Dorothy Helen Petro, of Niles
Feb. 6, 1923 — Dec. 11, 2014

Niles Daily Star, Published 9:07am Tuesday, December 16, 2014

Dorothy Helen Petro, 91, of Niles, Michigan died on Thursday, Dec. 11, 2014, at Lakeland Community Hospital in Niles. She was born Feb. 6, 1923, in Goshen, Indiana to John C. and Bertha I. (Cripe) Reiff.

Dorothy Petro

Dorothy graduated from Goshen High School and attended Bethel College. She was a longtime member of Grace United Methodist Church in Niles; she was involved with the choir there and was the former coordinator for the cookie walk. Dorothy enjoyed knitting, birdwatching, camping and mostly spending time with her family.

On Nov. 17, 1951, in Goshen, Dorothy married Richard Wayne Petro, who preceded her in death on Nov. 29, 2009. Dorothy was also preceded in death by two sisters and two brothers.

Surviving family includes one son, Ronald W. (Rhonda) Petro of Three Oaks, Michigan; two daughters, Cindy M. Jackson of Niles and Sherrie (Tim) Vermande of Indianapolis, Indiana; grandsons, Michael A (& fiancée Maggie Bailey), Daniel J. (fiancée Patience Andrews) and Steven Petro and one great-grandson, Bennett O. Petro.

Funeral services for Dorothy Helen Petro will be held at 1:00p.m. on Wednesday, December 17, 2014 at Grace United Methodist Church in Niles with the Rev. Dr. Tony Tomasino of the church officiating. Interment will follow at Silverbrook Cemetery, Niles.

The family will receive relatives and friends from 4-8 p.m. on Tuesday at the Halbritter Funeral Home in Niles.

Donations in memory of Dorothy may be made to Grace United Methodist Church, Niles.

www.halbritterfunerals.com

Mark M. Thompson, of Niles
1931-Dec. 4, 2014

Niles Daily Star, published  9:18am Friday, December 5, 2014

Clarence E. Drake
Sept. 4, 1892-May 29, 1954

Niles Daily Star, Tuesday, June 1, 1954, page 2, col. 3, microfilm Niles District Library

Word was received here of the death of Clarence Edwin Drake, who died Saturday at the home of his son, Phyl E. Drake, Alice, Tex. He had been in poor health for the past five years and seriously ill the past winter.

Mr. and Mrs. Drake had made their home during the winter with their son and maintained a summer home at Bristol, Ind. He was purchasing agent for the National-Satandard Company when he lived in Niles.

Surviving are his widow, Buryl Stutsman Drake; his son, Phyl; four grandchildren, and one brother, Perce B. Drake, of Milwaukee, Wis. He was a member of the Methodist Church in Bristol, and was born Sept. 4, 1892, in LaCrosse, Wis.

Friends may call at the Wagner Funeral Home in Bristol from Wednesday noon until the funeral. Services will be held at 2:30 p.m  Thursday at the Bristol Methodist Church and burial will be in Silverbrook Cemetery here.

He formerly was a member of the former Niles Exchange Club, of the Niles Chamber of Commerce and chairman of the Silverbrook Cemetery Board here, and formerly was national vice-president of Purchasing Agents.

Caroline Allen (Mittan)
March 2, 1831-Feb. 6, 1922

Niles Daily Star, Tuesday, 7 Feb 1922, page 1, microfilm Niles District Library (Wm. Brackett)

Mrs. Charles L. Allen whose death occurred at 1:20 o’clock Monday afternoon at the home of her son, Charles J. Allen, 1199 Broadway, was born in Dover Del., March 2, 1831.  When she was a little girl she came to Niles with her father, Robert Mittan, her mother having died in the east as the family was making preparations to move to Michigan.  Mr. and Mrs. Allen were married in Niles in 1846.  Mr. Allen died just nine years ago yesterday, and Mrs. Charles J. Allen’s mother died just ten years ago yesterday.  One son survives.  Mrs. Fanny La Pierre, a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Allen died four years ago.  Besides the son, Mrs. Allen is survived by one sister, Mrs. Jennie Snyder Buckles, of Dowagiac, who is now the sole surviving member of  a family of ten children.  The death of Mrs. Allen removed a well known and highly respected pioneer resident of Niles, beloved by old and young.  Private funeral services will be held at the home of her son tomorrow afternoon at 2 o’clock.  Rev. J. R. T. Lathrop will officiate.  Burial will take place in Silver Brook cemetery.

Myrtle Ann Farmer
Apr. 1, 1886 – Dec. 14, 1973  

Niles Daily Star, Dec. 15, 1973, page 2, microfilm Niles District Library  (D. Barkman)

NILES - Mrs. Myrtle Ann Farmer, 87, of 1328 Broadway, Niles, died at 7:40 p.m. Friday in Pawating Hospital after a long illness.   She was born April 1, 1886 in Elkhart County, Indiana and had lived here since 1929.   On April 3, 1904, she married William B. Farmer in Niles. He died in 1970.  Survivors include two sons, William and Claude Farmer, both of Niles; four daughters, Mrs. Ernest (Leona) Mayhew, Mrs. Douglas (Edith) Pressnal, both of Niles, Mrs. Bernard (Ethel) Schulke of Portage and Mrs. Milford (Josephine) Schultz of Buchanan, a brother, Everett Scamerhorn of Traverse City, two sisters, Mrs. John (Ruth) Wheelock, Traverse City, and Mrs. Clair Lohman of Freeport, Illinois; 11 grandchildren and 21 great-grandchildren.   

Funeral services will be held at 1:30 p.m. Friday and Pifer chapel of the Swem-Smith Funeral Home, Niles. The Rev. John Wyngarden of the First Presbyterian Church will officiate. Burial will be in Silverbrook Cemetery.   Friends may call after noon Sunday. 

William B. Farmer
Oct 3, 1883 – May 2, 1970  

Niles Daily Star, Monday, May 4, 1970, page 2, microfilm Niles District Library   

NILES - Funeral services for William B. Farmer, 86, of 2516 Korn St., who died at 9:40 a.m. Saturday in Pawating Hospital after an illness of three weeks, were held at 2 p.m. today in the Pifer Funeral Home.   Officiating was the Rev. John Wyngarden of the First Presbyterian Church. Burial was in Silverbrook Cemetery.   Friends may call at the funeral home.   

A retired farmer, Mr. Farmer was born Oct. 3, 1883, in Mancelona, Mich., and had lived here since 1930, coming from South Bend. On April 3, 1904, in Niles, he married the former Myrtle Scamehorn, who survives.   Also surviving are two sons, William and Claude, both of Niles; four daughters, Mrs. Leona Mayhew of Niles, Mrs. Milford Schultz and Mrs. Douglas Pressnall, both of Buchanan and Mrs. Bernard Schulke of Portage, Mich., 11 grandchildren and 13 great-grandchildren.