Bill E. Krueger
Dec. 27, 1955-June 9, 1994

Services for Bill E. ''Billy-Jean'' Krueger, 38, of 2230 E. Main St.,  Niles, who died at 2 p.m. Thursday,  June 9, 1994, will be at 11 a.m. Monday in Halbritter Funeral Home. Burial will be in Silverbrook Cemetery. Friends may call from 2 to 4 and 6 to 8 p.m. Sunday at the funeral home. Memorial contributions may be made to any charity.

Mr. Krueger was employed with Georgie Boy Manufacturing Inc., Edwardsburg. He was born Dec. 27, 1955, in Niles, and was a lifelong area resident. On July 22, 1991, in Niles, he married Phyllis A. Cole. She survives, with two stepdaughters, Wilma Bowling and Tammy Beavo, both of Niles; a stepson, Buddy Beavo of Niles; four granddaughters; his mother, Norma L. Krueger of Niles; a sister, Lorraine K. Gaul of Vallejo, Calif.; and two brothers, Fred L. and Scott E., both of Niles.

Submitted by family member; publication details unknown

Beulah E. Kroll
March 29, 1916-Aug. 19, 2004

Beulah E. Kroll, 88, of Michigan 62 South, Edwardsburg, Mich., passed away at 3:25 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 19, 2004, in Laurels of DeKalb Nursing Home, Butler, Ind.

She was born March 29, 1916, in Wolverine, Mich., the daughter of the late Millard and Fannie Mae (Adkins) Vaughn.

On May 29, 1954, she married Herman F. Kroll in Niles, Mich. He preceded her in death on Jan. 9, 1990.

She is survived by a nephew, William Jann of Spencerville, Ind., who took care of her for the last nine years. She is also survived by many nieces and nephews.

Beulah was a homemaker of her own home and managed Wygant Dry Cleaners, Niles, for seven years. She was a graduate of Edwardsburg High School and a member of the former Adamsville United Methodist Church.

Services will be at noon (Michigan time) Monday, Aug. 23, in the Paul E. Mayhew Funeral Home, where friends may call two hours before services. The Rev. Jeff Reese, pastor of the Hope United Methodist Church will officiate. Burial will follow at the Silverbrook Cemetery, Niles.

Memorial donations may be made to Hope United Methodist Church, P.O. Box 624, Edwardsburg, MI 49112.

Harold R. "Dick" Krisher
June 19, 1925-Jan. 4, 1996

Private services for Harold R. ''Dick'' Krisher, 70, of 314 N. Sixth St., Niles, who died at 12:20 a.m. Thursday Jan. 4, 1996, in Memorial Hospital, South Bend, after an illness, will be later. Burial will be in Silverbrook Cemetery. Friends may call from 6 to 8 p.m. Sunday at Halbritter Funeral Home. Memorial contributions may be made to any charity.

Mr. Krisher worked at National-Standard Co. for 15 years. He was born June 19, 1925, in Huntington, Ind. Surviving are two daughters, Donna Santana of Niles and Katherine Acevedo of Kissimmee, Fla.; four grandchildren; four great-grandchildren; a sister, Phyllis J. Davis of Niles; and a brother, Robert G. of Niles.  Mr. Krisher was a Navy veteran of World War II.  He was a member of the American Legion Post 26 and Disabled American Veterans.

Lavella I. Kraft
April 15, 1919-April 20, 2005

Lavella I. "Vella" Kraft, 86, formerly of Grand Avenue, Niles, Mich., died of a brief illness in Saint Joseph Hospital East, Lexington, Ky., on Wednesday, April 20, 2005.

Mrs. Kraft was born on April 15, 1919, in Sullivan, Ind., to James Luther and Edna Grace (Nash) Gray. She had lived in Niles since 1940, coming from Buchanan, Mich. She was a former employee of Electro-Voice in Buchanan.

On June 22, 1940, in Niles, she married Raymond W. Kraft, who preceded her in death on Feb. 26, 2001.

Mrs. Kraft is survived by their daughter, Sharon R. (Ron) Brown of Winchester, Ky.; a grandson, Chard (Terri) Williams; a granddaughter, Carrie (Phillip) Gonzales; four great-grandchildren; one brother, Donald Gray of Owosso, Mich.; and one sister, Betty Syson of Niles.

Funeral services for LaVella L. Kraft will be at 11 a.m. Monday, April 25, 2005, in the Halbritter Funeral Home, Niles, with the Rev. Dr. Ronald H. Wakeman of First Presbyterian Church officiating. Burial will follow at Silverbrook Cemetery, Niles.

The family will receive friends from 2 to 4 p.m. Sunday in the funeral home.

Contributions in memory of Vella Kraft may be made to an organization of the donor's choice.

Kenneth Kozelka
March 9, 1925-Nov. 20, 1994

Kenneth Kozelka, 69, of 902 Michigan St., Niles, died at 6:06 p.m. Sunday Nov. 20, 1994,  in Pawating Hospital after an illness. Mr. Kozelka formerly was employed at Kawneer Corp. He was born March 9, 1925, in Chicago and had lived in the Niles area for most of his life. On Sept. 1, 1946, in Douglas County, Nev., he married Stella M. Stasiak. She survives with a daughter, Patricia Hunsberger of Granger; a son, Raymond of Moreno Valley, Calif.; and five grandchildren. Mr. Kozelka was a member of John McLaughlin American Legion Post 26, Bertrand Post 116 and 40 & 8, Voiture Locale 983 (honorary veterans). He was an Army veteran of World War II.

Services will be at 8 p.m. Wednesday in Halbritter Funeral Home. Burial will be in Silverbrook Cemetery. Friends may call after 6 p.m. Wednesday in the funeral home, where members of the American Legion will conduct a flag presentation. Memorial contributions may be made to Hospice at Home.

Submitted by family member; publication details unknown

Mary Jane Kovac
April 30, 1919-Feb. 13, 2007

Mary Jane "M.J." Kovac, 87, of Crystal Falls, MI, and formerly of Niles, died Tuesday, Feb. 13, 2007,  in the Iron County Medical Care Facility in Crystal Falls.

She was born April 30, 1919, in Grand Haven, MI, the daughter of the late Hilbrand and Johanna (Fisher) Beukema. M.J., as she liked to be called, attended the Grand Haven Public Schools and graduated from Western Michigan University in 1941 with a degree in business education.

M.J. resided in Niles for over 50 years, where she taught high school and adult education business courses (her favorite was typing) in the Niles Community Schools for nearly 25 years, retiring in 1977.

On July 2, 1942, she married Anthony John (Kovacich) Kovac of Iron River in Grand Haven, MI. She and her husband had a camp at Brule Lake near Iron River and spent some time there each summer. Following her retirement, M.J. and Tony enjoyed traveling to Europe and the Caribbean Islands before he preceded her in death on July 20, 1980.

She moved to the Upper Peninsula in 2004, residing at the Iron County Medical Care Facility.

M.J. loved to sew, knit, read, watch movies and shop. She belonged to the American Association of University Women (AAUW), the Michigan and National Education Associations, and was a member of the First Presbyterian Church in Niles.

In addition to her husband and parents, she was also preceded in death by her daughter, Beverly, on May 21, 1983; and by her brother, Henry Beukema, in 2005.

She is survived by her son, Keith (JoAnn) Kovac of Iron River; two grandchildren, Danae and Zachary of Chicago; and a niece, Susan (Beukema) Trudeau of Waterford, MI. Many Kovac and Kovacich nieces and nephews also survive.

Friends may call Saturday, March 3, from 10 to 11 a.m. in the Langenberg Funeral Home -- Iron River Chapel. Memorial services will be held Saturday, March 3, at 11 a.m. in the funeral home. The Rev. Ric Jacobsen, pastor of the Evangelical Free Church in Three Lakes, WI, will officiate. Interment will be at Silverbrook Cemetery in Niles, MI.

Memorials for M.J. Kovac may be made to the Mayo Clinic Alzheimer's Disease Research Program, Mayo Clinic -- Dept. of Development, 200 First St. SW, Rochester, MN 55905; or online at www.mayoclinic.org/development/make-gift.html.

Family and friends may share memories or leave messages of sympathy in the family's online guestbook at www.langenbergfuneralhome.com.

The Langenberg Funeral Home -- Iron River Chapel, is serving the family.

 Submitted by family member; publication details unknown