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.

Proud, William

William Proud
Jan. 5, 1861-Sept. 2, 1953

William Proud, 92, of 932 Cherry Street, died Wednesday at the Berrien County Hospital in Berrien Center. He had been ill approximately two and one half years.

Born in Michigan on Jan. 5, 1861. Proud leaves one stepson, Leon Vanderbiek of Kalamazoo and one sister, Mrs. Cora Cotton of LaPorte, Ind., as survivors.

Friends may call at the Pifer Funeral Home, where funeral services will be held at 2 p.m. Saturday with the Rev. L. George Beacock, pastor of the First Methodist Church, officiating. Burial will be at Silverbrook Cemetery.

Niles Daily Star, Friday, September 4, 1953, page 2, col. 3, microfilm Niles District Library

Proud, Gary W.

Gary W. Proud
June 5, 1952-Jan. 18, 1976

Gary W. Proud, 23, of 1220 Anderson Road, Niles, was dead on arrival at Pawating Hospital at 9:26 a.m., Sunday, Jan. 18, 1976. Dr. Aaron Warren, deputy medical examiner said he had taken his own life.

Mr. Proud was born June 5, 1952, at Niles and lived her all his life. He was an Army veteran of Vietnam and was employed by French Paper Co.

Surviving are his parents. Mr. and Mrs. G. Lee Proud; his grandparents, Mrs. Mary Louise Stewart of Niles and Mr. and Mrs. Gerald Proud of Buchanan; and two sisters, Miss Rhonda Proud  of Niles and Mrs. Joe (Linda) Sheldone of Lowellville, Ohio. Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m. Wednesday at the Halbritter funeral Home. The Rev. Harold Asire, pastor of Emmanuel Baptist Bible Church, will officiate and burial will be in Silverbrook Cemetery. Friends may call at the funeral home after 2 p.m. Tuesday. Memorials maybe made to the Buchanan General Baptist Church. 

Submitted by family member; publication details unknown

Proud, Anna R.

Anna R. Proud
Jan. 28, 1905-April 2, 1938

Anna R. Proud, 83, died; (April 2, 1938) had spent entire life in Niles. Funeral services for Mrs. Anna Rosetta Proud, 83, of 922 Cherry Street, Niles,  will be held at 2 o’clock Tuesday afternoon in the Price and Kiger Funeral home. The Rev. T.O. Lee, of the first Methodist Church, will conduct the services followed by burial in Silverbrook Cemetery.

Mrs. Proud had lived all her life in and near Niles. She died at her home Saturday after an illness of two week. She leaves her husband, William; and two sons, Leon Vanderbeak, Kalamazoo and Rodman Vanderbeek, living in Nebraska. Friends may call at the Price and Kiger Funeral Home.  

Submitted by family member; publication details unknown

Prince, Richard K.

Richard K. Prince
Jan. 18, 1927-May 4, 1996

 Richard K. Prince, 69, of 2585 Dick St., Niles, died at 11:28 p.m. Saturday May 4, 1996,  in St. Joseph's Medical Center, South Bend, after an illness. Mr. Prince was a retired Postal Service carrier. He was born Jan. 18, 1927, in Elkhart and moved to Niles in 1932. On Nov. 7, 1952, in Niles, he married Nellie M. Hemphill. She survives with a son, Matthew L. of San Diego; and two grandchildren. A daughter, Debra Ann Prince, died Nov. 9, 1992. Mr. Prince was a Navy veteran. He was a member of First Church of Christ-Christian, past commander of American Legion Post 26 and volunteer at the Niles Senior Citizens Center.

Services will be at 11 a.m. Wednesday in Halbritter Funeral Home. Burial will be in Silverbrook Cemetery. Friends may call from 5 to 8 p.m. Tuesday in the funeral home. Memorial contributions may be made to the church.

 Submitted by family member; publication details unknown

 

Prince, Charles R. 1924-2006

Charles R. Prince
May 11, 1924-April 2, 2006

Charles R. "Chuck" Prince, 81, of Old Sauk Trail, Niles, Michigan, died at 8:15 p.m. Sunday, April 2, 2006, in Lakeland Hospital, Niles, following an extended illness.

Mr. Prince was born on May 11, 1924, in Winamac, Indiana, to Eugene T. and Della Mae (Overmyer) Prince. He had lived in Niles most of his lifetime and graduated from Niles High School. Charles was co-owner and operator of the former Prince's Market in Niles.

Mr. Prince was a member of Wesley United Methodist Church and Saint Joseph Valley Lodge #4, F.& A.M., both in Niles. He was a veteran of World War II, having served in the United States Army. He was also a member of American Legion Post #51, Buchanan, and the Buchanan V.F.W. Post #3102. Charles enjoyed building model cars.

On November 30, 1947, in Niles, he married the former Beatrice N. "Bea" Haley, who died August 17, 1999.

Mr. Prince is survived by a sister, Jean B. Uldin of South Bend; three nieces, Jacquelyn Prince-Lolmaugh of Buchanan, Kay Klinger of Michigan City, Indiana, and Sandra Verhoestra of South Bend; and two nephews, Donald Prince II of Niles and Terence Prince of Fountain, Colorado.

Charles was also preceded in death by a brother, Donald Prince, who died June 17, 1989, and by a sister, Marjorie Prince, who died in childhood.

Funeral services for Charles R. "Chuck" Prince will be at 2 p.m. Thursday, April 6, in the Halbritter Funeral Home, Niles, with the Rev. Emmett H. Kadwell Jr. of Wesley United Methodist Church officiating. Burial will be at Silverbrook Cemetery in Niles and will conclude with full military honors by American Legion Post #51, Buchanan. The family will receive relatives and friends beginning at 1 p.m. Thursday, April 6, in the funeral home.

Contributions in memory of Charles R. Prince may be made to the Wesley United Methodist Church.

Submitted by family member; publication details unknown

Prince, Beatrice N. (Haley)

Beatrice N. Prince
Nov. 26, 1925-Aug. 17, 1999

Beatrice N. ''Bea'' Prince, 73, of 1434 Old Sauk Trail, Niles, Mich., died following an extended illness at 6 a.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 17, 1999  in the Fountain View Alzheimer's Center, Buchanan, Mich.

She was born on Nov. 26, 1925, in Manchester, Tenn., to Earl L. and Ora Lee (Alexander) Haley, and moved to Niles in 1926 as an infant.

Mrs. Prince was a weekend cashier at Prince's Market in Niles. She was a member of the Wesley United Methodist Church in Niles, and a was a past-member of the Eastern Star. Mrs. Prince was a loving wife.

On Nov. 30, 1947, in Niles, she married Charles R. Prince, who survives. Other surviving family include her sister-in-law, Jean Uldin of South Bend; nieces and nephews, Jacquelyn Prince-Lolmaugh of Buchanan, Kay Klingler of Michigan City, Sandra Verhoestra of South Bend, Ind., Donald Prince of Niles and Terence Prince of Fort Hood, Texas.

Mrs. Prince was preceded in death by her sister, Helen L. Rose, who died on March 3, 1987.

Funeral services will be at 2 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 20, in the Halbritter Funeral Home, Niles, with the Reverend Irwin Young, director of spiritual care for Hospice at Home, officiating. Interment will be at Silverbrook Cemetery, Niles.

The family will receive friends from 6 to 8 p.m. today at the funeral home.

Contributions in memory of Mrs. Prince may be made to Hospice at Home or to Parkinson's Research.

Submitted by family member; publication details unknown

Primley, Patricia Mary (Barnes)

Patricia Mary Primley
Jan. 27, 1930-Feb. 21, 2005

Patricia Mary Primley, 75, of Dowagiac, Mich., passed away Monday, Feb. 21,  2005,  in Memorial Hospital in South Bend, Ind., due to complications from surgery.

Funeral Services will be held Thursday, Feb. 24, at 2 p.m. in the McLauchlin-Clark Funeral Home, with James Abshagen officiating. The family will receive friends from 1:30 to 2 p.m. in the funeral home. Interment will follow at Silverbrook Cemetery in Niles, Mich.

Patricia was born Jan. 27, 1930, in Niles, to Basil and Hazel (Bolton) Barnes, and lived in Niles until she was 16 years old, then moved to the Dowagiac area, where she lived for almost 60 years. She retired from Rudy's/Sundstrand Manufacturing after over 40 years. She was a member of the Dowagiac Moose Lodge #1508. Pat enjoyed doing arts and crafts and her "Friday Night's with the Girls".

She was preceded in death by her parents; and one sister, Dorothy Mape; and three grandsons.

Patricia is survived by four daughters, Rosemary (Thomas) Stull of Decatur, Mich., Linda Zablocki of Granger, Ind., Patricia Primley of Decatur, and Christine (David) Green; a son, Harold (Carol) Primley; 15 grandchildren, Valerie, Jennifer, Matt, Lisa, Laurie, Eddie, Todd, Dawn, John, Christopher, Emily, Kelsie, Daniel, Andrea and Derick; 19 great-grandchildren; two sisters, Audrey (Max) Kebschull of Benton Harbor, Mich., and Eleanor Huffman of Niles; and two brothers, Basil (Louise) Barnes and Donald Barnes, both of Niles; and by numerous nieces and nephews and special close friends.

Memorial contributions may be made to the Cass County Council on Aging.

Submitted by family member; publication details unknown