James E. Bonine
Jan. 24, 1924-Sept. 28, 1995

South Bend Tribune (South Bend, Indiana), Thursday, October 19, 1995, page 26

CASSOPOLIS: James E. Bonine, 71, of El Segundo, Calif., formerly of Vandalia and Cassopolis, died Sept. 28 in Daniel Freeman Hospital, El Segundo. Mr. Bonine was a former engineer in the engineering administration group at Bendix Missile Division, Mishawaka, and Emerson Electric Division, St. Louis. He was born Jan. 24, 1924, in Vandalia. His father, the late G. Elwood Bonine, was a state senator from 1943 to 1953, state director of eh Farmers Home Administration and director of the Michigan Legislative Services Bureau from 1961 to 1965. For four generations, the Bonine family has owned Elk Park Farm in Vandalia, which was a station on the Underground Railroad. Surviving are a daughter, Jane Reilly of St. Charles, Mo.; two sons, James E. III of Stamford, Conn., and William R. of Kahoka, Mo.; four grandsons, and a sister, Mary Charlotte Roberts of Bell, Fla. Mr. Bonine was a graduate of Howe Military Academy and Michigan state University. He was an Army veteran of World War II.

A memorial service will be later in St. Charles. Cremation has taken place. Baue Funeral Home, St. Charles, is in charge of arrangements. Memorial contributions may be made to the American Cancer Society.

Ruth Morse Bonine
1901-May 4, 1980

Florida Today (Coons, Florida), Thursday, May 8, 1980, page 9B

No services are scheduled for Ruth Morse Bonine, 79, 1525 S. Fiske Blvd., Rockledge.

A homemaker and Brevard resident for 3 ½ years, Mrs. Bonine died Sunday at Wuesthoff Memorial Hospital in Rockledge.

Survivors include a son Jame[sic] of Rockledge; a daughter, Mary Charlotte Binkowski of Rockledge; a sister living outside the state; eight grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

Wylie-Baxley Funeral Home in Rockledge is in charge of arrangements.

Gordon Elwood Bonine
Dec. 21, 1896-Dec. 6, 1976

Lansing State Journal (Lansing, MI), Tuesday, December 7, 1976, page 6, col. 5

Mr. Bonine, age 79, died at a local hospital Dec. 6, 1976. He had been a resident of Lansing since 1953, coming from Cass County Mich. He was State Senator from Cass County from 1942 to 1952. He was a member of the Presbyterian Church. He was a Life Member of Backus Lodge #55, F. & A.M., DeWitt Clinton Consistory, Saladin Temple, Life Member of the Elks Lodge in Dowagiac, Mich. He farmed the Elk Park Farms which had been in his family from 1837 to 1953. He was Former Director of the Federal Farmers Home Administration from 1953 to 1961 for the State of Michigan. He was Former Director of the Legislative Service Bureau, retiring several years ago. He graduated from Michigan State University. Surviving are: Wife, Ruth Morse Bonine of Lansing; 1 son James E. of Lansing; 1 daughter, Mrs. Mary Charlotte Binkowski of Rockledge, Florida; 8 grandchildren; 1 brother James G. Bonine of Utah; 2 sisters, Mrs. Margaret Fox and Mrs. Sarah Balyeat, both of Athens, Georgia. Memorial services will be announced later by the Estes-Leadley Funeral Home. Memorials may be made to the Michigan Rural Rehabilitation Corp., P.O. Box 188, Marhsall[sic], Mich. 49068.

Karl B. Schmidt
Sept. 8, 1884-July 23, 1952

Niles Daily Star (Niles, Michigan), Wednesday, July 23, 1952, page 2, col. 4, microfilm Niles District Library

Karl Schmidt Dies at Home

Karl B. Schmidt, 67, chairman of the Board of Public works, vice-president and founder of the Schmidt Packing company and former first ward alderman, died at 9:15 a.m. today in his home at 618 North Fourth street. He had been ill one month.

Born Sept. 8, 1884, Schmidt spent his entire life in Niles. He was a life member of Elks and Masonic lodges here. A Democratic alderman in 1926027 and 1929-20, Schmidt was a Democratic candidate for mayor in 1940. He has been a member of the Board of Public Works since 1936, and has been chairman for the past 11 years.

Schmidt is survived by two children, Martin Schmidt and Mrs. Sheridan Cook, both of Niles; four sisters, Mrs. George Vetter and Mrs. Jack Young, of Niles, Mrs. Bion East, of Washington, D.C. and Mrs. Don Noble, of Detroit, nine grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

Friends may call Thursday evening at the Kiger funeral home. The Rev. John. G. Carlton, of Trinity Episcopal Church, will conduct services at the funeral home at 2 p.m. Friday. The family has asked that flowers not be sent.

Burial will be in Silverbrook cemetery where Niles Masons will have charge of graveside rites.

Gerada M. Doudt
June 1, 1910-July 15, 1955

Niles Daily Star (Niles, Michigan), Friday, July 15, 1955, page 2, col 3, microfilm Niles District Library

Mrs. Gerada M. Doudt, 45, of 1219 Rose Drive, died at 3:30 a.m. today in St. Joseph Hospital at South Bend following an illness of nine weeks.

Mrs. Doudt was born June 1, 1910, in Ashland, Ky., and came to Niles about nine years ago.  She was a member of St. Mary's Catholic Church.

Surviving are:  her husband, Max L.; her parents, Mr. and Mrs. J.J. Tierney, of Ashland, Ky., and a brother, Edward J. Tierney, of Westfield, J.H.

Funeral services will be held at 9 a.m. Monday in St. Mary's Catholic Church with Rev. Lawrence Davis, assistant pastor, officiating. Burial will be in Silverbrook Cemetery. The Rosary will be recited at 8 p.m. Sunday in the Kiger Funeral Home where friends may call.

Flora Ann Cook
Nov. 15, 1853*-April 23, 1858

Niles Republican (Niles, Michigan), Saturday, May 1, 1858, page 3, col. 1, microfilm Niles District Library

DIED—On Friday morning the 23d of April, of malignant scarlet fever, terminating with congestion of the lungs, on the 9th day of her illness, Flora Ann, second daughter and youngest child of D.B.** and Jane M. Cook, aged four years, five months and seven days.

To have friends in time of affliction, is a blessing which we and ours know how to appreciate. The loss of our dear little Flora, brings them to sympathize with us, and those who are bowed down with similar afflictions; but no mental power can heal the wound which Death has made. Poets may sing to us, and friends may reason with us, but who can stay the grief at parting with such a lovely gem as our little flora—all life, all sunshine, all love and purity, the youngest joy of the household, the lover of music and flowers, the lover of every body and every thing in nature which her eyes rested upon. Her mirthful voice is hushed. No more we listen to her evening prayer, or take her fond night kiss. Oh, we miss her at home. We miss her in our office, where she was setting type when she was taken ill, we miss her as we approach our house—we miss her every where. It is not even consoling that a life of care, toil and turbulent strife was before our Flora, and she shuns it. We view her not through the medium of our reason, but our affections. Summons to our aid aid all the attributes of our manhood, with which we would meet and hurl defiance at the cold, selfish schemes by which we may be surrounded, and in an emergency like this, they are powerless. We remember the little cheerful, budding, blossoming and inquiring mid, how easily we stamped impressions upon it, with what entire innocent confidence it leaned upon its parents, with out a shade of suspicion that they could possibly be in error, and we realize painfully how feeble are all the efforts in rhetoric or mere taste in the rejection of language when compared with the eloquence of childish innocence; the first creates a buzz of satisfaction in the head, and in a moment is forgotten; but the last seizes upon and moulds even the most world-calloused hearts in something of it own fashion, leaving impressions so permanent as to arrest the mind, neutralize it impurities like electric flashes through the miasmatic[sic] atmosphere and assist in reconciling us to the closing scene. Twas hard to stand by the death bed of such innocence—to see the suffering jewel of our heart gasping for breath, it voice hushed, but with conscious look and motion--”father, mother, can you not help! Open the widow, give me the pure morning air!” That languid, haggard look upon a face that was to be decked at all times with joyous smiles. Oh, reader, though we were a man, we did melt down in the deep anguish of a bleeding heart. She kissed us all farewell, and when the scene closed up, she fell asleep in Jesus' arms so gently as the sun of spring came up. Letters from friends and various communications do not dispel the clouds that lower upon our house, and naught but a firm faith that He, who forth all things well, and taketh little children in His arms and blesses them and claims them as his own, and that her little happy spirit will be at the portals of eternity to conduct those who dearly loved her and whom she dearly loved, through the dark gloom into the dazzling splendor of the angelic world, can soften the pangs of bleeding hearts. Oh, we do miss her at home.

. . . 3 lengthy poems follow . . .

We tender our thanks to the proprietors of the Enquirer*** for aiding us during the last week, directing our mail, and otherwise assisting us during the time of our affliction.

*Date of birth calculated from age at date of death as set forth in Obituary

**Flora Ann was child of Darius B. Cook, editor of the Niles Republican, which may explain this unusually long obituary in a time when many deaths were not reported in the newspapers.

***Enquirer was the other weekly newspaper in Niles at that time.