Jeanette Hayes
March 18, 1900-Nov. 13, 1975

Niles Daily Star (Niles, Berrien Co., MI), Friday, November 14, 1975, page 2, col. 7-8, microfilm Niles District Library

NILES—Mrs. Jeanette Hayes, 75, of 515 Nieb Ct., died at 12:15 p.m. Thursday at Healthwin Hospital, South Bend, after an extended illness.

A member of St. Mary's Catholic Church and its Altar and Rosary Society, she was a former housekeeper at St. Mary's rectory. She was born March 18, 1900 in Lapaz, Ind., and had lived here since 1956, coming from Cassopolis.

On May 22, 1948, in Knox, Ind., she married Thomas F. Hayes. He died April 13, 1855.

She is survived by two sisters, Mrs. Lorraine Vanette of Syracuse, Ind., and Mrs. Mary Reed of Milford, Ind.; four nephews, Robert L. Weaver of Niles, Norman D. Weaver of Jackson, James Reed of Milford and Richard Reed of Louisville, Ky.; and a niece, Mrs. Mary Mustard of Edwardsburg.

Funeral services will be at 10 a.m. Saturday at St. Mary's Catholic Church with the Rt. Rev. Msgr. John D. Slowey officiating. Burial will be in Silverbrook Cemetery.

Friends may call at the Halbritter Funeral Home, where a rosary service will be held at 7: 30 p.m. Friday. Memorials may be given to the Pawating Hospital Building Fund.

Ray Hershberger
Sept. 14, 1895-Nov. 6, 1975

Niles Daily Star (Niles, Berrien Co., MI), Friday, November 7, 1975, page 2, col. 7, microfilm Niles District Library

NILES—Ray Hershberger, 80, of 2824 Mason St., died at 5:30 p.m. Thursday at Pawating Hospital after an extended illness.

A member of the First Church of Christ Christian, the Four Flags Barracks of the Veterans of World War I and a retired machinist from the Bendix Corp., he was born Sept. 14, 1895 in Indiana and had lived here most of his lifetime.

On July 5, 1952 in Niles he married the former Gertrude S. Hague, who survives.

Also surviving is a daughter, Mrs. May Alice Biggs of South Bend.

Funeral services will be at 1:30 p.m. Monday at the Pifer Chapel of the Swem-Smith Funeral Home with Joe R. Johnson of the First Church of Christ, Christian, officiating. Burial will be in Silverbrook Cemetery.

Friends may call at the funeral home after noon Sunday.

Memorials may be made to the First Church of Christ Christian Building fund.

Charles L. Hodgens
July 28, 1901-Dec. 24, 1960

Niles Daily Star (Niles, Berrien Co., MI), Tuesday, December 27, 1960, page 2, col. 5, microfilm Niles District Library

Funeral services for Charles L. Hodgens, 59, 450 Pucker St. Road, were held at 2 o'clock today in the Kiger and Halbritter Funeral Home with the Rev. John W. Marvin, assistant pastor of the First Presbyterian Church, officiating. Burial was made in Silverbrook Cemetery.

Mr. Hodgens died at 9 p.m. Saturday in Pawating Hospital. He had been a patient there for three days and in ill health for six months.

He was born on July 28, 1901 in Taylorstown, Pa., and had moved to Niles from Grand Rapids in 1942. He was a hydro electric operator for the Niles Board of Public Works.

Survivors include his wife, Margaret, and two sisters, Mrs. Laura Vanatta of Taylorstown, Pa., and Mrs. Mary Thomas of Parker, Pa.

Marsha Lynn Hungerford
Oct. 17, 1948-Nov. 17, 1960

Niles Daily Star (Niles, Berrien Co., MI), Friday, November 18, 1960, page 1, col. 8, microfilm Niles District Library

Former Niles Girl Shoots, Kills Self Accidentally

Record Session at Home Ends in Tragedy
Marsha L. Hungerford Dies at Dowagiac Soon After Accident.

A 12-YEAR OLD girl, a former Niles resident, died at 4:37 p.m. in Lee Memorial Hospital, Dowagiac, after accidentally shooting herself in the head with a revolver.

Cass County sheriff's deputies said Marsha Lynn Hungerford was at home on the southwest side of Indian Lake, with her sister, Judith, 13, and two other girls playing records.

Marsha stepped into the master bedroom, deputies said, and emerged with a .38 caliber revolver. She placed the gun against the right side of her head, not knowing it was loaded, and pulled the trigger, playmates said.

* * *

FOLLOWING THE accident, one girl phoned sheriff's men from the home and the others rushed to a neighbor's to call for an ambulance which rushed Marsha to the hospital where she died 90 minutes later in the emergency room. The death was ruled accidental by William Kurdelmeyer of Dowagiac, Cass County coroner.

Marsha's mother, Mrs. Betty Laverty, was in Niles having her car serviced at the time of the accident. Niles State Police rushed her to the hospital at Dowagiac.

Marsha's step-father, Ralph Laverty, was hunting deer at Tahquamenon Falls in the Upper Peninsula. Niles State Police dispatched an emergency message to the Newberry post and they contacted Laverty. He returned to Niles today.

Marsha was born Oct. 17, 1948 in Benton Harbor and had attended the Franklin School at Indian Lake. The family resided in Niles until about a year ago.

* * *

SURVIVORS BESIDES her mother, sister and step-father is a step-sister, Shirlee at home, her father, Lyle Hungerford of Benton Harbor, two grandmothers, Mrs. Lena Farr and Mrs. Daisy Hungerford, both of Benton Harbor.

Funeral services will be at 9 a.m. Monday at St. Mary's Catholic Church with the Rev. Father Cletus Rose officiating. Burial will be in Silverbrook Cemetery.

Friends may call at the Pifer Funeral Home after 7 p.m. today.

Marguerite King
Sept. 1, 1906-April 22, 1971

Niles Daily Star (Niles, Berrien Co., MI), Thursday, April 22, 1971, page 2, col. 1, microfilm Niles District Library

NILES—Mrs. Marguerite King, 64, of 206 Bertrand Rd., died at 1:25 this morning at Pawating Hospital. She had been in poor health for two years.

Mrs. King, who was born Sept. 1, 1906, in South Bend, Ind., married Wesley King, who survives, June 7, 1926 in South Bend. She and her husband moved to the Bertrand area that year and have lived there ever since.

Mrs. King was a life member of the Bertrand Bible Church.

Besides her husband, she is survived by two sons, James King of Niles and Robert Wesley King of Kansas City, Mo.; two brothers, Vernon Prytz of South Bend, Ind. and George Prytz of Santa Cruz, Calif.; a sister, Mrs. Gordon Ford of South Bend, Ind. and two grandchildren.

Funeral services are scheduled for 2 p.m. Saturday at the Bertrand Bible Church. The Rev. Robert Kinney, of the Bertrand Bible Church, will officiate. Burial will follow in Silverbrook Cemetery.

Friends may call at the Pifer Funeral Home after 7 tonight.

Kenneth Eugene Klein
Nov. 20, 1939-Dec. 11, 1975

Niles Daily Star (Niles, Berrien Co., MI), Thursday, December 11, 1975, page 2, col. 6, microfilm Niles District Library

NILES—Kenneth Eugene Klein, 37, of 1919 S. Third St., died at 2 a.m. today at Mercy Hospital, Benton Harbor, after a short illness.

A member of the Buchanan Moose Lodge, he was a computer programmer with the South Bend Range Corp. He was born Nov. 20, 1938 in Ironwood, Mich. and has lived here since 1956, coming from Ohio.

On June 13, 1959 in Niles, he married the former Sandra Fleming, who survives. Also surviving are three sons, Scott, Gregg and Robbie, all at home, and a sister, Mrs. Carole Gaskill, of Farmington Hills, Mich.

Funeral services will be at 10 a.m. Saturday at the Pifer Chapel of the Swem-Smith Funeral Home with the Rev. David Jenkins of Bertrand Bible Church officiating. Burial will be in Silverbrook Cemetery.

Friends may call at the funeral home after 4 p.m. Friday.