William H. Messenger
Feb. 4, 1900-April 28, 1952

Niles Daily Star, Monday, April 28, 1952, page 2, col. 5, microfilm Niles District Library

William Hall Messenger, of rural route four, was found dead near the barn on the Messenger farm at about 5 a.m. Sunday, by his brother, Arthur.  Messenger was pronounced dead as the result of self inflicted shot gun wound by coroner Louis Kerlikowske, of St. Joseph. Arthur told state troopers he knew of no reason why his brother should have ended his life as he had been in good spirits.

Surviving are his mother, Mrs. Eva Messenger of Niles; his widow, Julia; three sisters, Mrs. Carrie Sweisberger of South Bend, Mrs. William Champion, of Great Lakes, Ill, and Mrs. Eva H. Messenger of Niles; and two brothers, Arthur of Veteran’s Administration, Fort Custer, Battle Creek, and Charles Simmons Messenger of Niles.

Messenger was born on Feb. 4, 1900 in Niles, and had lived her all his life. He was a veteran of World War I.

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

(NB: Gravemarker bears name William H. Messinger, Feb. 5, 1900-April 27, 1952)

Schuyler Messenger SuicideOnly cause is that he suffered from Melancholy Lifelong resident Leave a widow and eight childrenMember of Royal Areanum. Resided in House of his birth.Schuyler Colfax Messenger is a suicide. The deed was deliberate and not the slightest inkling of the affair was suspected by any member of the family; it seemed the furthest from anyone’s mind that such a rash act would be perpetrated.Mr. Messenger retired at the usual early hour last night and arose at 6 o’clock this morning. Going to the barn, evidently to do chores, as was his custom, but instead he placed a small rope about his neck and hung himself in the buggy shed.His sons went to another part of the barn an hour later and performed some duties about the place, then returned for breakfast. After eating they repaired to the barn again, wondering where their father could be, only to find his dead body suspended from the joist in the buggy shed. They cut him down, this at 8:40 o’clock (Dec. 13, 1913)/ The family and neighbors were notified also Dr. Ullery. Melancholy is given as the real motive of the rash act. The Messenger home is four miles southwest of Niles, in Bertrand Township, and there the deceases was born Aug. 16, 1861. The parents were Mr. and Mrs. Samuel Messenger, old time residents of Niles and vicinity. The father having been born in Pennsylvania, coming her when a young man. He died about three years ago.Mr. Messenger was a member of the royal Arcanum of Niles.Besides the widow, eight children remain as follows, Anna Mary, Carrie Louise, Samuel Arthur, Charles Simmons, LaRue Hamilton, William Hall, Genevieve Elizabeth and Eva Helen, all at home.Mrs. Messenger was a thrifty farmer, a good citizen, a man who won the love and respect of all his associates, and above r all, the members of his family.His home life was beautiful, a man not addicted to politics, satisfied with the companionship of his wife, children a few close friends.The neighbors, who have lived beside him for years, are unanimous in their praise of him, saying that he will be greatly missed for the kindnesses and consideration which he always showed. The praise from ones neighbors and the members of the family is the greatest tribute which can be paid to any man. Funeral home house, Tuesday afternoon at 1 o’clock, services to be conducted by Rev. Yonker, Interment at Silverbrook Cemetery.

Samuel Messenger
Dec. 10, 1821-Oct. 28, 1908

 A tribute to the memory of Samuel Messenger.

On December tenth, eighteen twenty-one. Samuel Messenger was born in Easton, Pennsylvania. He died at his home in Niles, Michigan on the morning of October twenty-eighth, nineteen hundred and eight, having rounded out nearly eighty-seven years of life. He was born of German parentage and of the German ancestry he never ceased to be proud. He was one of eight children, five sons and three daughters. When he was a year and half old his fathers family moved near Ithaca, NY, in what was then and long afterwards know as the “Mack settlement.” Here he received a common school education which was supplemented by a somewhat extended course in a select school: in Lewistor. His father died when Samuel was a lad of ten, leaving the care of the family on his oldest brother, Charles. As the brothers, moved into what was then considered the far west,: Michigan, Ohio and Indiana. In 1845 the mother sold the home farm and with Samuel, her youngest son, came to Michigan. They traveled by way of Lake Erie and various stagecoach routes, stopping for dinner the old hotel in Bertrand, a hotel still standing and a town then considered of much more promise than Niles. Soon the farm on Portage Prairie was purchased where Mr. Messenger, continued to reside for many years, the same now owned by his son, Schuyler C. Messenger.

Samuel Messenger was married in 1850 to Miss Ann Mary Wood, four children were born to them. Two of whom, Hetty and Banks, died in infancy, Genevieve Messenger Hammond who died at Arlington, Neb., and Schuyler C. who alone survives. Mrs. Messenger died in 1874.  In 1886 he was married to Mrs. Lavinia Wilitts Kellogg, who with his son, Schuyler, nine grandchildren and a great-grandchild, mourns his loss.

Mr. Messenger held many offices of public trust in his own community, all of which he filled faithfully and acceptably. He was one promoters of the Farmers’ United Fire Insurance co. of Berrien County, and was one of its directors for many years. His character was one of sterling worth, of utmost integrity of loyalty to friends of faithfulness to duty. As one of his lifelong neighbors said, “He was as true a man as ever walked.: in politics he was of the old line of Whigs and, as was natural always stood as a staunch republican. In his church affiliations he was a Presbyterian having attended the First Presbyterian Church of Niles, Mich., for over sixty years, and for more than thirty years of that time acted as one of it trustees. His church life as his civic and family life was remarkable for its trueness, and ostentationally its generosity. The last of his father’s family, he lies in our beautiful Silverbrook cemetery, not alone, but surrounded by many of his own loved ones., his mother, wife, two children, three brothers and a sister resting not many feet away. Nay, his body lies in Silverbrook, he has gone to one of the Many mansions, a man sincerely mourned, by all who knew him. His funeral was held at the home on south fourth Street on Saturday, October 21, attended by Rev. W.R. Yonker, pastor of the Presbyterian church.

 Submitted by family member; publication details unknown

(NB: Gravemarker bears name Samuel Messinger, 1821-1908)

Lavina Messenger
1844-March 26, 1923

 Funeral services for Mrs. Samuel Messenger were conducted this afternoon at the Presbyterian Church by Rev. H. T. Scherr. Mrs. Albert Vetter and Mrs. Rex Leach sang “Abide With me”: and “Lead Kindly Light”. Burial took place in Silver Brook Cemetery.

Mrs. Lavina Messenger was born in Cambria, Hillsdale County, and died in Niles on March 26, 1923. She was a daughter of Moses and Angelino Willitts. She was of Quaker parentage on her father’s side. Her great-grandfather, Mr. Bunn, served in the revolutionary War. She spent her early life in Hillsdale County, attending the public schools and Hillsdale College. After graduating from Hillsdale College she taught for several years. She came to Niles about 40 years ago and had since resided here. She had taken an active part in church and club work, and civic enterprises. She was one of the four Niles women who were on the committee to secure the site for the Niles public library building. The deceased is survived by three sisters and a brother, who are Miss Alice Willits of Niles, Miss Sarah Willitts of Shelby, Mich., and Mrs. Bryon L. Reed of Jersey City and Henry Willitts of Hillsdale. 

Submitted by family member; publication details unknown

Audrey J. Mentor
Oct. 18, 1932-Jan. 26, 2005

Audrey J. Mentor, 72, of South Bend, passed away Wednesday, January 26, 2005, in Regency Place of South Bend.

She was born October 18, 1932, in Galien, Michigan, to Harold and Marie (Keefer) Salisbury.

Mrs. Mentor is survived by her daughters, Susie LaPorte (Jerry) of Fort Wayne, Indiana, and Laura Luczynski of South Bend; and a son, Michael VanLue of Benton Harbor, Michigan; five grandchildren, Angel, Dawn, Christopher, Corey and Clinton; two great-grandchildren, Dessy and Jonathan; two sisters, Irene Bell (Irvin) of Buchanan, Michigan, and Shirley Skinner (Richard) of Niles, Michigan.

She was preceded by her parents, and by a brother, Billy Salisbury.

Audrey was a retired licensed practical nurse and worked many years for the Osteopathic Hospital in South Bend and many nursing homes in the South Bend area.

Funeral services will be held at noon Saturday, January 29, 2005, in the Welsheimer Family Funeral Home North, 17033 Cleveland Road, and burial will follow at Silverbrook Cemetery, Niles. Friends may call one hour prior to services.

Submitted by family member; publication details unknown 

Richard H. Mell
March 13, 1937-Feb. 9, 2003

Mr. Richard Henry Mell, 65, of S.W. Ninth Street, Margate, Fla., and formerly longtime of Niles, Mich., died following an extended illness at 2:30 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 9, 2003, in Holy Cross Hospital, Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

He was born on March 13, 1937, in Niles, to Morrison G. and Minnie (Varnum) Mell, and was graduated from Niles High School in 1955. He served in the U.S. Army during peacetime, and was retired as an engineering consultant to the aerospace industry. Also while in Niles he participated in several of the Masonic Organizations.

In 1972 Mr. Mell moved to Florida where he was a member of the Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church, Fort Lauderdale, and prior to his long illness had been a member of the choir and participated in Evangelism Explosion.

On June 14, 1991, in Niles, he was married to the former Charlene (Dreher) Schumacher, who survives. He is also survived by his children, Richard F. (Linda) Mell, Sharon K. Johnson, Jack G. "John" Mell and Jane F. (Richard, Jr.) Green, all of Tampa, Fla., and Jason A. Kirchner of Fort Lauderdale; stepdaughter, Johanna (Ken) Braniff of Niles; stepson, John (Cynthia) Schumacher of Niles; grandchildren, Bryan and Ashley Johnson, Kristina Mell and Marisa Pruitt-Green; step-grandchildren, Amber Marie and John Merle Schumacher Jr.; and his mother, Minnie Mell of Deerfield Beach, Fla.; and nephews, Christopher and Matthew Mell. He had also been a foster father of Matthew Spicher, Jennifer (Terry) Lathinghouse, and Kim Brannon and her child, Shari, all of who survive in Florida.

He was preceded in death by his brother, Jack G. Mell in September 2002; and their father, Morrison G. Mell.

Funeral services for Richard H. Mell will be at 11 a.m. Friday, Feb. 14, in First Baptist Church of Niles, with Rev. Scott A. Goodman of the church and Mr. Jim Wing of Five Pines Ministries officiating. Committal services will follow at the graveside at Silverbrook Cemetery, Niles, and will conclude with the veteran's flag presentation by American Legion Post #24 Commander John McLaughlin.

The family will receive friends from 6 to 8 p.m. today in Halbritter Funeral Home, Niles.

Contributions in memory of Richard Mell may be made to Evangelism Explosion at Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church.