of the Salvation Army.
    Surviving are: a son, John Bowerman, of River Dale, Ill.; a daughter, Mrs. Loren Babcock, of Niles; two grandchildren, and five great grandchildren.
    Funeral services will be held at 4 p.m. Thursday in the Kiger Halbritter Funeral Home.
[illegible] James Shiels, Niles Salvation Army commander, officiating.  Burial will be in Silverbrook Cemetery. Friends may call at the funeral home.

(Source:  Niles Daily Star, Wednesday, May 23, 1958, page 2, col. 5, microfilm Niles District Library)

Jackson, Lora Alice

Lora Alice Jackson
March 7, 1953


    Lora Alice Jackson, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Walter Jackson, rural route one, Niles, was stillborn at Pawating Hospital at 11:45 p.m. Saturday.
    Survivors in addition to the parents are brothers Edward and Michael and sisters Debreth and Ruth; and grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. Walter Jackson, Dyersburg, Tenn., and Mr. and Mrs. Lara Seratt, Dyersburg, Tenn.
    Committal services were held in Silverbrook Cemetery today at 2 p.m.

(Source:  Niles Daily Star, Monday, March 9, 1953, page 2, col. 5-6, microfilm Niles District Library)

May, Teresa

Teresa May
March 8, 1953


    A daughter, Teresa, was still born at 12:45 p.m. Sunday in Pawating Hospital, to Mr. and Mrs. George May, Barron Lake.
    Surviving besides the parents are: a grandfather, Frank May, Niles; one sister, Sharon Ann, and a brother, John, both at home.
    A prayer service will be conducted at 10 a.m. Tuesday at the Pifer Funeral Home by the Rev. Ray L. McCoy, Baptist pastor.  Burial will be in Silverbrook Cemetery.

(Source:  Niles Daily Star, Monday, March 9, 1953, page 2, col. 6, microfilm Niles District Library)

Seitz, Richard Allen

Richard Allen Seitz
March 7, 1953

Niles Daily Star, Monday, March 9, 1953, page 2, col. 6, microfilm Niles District Library

Robert[sic] Seitz was still-born at Pawating Hospital at 3:30 p.m. Saturday to Mrr.[sic] and Mrs. Robert Seitz Sr., 511 Eagle street.

Also surviving are the grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. John Albright and Mr. and Mrs. Louis Seitz, Niles.

Services were held at 2:30 pm.. today at the Pifer Funeral Home, with the Rev. T.M. Greenhoe, Presbyterian pastor, officiating.  Burial was in Silverbrook Cemetery.


Niles Daily Star, Tuesday, March 10, 1953, page 2, col. 3, microfilm Niles District Library

Funeral services were held Monday afternoon for Richard Allen Seitz, still-born son of Mr. and Mrs. Robert Seitz, 511 Eagle street, and burial was in Silverbrook Cemetery. The Rev. T.M. Greenhoe, Presbyterian pastor officiated.