Mrs. Messick (Birdella Starr) Carpenter
May 15, 1885-November 5, 1918

Niles Daily Sun, Tuesday, November 5, 1918, page 1, col. 3, microfilm Niles District Library

    Leaving a husband and three little children, besides many near relatives, the death of Mrs. Messick Carpenter of East Broadway, which occured[sic] this morning at 2 o'clock at the Red Cross hospital, is attended by unusually sad circumstances and is one fo the several deaths which have occurred in Niles while the epidemic of influenza  has been prevalent which has aroused the sympathy of the community.  She was a most estimable lady and many mourn her death.
    Mrs. Carpenter's death followed two weeks' illness with influenza and pneumonia.
    Mrs. Carpenter was a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Richard Starr, 903 North Front street. She was born in Wabash county, Indiana, May 14, 1885. She was married in Niles to Messick Carpenter, Sept. 24, 1905. Three children were born to them, who survive their mother. They are Mildred, aged 11 years; Floyd, aged 9, and Leo, aged 4 years.  Besides the husband and children, Mrs. Carpenter is survived by her parents, two brothers, Norman of Mentone, Ind., and Ray, who is with the Canadian army in France, and by one sister, Mrs. David Morris, of Niles.
    The funeral services will be held Thursday morning at 10 o'clock from the home of her parents where the body was taken this afternoon.  Rev. Lewis will officiate. Interment will occur at Silver Brook cemetery.
    Mr. Carpenter is employed in the Michigan Central freight department.

Niles Daily Sun, Wednesday, November 6, 1918, page 1, col. 6, microfilm Niles District Library

FUNERAL ANNOUNCEMENTS

    Funeral services for Mrs. Messick Carpenter will be conducted tomorrow morning at 10 o'clock from the home of her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Richard Starr, by Rev. Lewis. Interment will occur at Silver Brook cemetery.

    Tomorrow morning at 10 o'clock funeral services will be held for Mrs. Messick Carpenter from the home of her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Richard Starr, 903 North Front street.  Dr. E.G. Lewis will officiate.  Burial will take place in Silver Brook cemetery.

Young woman taken by death

Mrs. Messick Carpenter, age 33, died at 2 o'clock this morning in the Presbyterian Church hospital, following an illness of one week. Mrs. Carpenter was first stricken with influenza, which developed into pneumonia.

Deceased was born in Wabash County, Ind., May 15, 1885, the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Richard Starr, who moved to this city from Disko, Ind., 14 years ago.

On September 24, 1905 she became the bride of Messick Carpenter, and to this union three children, Lloyd, Linn and Mildred were born.

The parents, Mr. and Mrs. Richard Starr, 903 North Front Street, this city, also survive as does one sister, Mrs. David Morris, this city, and two brothers, Ray, now in France and Norman of Mentone, Ind.

Mrs. Carpenter was well liked and popular with a wide circle of friends who are grieved at her passing.

Funeral services will be held Thursday morning at 10 o’clock from the home of her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Richard Starr, 903 North Front Street, Dr. E. G. Lewis will officiate. Interment will take place in Silver Brook Cemetery.

Submitted by family member; publication details unknown

Addie Carpenter (Maston)
Dec. 23, 1865-November 21, 2941

Addie Carpenter

Stricken today in

Howard Township

Mrs. Addie Carpenter, 76, Route 2, Niles, died of a heart attack in her farm home at 12:30 this morning, with the exception of one year, she had lived in this vicinity all her life.

Born Dec. 23, 1865, in Howard township, she was married to Wyman Carpenter on Jan. 1, New Year’s day 1886. Mr. Carpenter preceded her in death two years ago, after 55 years of marriage.

She is survived by one daughter, Mrs. Glen Lezniak, who made her home with Mrs. Carpenter; four brothers, Fred Masten and Lauren Masten, both farmers near Niles, Ervie Masten, Mishawka and Walter, South Bend and one sister, Mrs. Caroline Pettis, Route 1, Niles.

Services will be held in the Pifer Funeral Home at 2 Monday afternoon. Dr. G. W. Simon will officiate and burial will be in Silverbrook Cemetery. Friends may call at the funeral home.

Submitted by family member; publication details unknown

Bernice Ann Campbell (Leggett)
April 10, 1901-September 20, 1986

Bernice Ann Campbell, 85, 6 N. Fourth St., died at 1 a.m. Saturday at Bethesda Hospital, St. Paul Minn., following an extended illness.

She was a retired Sales clerk from S.W. Woolworth store in Niles, and a member of St. John’s United Church of Christ.

She was born April 10, 1901 in Dayton and was a life long resident of the area.

She was married to Robert Campbell, who died in 1981.

She is survived by two sons, Robert A. Nolan of Mayslanding, NJ, and Frank C. Blaudow of Indianapolis, Ind.; two daughters, Mary Virginia Schneider of St. Paul, Minn., and Carol Hirsch of Phoenix, Ariz; three sisters, Edna Wadel and Myrtle Eisele of Niles and Josephine Reed of N. Fort Myers, FL; nine grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren.

Services are 1 p.m. Wednesday at Halbritter Funeral Home with Rev. Louis Sweppe of St. John’s United Church of Christ officiating.

Burial will be in Silverbrook Cemetery.

Friends may call from 7 to 9 p.m. Tuesday in Halbritter Funeral Home. Memorial contributions may be made to St. John’s United Church of Christ.

Submitted by family member; publication details unknown

Thomas W. Cain
February 16, 1918-February 19, 1961

Judge Cain Succumbs Sunday at Ann Arbor

Niles municipal court judge Thomas W. Cain, 310 Broadway, died at 7:45 p.m. Sunday in University Hospital in Ann Arbor just three days after his 43rd birthday.

He had been ill for two months and was transferred from Pawating Hospital to Ann Arbor on Thursday.

Born on Feb. 16, 1918, in South Bend, he had lived his lifetime in Niles. In 1935, he graduated from Niles High School and in 1939 he graduated from University of Michigan.

Crippling injuries in a 1941 auto accident near Stevensville could not hold his ambition and in 1943, after completing his studies at his Niles home, he graduated from Notre Dame Law School.

He served as Niles Justice of the Peace from 1945 to 1956. In May 1956, he was appointed by Mayor Edwin Cramer as the city’s first Municipal Judge and he won election the post in April 1957, for a six year term.

He had been a law partner of Atty. Keith Ball since 1957.

Long active in area Republican politics, he was also a member of the Niles Rotary Club of which he was secretary, Niles Elks Lodge, Fraternal Order of Police, American Bar Association; State Bar of Michigan, Berrien County Bar Association: the Pickwick Club and Orchard Hills County Club.

Surviving are the Widow, Mildred; daughter, Cathy at home; and his mother, Mrs. Grace Cain.

Friends may call in the Kiger and Halbritter Funeral Home after 7 p.m. today.

Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m. Wednesday in the First Presbyterian Church, of which he had been a member, with the Rev. John P. MacLachlan officiating. Burial will be at the Silverbrook Cemetery Mausoleum.

Submitted by family member; publication details unknown

Thomas E. Cain
January 10, 1889-December 22, 1953

Heart Attack is Fatal to Banker

Thomas E. Cain, 70, dies suddenly Tuesday

Prominent Niles banker Thomas E. Cain died suddenly of a heart attack at 9 p.m. Tuesday while trimming the Christmas tree in his home at 1803 Lake Street.

Born on Jan. 10, 1889, in Clinton, IL, Cain came to Niles in 1902. His first banking position here was with the old Newman and Snell Bank.

He served as president of the State Bank of Niles after founding the bank in 1917.  After re-organization, Cain became vice president of the First National Bank of Niles, the position he held at his death.

Cain was a member of the Masonic Lodge, the Rotary Club, the Elks Lodge, and The American Legion and the First Presbyterian Church. He was a veteran of World War I.

Surviving are his wife, the formerly Grace Ricketts whom he married in Niles on May 11, 1917; a son, Thomas W. Cain of Niles; a granddaughter; two brothers, Dr. C.N. Cain of Fort Wayne, Ind., and Lynn Cain of Marshall; and a sister, Mrs. Mace Harper of North Manchester, Ind.

Friends may call at the Pifer Funeral Home Thursday through Saturday morning. Services will be held at 1:30 p.m. Saturday at the First Presbyterian Church with the pastor, the Rev. T. M. Greenhoe, officiating. Burial will be in Silverbrook Cemetery.

Philip D. Cain
April 20, 1923 – Jan. 27, 1999

Philip D. Cain, 74, of 2423 Dick Street, Niles, MI, died late on Wednesday, Jan. 27 in his home

Mr. Cain was born on April 20, 1923, in Niles, to Joseph and Melba Cain, who preceded him in death.

He is survived by his daughter, Vickie (John Sr.) Suher of South Bend, IN; three sons, Robert A. (Beverly) Cain of Mishawaka, IN, James D. (Bonnie) Cain of Leesburg, FLA, and Larry (Barbara) Cain of Toledo, Ohio; a brother, Richard Cain of Spoonwood, Conn.; and by nine grandchildren.

Mr. Cain retired from Kawneer Company (front street plant) where he worked as a factory laborer. He also served in the U.S. Navy during World War II, and enjoyed flying private aircraft locally as a younger man.

A Memorial service is planned for 1:20 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 4 at the Pifer-Smith Funeral Home, Niles.

Submitted by family member; publication details unknown