Alma L. Stevens
Aug. 24, 1891-Feb. 22, 1980

Niles Daily Star, Monday, February 25, 1980, page 2, col. 8 (microfilm Niles District Library)

NILES—Word has been received here of the death of Mrs. Alma L. Stevens, 88, formerly of Niles, of  Ada, Mich.

She died at 7:30 p.m. Friday at the Kent Community Hospital, Grand Rapids, following an extended illness.

She was born Aug. 24, 1891 in Chicago and lived in Niles before moving to Ada in 1976.

Mrs. Stevens was a member of the First Presbyterian Church, a 50-year and life member of the Order of the Eastern Star, past matron of the Eastern Star, past mother to Rainbow Girls and a member of the Lady Elks.

Her husband, J. Floyd Stevens, died in 1954.

Survivors include a son, Leland F. of Niles; two daughters, Mrs. Henrietta Welling of Niles, and Mrs. Doris Volkhardt of Grand Rapids; six grandchildren, eight great-grandchildren, and one great-great-grandson.

Funeral services will be at 1:30 pm. Wednesday at the Halbritter Funeral Home with the Rev. William J. Fuerstenau of the First Presbyterian Church officiating.  Burial will be at Silverbrook Cemetery.

Friends may call at the funeral home after 2 p.m. Tuesday.

Memorials may be made to the First Presbyterian Church Memorial Fund.

Emil Thau
Aug. 16, 1911-Feb. 1, 1980

Niles Daily Star, Monday, February 4, 1980, page 2, col. 8 (microfilm Niles District Library)

NILES—Email Thau, 68, of 746 Hickory St., died at 5:30 p.m. Friday at the Paul Stephan Nursing Home.

Funeral services were to be at 10:30 a.m. Today at the Pifer-Smith Funeral Home with the Rev. Robert L. Livingston of St. John's United Church of Christ officiating. Burial was to follow at Silverbrook Cemetery.

Mr. Thau was born Aug. 16, 1911 in South Bend, and had lived here since 1950, coming from South Bend.  He retired in 1972 from the Bendix Corporation.

A Navy veteran of World War II, he was a member of the South Bend Odd Follows Lodge.

In 1946 in South Bend, he married Mary Weinmann.  She died in 1957.

Survivors include two brothers, William O. and Ernest Thau, both of South Bend; and three sisters, Mrs. Mildred Bushman and Miss Helen Thau, both of South Bend, and Mrs. Christine McGuire of St. Louis, Mo.

John F. Unley Jr.
March 12, 1891-Feb. 20, 1980

Niles Daily Star, Wednesday, February 20, 1980, page 2, col. 4 (microfilm Niles District Library)

John F. Unley, 88, formerly of 3406 N. Fifth St., died at 6:12 a.m. Wednesday after an extended illness. He was born March 12, 1891 and had lived in Niles all his life. He was a life member and the oldest living member of the Niles Elks club and was also a member of the Fraternal Order of Police. He was a local business man for over 30 years with the Unley Chrysler-Plymouth Agency.

On June 21, 1913, he married Carrie Chiverton in St. Joseph who died April 15, 1975.

He is survived by two daughters, Mrs. Ralph (Mary ) DePoy and Mrs. Frank (Vawn E.) Buheker, both of Niles; two brothers, Frank of Niles and Ray of South Bend and three sisters, Mrs. Margaret Taylor, Mrs. Nevada Rossow and Mrs. Florence Berger, all of Niles. He is also survived by three grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren.

Services will be at 2 p.m. Friday in the Halbritter Funeral Home with Rt. Rev. Msgr. John D. Slowey of St. Mary's Catholic Church officiating.  Burial will take place in Silverbrook Cemetery.  Friends may call between 2 and 4 p.m. and 7 and 9 p.m. Thursday at the funeral home.

Ivan Leroy ‘Lee’ Allen, of Niles
Sept. 6, 1940 — Jan. 23, 2016

Niles Daily Star, Published 9:51am Monday, January 25, 2016

Ivan Leroy “Lee” Allen, 75, of Niles, Michigan died on Saturday morning, Jan. 23, 2016, at Memorial Hospital in South Bend, Indiana following an extended illness.

Ivan Leroy “Lee” Allen

He was born on September 6, 1940 in Benton Harbor, Michigan to Theo Richmond and Ollie Ruth (Meyers) Allen. He was graduated from Benton Harbor High School, and completed the program for ordination at the Aenon Bible College in Columbus, Ohio (now moved to Indianapolis, Indiana). He has pastored a home church for twenty years.

Lee’s passion was the ministry, but he also formerly owned and operated the Allen Maintenance Services, and was a union employee at the D. C. Cook Nuclear Plant in Bridgman, Michigan. He enjoyed fishing, usually in Lake Michigan, was an avid fan of many sports, and enjoyed playing cards and dominoes with his family and friends. He also enjoyed reading, especially studying the Bible.

On Oct. 3, 1970 ,in Niles he married the former Wilma Lois (Samples) Evans with whom he celebrated last year the 45th anniversary of their wedding.

Surviving family includes his wife, Wilma Allen and their daughter, Angela (Brad) Williams of Niles; step-children Kim Yvonne Evans of Niles and Steven (Monique) Evans of Lint, Belgium; grandchildren Emma Williams, Bradley Evan Williams, Rick (Nicole) Evans, Sharon (Kevin Nuhs) VanDyck, Marcie Evans, and Alex Evans; great-grandchildren Dylan Evans, Nick Russo, Aleah Evans, and Zane and Chase Nuhs; and Lee’s siblings, Devonna (Mitch) Mitchell of Canton, Michigan, Ioma Davis, Wesley (Pat) Allen, Cathy Unsicker, and Joseph Allen, all of Niles, Patty (Wayne) Cooper of Florida, and Rita Faye Allen of Niles; and many nieces and nephews.

The funeral for Ivan Lee Allen will be at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 26, 2016 at the Halbritter Funeral Home in Niles with members of the home church sharing. Interment will be private on Wednesday at Silverbrook Cemetery in Niles.

The family will receive relatives and friends on Tuesday at the funeral home beginning at 5 p.m. Contributions in memory of Lee may be made to the donor’s choice.

www.halbritterfunerals.com

Rowan Matthew Bridges, of Berrien Springs
June 6, 2015 — Jan. 8, 2016

Niles Daily Star, Published 9:32am Monday, January 11, 2016

Rowan Matthew Bridges, 7 month old son of Kaley Williams and Richard Bridges died Friday morning, Jan. 8, 2016, at his home in Berrien Springs, Michigan.

Rowan Matthew Bridges

He was born on Saturday, June 6, 2015, at Memorial Hospital in South Bend, Indiana to Kaley Allison Williams and Richard Ewing Bridges. He was born a month earlier than the doctors predicted — adding 30 days to his brief life — but even though premature, he started at a sturdy 6 pounds, 3 ounces.

Rowan continued to thrive, anxious to experience as much of the world as he could, and enjoy it all with a great smile. He welcomed pets that invaded his space, and as he gained strength and skill liked to invade our space with a “face-to-face” when least expected. If he saw a meal, he was ready to try it, and at Christmas he was already trying to crawl with his usual concentration evidenced by his tongue showing. He had also mastered the verbal skills needed to indicate which of his parents or grandparents should hold him.

Surviving family includes his parents, Kaley & Richard; his grandparents, Diane Williams of Niles, and Betty Bridges-Potter and Phil Potter of Berrien Springs; great-grandparents Harold Butterworth of Niles, Sandra (Larry) Miller of Crown Point, Indiana, and Mary Lou Potter of Benton Harbor, Michigan; a half-brother, Aiden Bridges; and many aunts, uncles, and cousins including Anna Thibault of Niles, Amanda Williams, and Angela Williams, both of Saint Louis, Missouri, and Samantha (Adam) Meyer of Niles.

The funeral service for Rowan Bridges will be at 11 a.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 13, 2016 at the Halbritter Funeral Home in Niles with Parson Paul A. Mueller — Rowan’s great-uncle — of Buchanan, Michigan officiating. Committal will follow at the Silverbrook Cemetery in Niles.

The family will receive relatives and friends from 6 until 8 p.m. on Tuesday at the funeral home. A GoFundMe account has been established to assist with the cemetery and other expenses.

www.halbritterfunerals.com

Gregory Dean Crouch
Sept. 3, 1945-Jan. 13, 2016

Gregory Dean Crouch, age 70 years of Rochester Hills, Michigan died on Wednesday, January 13, 2016 at Providence Hospital in Southfield, Michigan following an extended illness.

He was born on September 3, 1945 in Niles, Michigan to Dillard and DeLoris (Behm) Crouch.He was graduated from Niles High School, and earned a Bachelors Degree in Education from Michigan State University (East Lansing).  He was employed by the Detroit Public Schools for thirty-two years teaching in elementary schools.

Dean enjoyed travelling through the United States as a hitchhiker. He was a musician with a certain proficiency in piano and guitar, and had composed songs about his adventures on the road, and about his students including the music for a video about his students visiting the Detroit Zoo.  He wrote and published – along with the illustrator Jane M. Donovan - the bookChildren’s Stories in Rhyme for School and Bedtime: Volume 1, and offered an entire line of resources for children on the website “Gregory Dean Crouch Productions” atwww.deancrouch.com.  One of his greatest joys was taking students from the inner-city to truefield trips with lessons on nature, and experiences with a quiet, calm environment.

Surviving family includes his siblings, Doug (& Viola) Crouch of Luneburg, Germany, David (& Jerie) Crouch of Niles, Dan Crouch (& Melody Rockwell) of Niles, and Diane (& Tom) Blackstone of Rochester Hills, Michigan; and several nieces and nephews.

The memorial service for Gregory Dean Crouch will be at 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, January 23, 2016 at the Halbritter Funeral Home in Niles with the Rev. Fran Lane-Lawrence of First Presbyterian Church officiating. The family will receive relatives and friends on Saturday at the funeral home beginning at 1:00 p.m.  Contributions in memory of Dean may be made to the Detroit Public Schools’ Fine Arts Program, Albert Kahn Building, 7340 Second Avenue, Detroit, Michigan  48202.

 http://www.halbritterfunerals.com/sitemaker/sites/HALBRI1/memsol.cgi?user_id=1735121

www.halbritterfunerals.com