Shirley Jean Roscoe
Nov. 3, 1944-Oct. 30, 2013

South Bend (Indiana) Tribune, Saturday, November 2, 2013, page C3, col. 5.

NILES-- Shirley Jean Roscoe, 68, of Niles, MI, passed away Wednesday, October 30, 2013, at her home.

Shirley was born November 3, 1944, in Niles, MI to Lee and Kathryn Hatcher. On November 18, 1972, she married Willie B Roscoe, in Niles, MI.

Shirley is survived by her husband, and children; Harley Hatcher of Niles, Hugh (Pamela) Hatcher St. of Niles, Anthony B. Williams of Memphis, TN, Bonita (Jerry) Mance of Niles, Kevin (Wendy) Hatcher Sr. of Cassopolis and Willie (Malika) Roscoe of Warsaw, IN; stepchildren: Sharon Patterson, Jimmie Lee Roscoe, Ruthie Roscoe and Mark Wilson, and one sister, Michele Elaine (Willie) Francis of Buchanan.

Visitation will be held Monday, November 4, 2013, at 11:00 a.m. with a service to follow at 12:00p.m. at Mount Olive Missionary Baptist Church, 2262 Moulder Drive, Niles, MI 49120.

Arrangements have been entrusted to Hoven Funeral Home, Buchanan, Michigan.

Online condolences my be made at www.hovenfunerals.com.

Mable Finley Solomon
Feb 18, 1887-Jan. 17, 1971

Niles Daily Star (Niles, Berrien Co., MI), Monday, January 18, 1971, page 2, col. 4, microfilm Niles District Library

NILES—Mrs. Mable Finely[sic] Solomon, 83, of 703 N. Sixth St., died at 12:05 p.m. Sunday in Pawating Hosptial after an illness of one month.

Mrs. Solomon was born Feb. 18, 1887, in Niles, and had lived in the area all her life. Her husband, Bush, died in 1961. She was a member of the Franklin A.M.E. Church.

Survivors include three daughters, Mrs. Logan (Alice) Brown of Niles, Mrs. Wilford (Thelma) Gibson of Jackson and Mrs. Walter (Marlyn) Thomas of Englewood, N.J.; eight grandchildren and 15 great-grandchildren.

Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m. Wednesday in the Halbritter Funeral Home, with the Rev. C.E. Wilson of the Franklin A.M.E. Church officiating. Burial will be in Silverbrook Cemetery.

Friends may call after 1 p.m. Tuesday at the funeral home.

Niles Daily Star (Niles, Berrien Co., MI), Tuesday, January 19, 1971, page 2, col. 4, microfilm Niles District Library

NILES--In addition to survivors listed in Monday's obituary, Mrs. Mable Findley Solomon, 703 N. Sixth St., is survived by a son, Allen H. Findley of Adrian, Mich.

South Bend (Indiana) Tribune, Monday, January 18, 1971, page 8

NILES-- Mrs. Mable Finley Solomon, 83, 703 N. 6^th St., died at 12:05 p.m. in Pawating Hospital. After an Illness of one month. She was born Feb 18, 1887 in Niles. Her husband, Bush, died in 1961. She is survived by three daughters, Mrs. Logan Brown of Niles, Mrs. Wilford Gibson of Jackson, Mich., and Mrs Walter Thomas of Englewood, N.J.; a son, Allen of Adrian, Mich.; eight grandchildren and 15 great-grandchildren. Services will be at 2 p.m. Wednesday in the Halbritter Funeral Home with Rev. C.E. Wilson, pastor of the Franklin A.M.E. Church, officiating. Burial will be in Silverbrook Cemetery. Friends may call after 1 p.m. Tuesday in the funeral home.

Note:  Deceased was daughter of Wm. P. Finley and married Rev. Peter Findley; after his death, she married Bush Solomon.

Aura Marjorie (McKinney) Robbins
June 17, 1923-June 21, 2002

South Bend Tribune, South Bend, IN, Sunday, June 30, 2002, page 28, 29

Aura Marjorie Robbins, 79, a life-long resident of Niles, Mich., died following an extended illness on Friday, June 21, in the residence of her son, Robert, in Woodinville, Wash.

She was born June 17, 1923, In Niles, to William and Aura (Barr) McKinney. Her parents, one brother, Earl Worrell of Niles, and one sister, Ella Ridinger of Brownsville, Ore., preceded her in death.

Marge was employed as a secretary at Brandywine High school for many years until her retirement in 1988.

She was a member of the Fist Presbyterian Church in Niles, and was an avid reader and a fan of Michael Jordan. Marge taught two generations of nieces and nephews to to wash a window properly.

On Dec. 26, 1941, in Cheyenne, Wyo., she married Robert A. Robbins, a pilot during World War II with the 868th Bombardment Squadron, 13th Air Force. He died in combat on April 1, 1944, and is buried in Arlington National Cemetery.

Marge is survived by her son and daughter-in-law, Robert J. and Coreen Robbins of Woodinville; two granddaughters, Alexandra and Julia Robbins of Woodinville; her sister, Mary L. Johnson of Edwardsburg, Mich.; and by numerous nieces and nephews whom she treated like her own children.

A memorial service for Aura Marjorie Robbins will be at 11 a.m. Tuesday, July 2, in the First Presbyterian Church, with the Reverend Doctor Ronald H. Wakeman officiating. Interment will be at Silverbrook Cemetery, Niles. The family will receive friends one hour prior to services in the church.

Contributions in memory of Marge may be made to the Low Vision Group, to the Cass County Council on Aging, Cassopolis, Mich., or to the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, Wash.

Arrangements are by the Halbritter Funeral Home in Niles.

Obed Pierpont Lacey*
1810-March 13, 1844

Niles Republican, Niles, MI, Thursday, May 6, 1886, page 5 col. 4, microfilm Niles District Library

Early Legislative Day, No., 7

EDITOR REPUBLICAN—Berrien county was represented in the 7th State Legislature by Hon. Alonzo Bennett, then a resident of Berrien Springs, where he held the office of county clerk, but who was one of the pioneers of New Buffalo where he still resides, a highly respected citizen.

To the eighth Michigan State Legislature, Hon. Obed P. Lacey, of Niles, was elected in November 1842, and took his seat in the House of Representatives which convened in Detroit January 9, 1843, continuing in session until March 9. Hon. Robert McClelland, of Monroe, was elected Speaker of the House, and the Hon. Edwin H. Lothrop, of Schoolcraft, speaker pro tempore, both of them first class men, and the body was composed of exceptionally able men, and in this respect has never been excelled by any Legislature elected in the State. In this assembly, Mr. Lacey was a conspicuous member. This Senatorial District, then numbered the 5th, took in a goodly portion of the south-west part of the State, comprising the counties of Ionia, Kent, Allegan, Kalamazoo, St. Joseph, Cass, Berrien and Van Buren, and was represented by Hon. George Redfield of Cass county, Mr. Lewis F. Sharkey, of Kalamazoo, and Hon. Digby V. Bell, of Ionia, all solid, able men, who looked carefully to the rights of their constituents and the interests of the District.

This was the first legislative experience of Mr. Lacy, but he was a man of rare ability, fully equal to the position, and acquitted himself with credit.

Mr. Lacey was a great reader and took pains to well informed and thoroughly conversant on all subjects which came before him, and after giving a matter his usual investigation he was fully prepared to discuss any subject which came before him. He was a clear headed, brainy man.

Mr. Lacey was a native of Virginia, where he was born in 1910. His father, Ephraim Lacey, who was one of the first residents of Niles, emigrated to Richmond, Indiana in 1822, from whence he came with his family to Niles. Obed P. Lacey came to Niles in the fall of 1828 and spent the following winter hunting and trading with the Indians. After the land was surveyed and placed on the market, Ephraim Lacey, Elijah Lacey, S.B. Walling and William Justice, purchased the land and laid out the first plat of the village, to which Obed P. Lacey gave the name Niles, in honor of the Niles Register, of Baltimore, a weekly journal of which he was an ardent admirer. When the township was organized, the same name was given it and Obed P. Lacey was the first township clerk. He was proprietor of two additions in the original village of Niles and also of West Niles, and built the first bridge across the St. Joseph River at Niles. He was a man of sturdy, vigorous type, bold, frank, honest, liberal, tender and true, a man of rigorous intellect, a careful student. He died suddenly March 13, 1844, at the early age of 34 years, deeply regretted by a side circle of acquaintances and friends. OLD SETTLER

*This is not an obituary but rather a memoir published several years after the death.

John M. Jauch
Oct. 19, 1876-March 6, 1937

Niles Daily Star, Saturday, March 6, 1937, page 1, col. 3, microfilm Niles District Library

JOHN M. JAUCH, 60, RESIDENT OF NILES 36 YEARS, STRICKEN

Death Terminates Two Years' of Illness; Services Set for Monday

John M. Jauch, 60, a resident of Niles for the past 36 years, died at 12:15 o'clock this morning at his home, 931 Oak street. He had been ailing for the past two years.

Prior to his illness Mr. Jauch had been employed in the lithograph department of the National Printing and Engraving company. He moved to Niles with the company from Chicago in 1901.

He was born in Chicago, Oct. 19, 1975. He was married to Miss Lillian Tormey by the Rev. Fr. V.F. Ducat in the rectory of St. Mary's Roman Catholic church, Aug. 31, 1905.

He was an active member of the Niles lodge, No. 1322 B.P.O.E. and the Modern Woodmen of America.

Besides his wife, he is survived by three daughters, Dorothy, a nurse in Pawating hospital, Betty, a nurse in the University of Michigan hospital; Eleanor, living at home; one son, John, at home; three sisters, Mrs. Mary Umbach, Glenn Ellyn, Ill.; Mrs. William Klebe, Oak Park, Ill., and Mrs. William Gingrich, Grand Rapids; also one brother, Fred Jauch, Oak Park, Ill.

The Rev. T.O. Lee of the First Methodist church will conduct funeral services at 3:30 o'clock Monday afternoon. Int he Rutherford funeral home. Burial will be in Silverbrook cemetery.

Friends may call at the funeral home to view the body.

Niles Daily Star, Monday, March 8, 1937, page 2, col. 2, microfilm Niles District Library

Niles News in Brief: JAUCH RITES HELD

Final rites for John M. Jauch, 60, who died at his home 921 Oak Street, early Saturday morning, were held at 3:30 o'clock this afternoon at the Rutherford funeral [home]. The Rev. T.O. Lee, of the First Methodist church, conducted the service. Burial was in Silverbrook cemetery.

John Huff, William Stout, Charles Eisenbeal, Arthur Stone, George Corell and Harry Lardner served as pallbearers. The Niles lodge of Elks had charge of the services at the grave.

Myers, Mary (Powell) Heaton
March 5, 1853-March 8, 1937

Niles Daily Star, Wednesday, March 10, 1937, page 2, col. 6, microfilm Niles District Library

Mrs. Mary Heaton, Niles Ex-Resident, Expires in B. Center

Funeral services for Mrs. Mary Heaton, 84, will be conducted at the Price and Kiger funeral home at 2 o'clcok Thursday afternoon. The Rev A.R. Kuehn of the First Evangelical church wil officiate. Burial will be in Silverbrook cmetery.

Mrs Heaton, a former Niles resident, died at her home in Berrien Center Monday night. Her death followed an extended illness.

On March 5 of this year she celebrated her eighty-fourth birthday. She was born in Bellefontaine, O., in 1853. Prior to moving to Berrien Center in 1933, Mrs. Heaton had lived in Niles for six years.

She leaves five grandchildren, Caroton and Clarence Keen and Elsie Thomas, all of Niles; Irene Hydron, Bertrand and Clayton Keen, South Bend.

Firends may call at the Price and Kiger funeral home.

*Burial in Silverbrook records is as Mary Heaton Myers. Mary Powell m. Wesley Myers in Logan County, Ohio, in 1876; he died in 1914 and is buried in Silverbrook. In 1915, she married Wm. Heaton in Cass Co. He died in 1924 and is buried in Birch Lake Cemetery in Cass Co.