Duane E. Asmus

Aug. 13, 1926 – Feb. 10, 1999

      Mr. Duane E. Asmus, 72, of 1415 Sioux Trail, Niles, Mich., died following an extended illness at 3:35 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 10, at his home.

     Mr. Asmus was born on Aug. 13, 1926 in Niles, to DeVerne and Ella (Villwock) Asmus, and had lived in Niles all of his life.

     He was retired in 1981 from the City of Niles, having served more than 24 years as a firefighter.  He had also been employed for 22 years by the Niles community Schools as a bus driver, and had been employed for the past seven years as the school crossing guard at Sarka Lane and Chicago Road.

     He was a lifelong member of Saint John’s United Church of Christ, Niles, where he had served on many boards and in many offices.   He was a veteran of World War II, serving in the United States Army, and was a member of the Loyal Order of Moose, Lodge 449, Buchanan, MI.  He enjoyed camping and bird watching, but his greatest interest was his grandchildren.

     On Oct. 21, 1950, in Saint John’s Church, he was married to the former Lois Jane Siebert, who survives.

     He is also survived by their children and their families; a son, Garry Duane and Sandy Asmus of Niles, and their sons, Brian and James; a son, Steven Edward and Kathy Asmus of Vandalia and their children, Edward, Amy, Matthew and Kristin; and daughter, Sue Ann and Bart Benjamin of Niles and their children, Bradley and Anna.

     Funeral services for Duane E. Asmus will be at 10 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 13 in the Halbritter Funeral Home, Niles, with Rev. Al Bastin of Saint John’s United church of Christ officiating. Committal services will be at Silverbrook Cemetery, Niles, followed by the veteran’s flag presentation by American Legion Acting Commander Harry Roberts.

     Visitation will be from 5 to 8 p.m. today in the funeral home. An honor guard of the Niles City Fire Department will serve at the visitation and funeral.

     Contributions in memory of Mr. Asmus may be made to Saint John’s United Church of Christ or to Hospice at home.

Submitted by family member; publication details unknown.

Caroline Asmus
Dec. 31, 1882- Sept. 5, 1954

Niles Daily Star, Tuesday, September 7, 1954, page 2, col. 5, microfilm Niles District Library

Mrs. Caroline W. Asmus, 1610 North Twelfth Street, who with her husband had operated the Caroline Gardens greenhouse for the past 30 years, died at 2:55 a.m. Sunday.

Surviving are her husband, George; a son, Harold Asmus of Niles; a granddaughter, and a niece, Mrs. David Jones of New Buffalo whom Mr. and Mrs. Asmus raised. Also surviving are two brothers, Carl and Julius Wedel of Niles and two sisters, Mrs. Minnie Zimmerman, of Niles, and Mrs.  Frieda Fay, of Kalamazoo.

Mrs. Asmus was born on Dec. 31, 1882, in Germany, and had lived here 64 years.  She was married in George Asmus on May 11, 1904 in Niles. They celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary in May of this year.

Mrs. Asmus was a member of St. John’s Evangelical and Reformed Church and of the Woman’s Guild of that church, and also was a member of Niles Hive 39, Lady Maccabees.

Friends may call at the Kiger Funeral Home, where services will be held at 2 p.m. Wednesday, with the Rev. H.E. Meussling, pastor of St. John’s Church, officiating.  Burial will be at Silverbrook Cemetery.

Mary M. Arven

May 16, 1908-Dec. 26, 1994

NILES - Mary M. Arven, 86, of 911 S. Third Street, died at 10:45 p.m. Monday in Silverbrook Manor, after an illness. Mrs. Arven was born May 16, 1908, in Monterey, Va., and had lived in Niles since 1977, coming from Granger. On June 7, 1930, in Fulton, she married Walker Arven. He died Jan. 17, 1988.

Burial will be at 2 p.m. Friday in Silverbrook Cemetery. There will be no visitation. Halbritter Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements. Memorial contributions may be made to any charity.

Submitted by family member; publication details unknown

 THERE IS NO RECORD OF THIS BURIAL AT SILVERBROOK AND SOUTH BEND TRIBUNE OBIT SAYS BURIAL AT ST. JOSEPH VALLEY MEMORIAL PARK, GRANGER.  FINDAGRAVE PHOTOS SHOW BURIAL THERE.

June 3, 1924 - Jan. 3, 1999

Richard H. Arrick, 74, of 1331 Howard Street, Niles, Mich., died of natural causes in the early evening of Sunday, Jan. 3, at the Lakeland Medical Center-Niles.

Mr. Arrick was born on June 3, 1924, in White County, Ind.  He was the owner and operator of Arrick's Decor Service, Niles, since 1946.

On Jan. 17, 1987, in Niles, he married Gloria Parker. His first wife, Maxine Arrick, preceded him in death in 1969. He was also preceded in death by two daughters, Diane and Dale Arrick; and by a son, Dean Arrick.

He is survived by a daughter, Janice White of Howell, Mich.; a stepdaughter, Mary Dilts of Sugargrove, Ill.; three stepsons, Steven Parker of Myrna, Tenn., Jerry Parker of Niles and Mark Parker of Granger, Ind.; five sisters, Marie Patton of Niles, Barbara Sullivan of South Bend, Ind., Kay Brownback of Ligonier, Ind., Theresa Beardslee of Paisley, Fla., and Carol Arrick of Niceville, Fla.; and by 11 grandchildren.

Funeral services will be at 10:30 a.m. on Thursday, Jan. 7, in St. John's United Church of Christ, Niles, where he was a deacon. Pastor Al Bastin will officiate.

Visitation will be from 3 to 8 p.m. today at the Pifer-Smith Funeral Home. Burial will take place at Silverbrook Cemetery.

Memorial contributions may be made to St. John's United Church of Christ.

Submitted by family member; publication details unknown

Stephen Arney

1864-Oct. 29, 1922

      Funeral services for Stephen Arney who died at his home in Buchanan on Sunday after a brief illness with valvular heart disease, was held this afternoon at his home in Buchanan. Rev. H.t. Scherer, pastor of the Presbyterian Church in this City, assisted at the services in Buchanan and at the committal services. The body was brought to Niles for burial in Silverbrook Cemetery..

      Mr. Arney was 58 years old. He had been a resident of Buchanan for 35 years. For a number of years he had engaged in the painting and decorating business.  He is survived by his wife, who was formerly Miss Nettie McDonald of Niles, by one daughter, Miss Louise, who teaches in the Niles public schools, by one brother, Jacob Arney of Buchanan and by two sisters, one of whom, Mrs. Ella Rollins, lives in Buchanan.  Mrs. Arney is a sister of Mrs. Belle Babcock of Tenth Street, this city.

      The deceased was a prominent resident of Buchanan and was well known in Niles.

       Misses Mabel and Sarah Fowler of Chicago, cousins of the deceased, were the relatives who attended the services.

Robert Anton

March 21, 1903 - Nov. 21, 1999

Robert Anton, 96, passed away of natural causes on Sunday, Nov. 21, while at the Silverbrook Nursing Home.

He was born on March 21, 1903, in Prague, Czechoslovakia. In 1920 he immigrated to Chicago, Ill. There he met and married the former Bessie Klapp on July 30, 1937. Theirs was a love match that lasted over 73 years. In 1937 the Antons moved to Cassopolis, Mich., where he farmed and operated a barber shop. He had made his home in Niles, Mich., since retiring in 1976.

He is survived by his wife, Bessie; a son, Robert G. Anton; a grandson, Gerald R. Anton; and by three great-grandchildren, Amy, Robert and Patty Anton of Niles; and by a granddaughter, Julie Anton Wiggins of Half Moon Bay, Calif.

Services will be at 1 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 24, at the First Baptist Church, 1446 E. Main Street, Niles.

Visitation will be from 12:30 p.m., prior to the services. Interment will be at Silverbrook Cemetery.

The Pifer-Smith Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

Memorial contributions may be made to the First Baptist Church of Niles.

Submitted by family member; publication details unknown