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.

Johnston, Florence

Florence Johnston
Dec. 10, 1885-Dec. 29, 1942

Niles Daily Star, Tuesday, December 29, 1942, page 2, col. 4, microfilm Niles District Library

FLORENCE JOHNSTON 57, TAKEN BY DEATH

 

Mrs. Florence Johnston, 57, of 209 1/2 North Second street, died this morning at 6 in Pawating hospital where she was taken for treatment Sunday night.

Surviving Mrs. Johnston, who was born Dec. 10, 1885 in New Troy, is her husband, Raphael Johnston, to whom she was married June 26, 1904, in Goshen, Ind.

She also leaves a daughter, Miss Genevieve Johnston, Canada, and a son, Claude Ford, Plymouth, Ind.

Friends may call at the Price and Kiger funeral home, where the service will be conducted Thursday afternoon at 2 by the Rev. A.C. DeVries, pastor of the First Evangelical church of which she was a member.  Burial will be in Silverbrook cemetery.

 

Kelly, Arthur C.

Arthur C. Kelly
Oct. 29, 1903-Dec. 28, 1965

Niles Daily Star, Wednesday, December 29, 1965, page 2, col. 4, microfilm Niles District Library

Arthur C. Kelly, 62, of 306 S. 15th St., died at 10:55 p.m. Tuesday in Pawating Hospital, where he had been a patient since Dec. 23,

Mr. Kelly, a retired employe of the Kawneer Company, was born Oct. 20, 1903, in Lockport Township. He came to Niles from Detroit in 1945. His wife, Lydia, died July 31.

Survivors include a son, Leroy . . .and two brothers, Walter L. and Oliver, both of Niles; two sisters, Mrs. Leo C. Strong and Mrs. Sidney Tonkin, also of Niles; and three grandchildren.

Funeral services will be conducted at 2 p.m., Friday in the Halbritter-Swem Funeral Home.  The Rev. Leonard F. Putnam, pastor of the First Evangelical United Brethren Church, will officiate. Burial will be in Silverbrook Cemetery.

Friends will be received at the funeral home after 5 p.m., Thursday.

 

Klute, Howard

Howard Klute
Aug. 13, 1904-June 17, 1991


Niles Daily Star, Tuesday, June 18, 1991, page 2, col. 2, microfilm Niles District Library


Funeral services for Howard Klute, 86, of 824 W. Park Drive, Niles, will be 11 a.m. Thursday at Halbritter Funeral Home with Full Masonic Rites by St. Joseph Valley Lodge No. 4 F&A.M., Niles.

Burial will be at Silverbrook cemetery.

Mr. Klute died at 8 p.m. Monday at his home.

He was born Aug. 13, 1904, in Three Oaks, and lived in this area all his life.

Mr. Klute was a retired owner of Klute Electric Service & Supply.  He owned Economy Repair Shop at 1548 Hickory St. in 1930 and in 1945 he moved to business as Klute Electric Service  & Supply to 1137 S. 11th St.

Mr. Klute was formerly employed in 1923 by Michigan Central Railroad as a fireman and later as an engineer.

On Jan. 24, 1924, inNiles, he married Helen M. Ducey, who preceded him in death.

Survivors include a daughter, Mrs. Lucille Kachur of Niles; a brother, Edward Klute of Niles; three grandchildren, Carol Kachur of Rocky Mountain, N.C., Michael Kachur of Niles and Richard Kachur of Blue Springs, Mo.; eight great-grandchildren; and six great-great-grandchildren.

Visitation will be 5-9 p.m. Wednesday at Halbritter Funeral Home.

Memorial contributions may be made to St. Joseph Valley Lodge No. 4, F&A.M., the Elks Lodge of Niles or donor's choice.

 

Klute, Susan D.

Susan D. Klute
May 1, 1951-Jan. 7, 1953

Niles Daily Star, Thursday, January 8, 1953, page 2, col. 2, microfilm Niles District Library

. . .daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Henry Klute, 1340 Sheffield avenue, died at 10 p.m .Wednesday in Coldwater. She had been in poor health since birth.

Surviving besides her parents are her grandfather, Floyd Babcock, Niles; a grandmother, Mrs. Carl Niendorf, Three Oaks; one brother, David, and a sister, Darla, at home.

The child was born on May 1, 1951, at Pawating Hospital.

Private services will be held at 2 p.m. Friday at the Pifer Funeral Home, with the Rev. T.M. Greenhoe, Presbyterian pastor, officiating. Burial will be in Silverbrook Cemetery.



Kocsis, Martin

Martin Kocsis
Feb. 12, 1917-June 23, 1991

Niles Daily Star, Monday, June 24, 1991, page 2, col. 3, microfilm Niles District Library


Funeral services for martin "Mooney" Kocsis, 74, of 466 Ironwood Dr., Niles, will be 10:30 a.m. Wednesday at Pifer-Smith Funeral Home by the Rev. Arnold Fitzgerald, pastor of the Second Baptist Church, Topeka, Kan.

Burial will be at Silverbrook Cemtery.

Mr. Kocsis did at 5:30 a.m. Sunday at his home, following an extended illness.

He was born Feb. 12, 1917, in South Bend, Ind., and lived in this area all his life.

He retired as an Electronic Technician of Wheelabrator Frye Co., Mishawaka, Ind. He was a former owner of Mooneys Radio & TV, Niles.

Mr. Kocsis was a member of Buchanan Moose Lodge and LaRue Messenger American Legion Post # 26, Niles. He was a WWII Navy veteran.

On Oct. 18, 1952, he married Beatrice E. Kocsis, who survives.

Other survivors include a son, Terrell Kocsis of Niles; a stepson, Thomas A. Taylor of Niles; two stepdaughters, Linda Planck of Dowagiac and Sherry K. Fitzgerald of Topeka, Kan.; two sisters, Mary Fogarty of South Bend, Ind. and Betty Dick of South Bend, Ind.; a brother, Emery Kocsis of South Bend, Ind.; eight grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren.

Visitation will be 2-4 and 6-8 p.m. Tuesday at the funeral home.

 

 

 

Lambiotte, Oscar J.

Oscar J. Lambiotte
Aug. 20, 1905-May 15, 1993


Niles Daily Star, Wednesday, May 19, 1993, page 2, col. 8, microfilm Niles District Library

Oscar J. Lambiotte
1905-1993
Movie theater projector
engineer for 50 years


Funeral services for Oscar J. Lambiotte, 87, of 655 E. Main St., number 73, San Jacinto, Calif., are scheduled for 11 a.m. Friday at Mausoleum Chapel, Silverbrook Cemetery, with the Rev. Arnold O. Schaap of Edwardsburg officiating.

Burial will follow at the cemetery.

Lambiotte died at 9:45 a.m. Saturday at Hemit Valley Hospital in Hemit, Calif., following an extended illness.

Born Aug. 20, 1905, in Matthew, Ind., he moved to California in 1982, coming from Niles.

He was married to the late Ann L. Lambiotte, who preceded him in death on Sept. 10, 1965. He then married Dorothy Lambiotte, who survives.

He was retired after 50 years of service as a projection engineer for the Ready Theater in Niles and at the University Park Mall theater in Mishawaka.

He was a member of the Niles Elks Club, the Hemit Modeler's Club, the Gliders Club and was a lifetime member of the International Brotherhood of the Motion Picture Operators.

Other survivors include two daughters, Shirley Dawson of Longwood, Fla., and Helen G. Spangler of Brooklyn, Mich.; four grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren.

Arrangements are being handled by Halbritter Funeral Home.

 

Martin, Dorothy Rose

Dorothy Rose Martin
Feb. 22, 1896-Aug. 14, 1989

Niles Daily Star, Tuesday, August 15, 1989, page 2, col. 8, microfilm Niles District Library


Dorothy Martin, 93, of Woodfield Manor, 1210 Stateline Road, died at 6:30 am. today . Funeral arrangements are incomplete and are with the Hoven Funeral Home, Buchanan.

Niles Daily Star, Wednesday, August 16, 1989, page 2, col. 7, microfilm Niles District Library


Dorothy Rose Martin, 93, of 1210 State Line Road, Niles, died at 6:30 a.m. Tuesday in Woodfield Manor Nursing Home.

Born Feb. 22, 1896, in Esher, England, she was a homemaker.

Mrs. Martin lived in Niles for the last 26 years.

She married Roy Martin in July 1922 in Battle Creek, Mich. He preceded her in death in August 1939.

Survivors include two sons, Donald Martin of Niles and David Martin of Cassopolis; five daughters, Doris Brittin, June Cramer and Gladys Hojara, all of Niles, and Jane Virgil of Buchanan, and Ruth Dewey of Hemet, Calif.; 20 grandchildren; 36 great-grandchildren; and 7 great-great-grandchildren.

A son, Vernon Martin, preceded her in death in 1945.

Graveside services are Thursday at 1:30 p.m. in Silverbrook Cemetery.

There will be no visitation and memorials may be sent to St. Paul's Lutheran Church.