Clara Albright

Sept. 22, 1894 – Sept. 11, 1968

NILES – Mrs. Clara M. Albright, 73, of 701 Sycamore St., died at 10:30 p.m. Wednesday in Pawating Hospital where she had been a patient for two weeks.

      Mrs. Albright was born Sept. 22, 1894, in Darke County, Ohio, and came to Niles 46 years ago. She married the late John Albright, who died in 1954. She was a member of the Navy Mothers.

      She is survived by a son, Lowell C. of Niles; five daughters, Mrs. Robert Seita, Mrs. Dean Burrow, both of Niles, Mrs. Jack Leggett of Buchanan, Mrs. E.E. Des Lauriers of South Bend and Mrs. Virginia Jarvis of Indianapolis; four brothers, Daniel, James, Leonard and Elmer Marker, all of Ohio; a sister, Mrs. Arthur Olwine of Ohio and 23 grandchildren.

     Funeral services will be held at 4 p.m. Saturday in the Pifer Funeral Home with Rev. Arlan E. Schlundt pastor of St. John’s United Church of Christ, officiating. Burial will be at Silverbrook Cemetery.

     Friends may call at 7 p.m. tonight in the funeral home.

 Published in Niles Dally Star, September 12, 1968

Eva J. Adkins

June 16, 1924 – July 4, 2003

NILES – Eva June (Cheney) Adkins, 79, of 939 Hickory Street, Niles, passed away of natural causes at 12:10 A.M. Friday, July 4, in Lakeland Regional Health System, Niles. Eva was a homemaker.

     Eva was born on June 16, 1924 in Niles to the late L.D. and Cora Cheney. On July 14, 1951 in Gallatin County, IL, she married James Robert Adkins, who died on April 20, 1996.

     She is survived by a daughter, Jackie Adkins of Nicholis, GA; two sons, Jimmie Adkins of Cassopolis, MI, and Tommie Adkins of Niles; two sisters, Maxine Creevey of Galien, MI, and Wanda Thompson of Matthews, IN; a brother, Burton Cheney of Niles; and by 11 grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.

     Services for Eva will be held at 11 a.m. Tuesday, July 8, in the Pifer-Smith Funeral home, Niles,  with Mr. Burton Cheney officiating. Friends may call form 6 to 8 p.m. on Monday in the funeral home. Memorials may be made to the charity of donor’s choice.

     Burial will be at Silverbrook Cemetery.

 Submitted by family member; publication details unknown

William T. Adams

1842 – Nov. 9, 1908

One of oldest Odd Fellows in this part of State, and prominent builder. Death comes very suddenly.

William T. Adams. stricken down without warning at early hour this morning

      This morning at 5 o’clock, Wm. T. Adams died suddenly of heart failure at his home on North Seventh Street. He had never complained of being afflicted with the disease and was apparently in good health when he arose this morning. Yesterday he attended church and was seemingly as well as ever hence his demise came as a great shock to his family and friends.

      Mr. Adams is survived by a widow and two children. Harry of Brandon, Manitoba, and Miss Bessie of Niles. He leaves a brother, John Adams of Edwardsburg and a sister, Mrs. Elizabeth Kittle of Kalamazoo.

      The funeral arrangements will not be made until Harry Adams is heard from the sad news of his father’s death having been wired to his this morning

Sketch of his life

      He was born in Harris Township, St. Joseph County, Indiana in 1942, his parents being James and Sereptine (Lynch) Adams. The father was born in Delaware, and in 1832 came to the Middle West, setting in Chicago. He walked the entire distance and when he reached the St. Joseph River, he was assisted across the stream by the Indians. On arriving at his destination he found a small village upon a wet prairie. It was five years later before the city was incorporated. He at one engaged in carpenter work there, and built the first jail in Chicago, the structure being made of logs. In the fall of the same year he returned to Delaware, for he had become convinced that the western county had good future prospects, and he not only brought with him his own family but also his father and mother. They settled in Cass County where with his brother, James Adams, he purchased eighty acres of land from the government, on which not a furrow had been turned or an improvement made. He lived a strenuous life, working earnestly and indefatigably to reclaim the land for the purposes of civilization and he added to his holding from time to time. He paid for his first 80 acres only one dollar per acre, and for the next purchase he paid six dollars per acre. He successfully continued in farming up to the time of his death.

     William T. Adams was reared in the state of his nativity, and in early life learned the carpenter’s trade at McLean, Illinois, where he served a three year apprenticeship. He afterwards worked as a journeyman, and in 1870 he came to Niles, where for four years he continued in the employ of others in the line of his chosen occupation. He then began business on his own account as a contractor and builder, and for almost a third of a century and been identified with building operations in Niles, having been accorded a liberal share of work in this direction. He had erected many residences and other buildings and had a reputation for doing honest and capable work.

     Mr. Adams was married in this city in 1873 to Miss Georgiana Webb, and unto them were born two children, Harry and Bessie, both born in Niles. In his political views Mr. Adams was a democrat, and at one time was a member of the city council from the second ward, filling the office about 12 years ago. He was also for 10 years a member of the board of public works at Niles, and for one year was president of the board.  He was a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows having joined the organization more than 43 years ago at Edwardsburg and was one of the oldest Odd Fellows in this part of the state.

Sandra S. Adams

April 10, 1937 -- Oct. 4, 2005

Sandra S. Adams, 68, of Frantz Drive, Niles, Michigan, died following an extended illness at 1 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 4, in her home.

Mrs. Adams was born April 10, 1937, in Kenosha, Wisconsin, to Malcolm and Vivian (Rybak) Mohr. She had lived in Niles since 1956, coming from Kenosha.

Mrs. Adams enjoyed golf, bird watching and traveling. She golfed at Hampshire Golf Club, golfing on their Ladies 9-Hole and 18-Hole Leagues.

On Sept. 1, 1956, in Kenosha, Wis., she married Damon D. Adams, who survives. She is also survived by their three sons, Duane D. (Ruthann) Adams of Edwardsburg, Mich., Scott D. (Kim) Adams of Mount Pleasant, S.C., and Brian F. (Terri) Adams of Spartanburg, S. C.; four grandchildren; and a sister, Shirley Heyden of Kenosha, Wis.

Mrs. Adams was preceded in death by a granddaughter, Erin Adams.

The funeral services for Sandra S. Adams will be held at 2 p.m. Friday, Oct. 7, in the Halbritter Funeral Home, Niles, with the Rev. Kim Bloom of Clay United Methodist Church, South Bend, officiating. Burial will follow at Silverbrook Cemetery, Niles. Friends may call from 4 to 8 p.m. today in the funeral home.

Memorial contributions may be made to the Niles District Library, to the American Cancer Society or to South Haven Area Hospice at Home.

Submitted by family member; publication details unknown

Roberta I. Adams

Nov. 12, 1922 – May 26, 2004

NILES – Roberta I. Adams, 81, of 1278 South 15 Street, Niles, died in Lakeland Specialty Hospital, Berrien Center, MI, following an extended illness.

Her husband, Delbert Adams died June 13, 1995. She was preceded in death by a sister, Eveline Gentry; brothers, Harry Holt and George Holt.

Survivors include a daughter, Patricia Adams of Edwardsburg; son, Richard Adams of Niles; six grandchildren; two great-grandchildren; and two sisters, Pauline Gentry and Louise Harner, both of Niles.

Services will be at 10 a.m. Saturday in Halbritter Funeral Home, where friends may call from 6 to 8 p.m. Friday in the funeral home.

Burial will be at Silverbrook Cemetery.

Submitted by family member; publication details unknown

Mable M. Adams

Aug. 22, 1876 – May 31, 1952

NILES – Mrs. Mable Marie Adams of Niles died at 7 p.m. Monday in the Bundy Convalescent Home here. She had been ill for some time.

     Her husband, Charles, died in 1944. She is survived by four daughters, Mrs. C.E. Booth of Toledo, Ohio, Mrs. Arthur Schiele of Niles, Mrs. T. Forrest Hana of South Bend and Mrs. Keith Jackson of Niles; a son, Edgar H. Adams of Niles and six grandchildren.

     Mrs. Adams was born on Aug. 22, 1876 and had lived here all her life. She was a member o f the First Presbyterian Church.

     Friends may call in the Pifer Funeral Home, where services will be conducted at 2 p.m. Thursday by the Rev. T. M. Greenhoe, Presbyterian pastor. Burial will be in Silverbrook Cemetery.

     All VFW auxiliary members are asked to meet at 1:45 p.m. Thursday in the funeral home to attend services for Mrs. Adams.

Published April 1, 1952.