Obituaries

Mrs. Katherine B. Siebert
June 15, 1873-May 15, 1951

Niles Daily Star, Saturday, May 16, 1951; page 2, col. 3, microfilm, Niles District Library from K. Alton

Mrs. Katherine Bachman Siebert, 77, a lifelong Niles resident, died at her home at 1012 North Fifth street at 3:45 p.m. Friday after being ill for a year.  Her husband, Charles E., survives.

Mrs. Seibert was born June 15, 1873, in Niles.  She was a member of St. John’s Evangelical and Reformed church, of the Women’s guild of the church, and of the auxiliary of the Switchman’s Union of North America.

Also surviving are a son, Earl Bachman, Sr.,  a grandson Earl Bachman, Jr.; three great-grandchildren; two sisters, Mrs. Charles Meyers and Mrs. Rudolph Geldman, both of Niles; and two brothers, Harry Wurz and Henry Korman, both of Niles.

Services will be held at 1 p.m. Monday in St. John’s Evangelical and Reformed church.  The Rev. Theo Eisen, retired pastor of the church, will officiate.  Burial will be in Silverbrook cemetery.  Friends may call at the Kiger funeral home.

Members of the S.U. of N.A. are requested to meet at 1:45 p.m. Monday at St. John’s Evangelical and Reformed church to attend services for Mrs. Charles Siebert.

Amy Smith
Dec. 25, 1863-March 12, 1951

Niles Daily Star, Tuesday, March 13, 1951; page 2, col. 6, microfilm, Niles District Library from K. Alton

Dowagiac, March 13 – Mrs. Amy Smith, 87, of Dowagiac, died at 2 p.m. Monday in Helens Rest Haven here.  She had been ill for several years.

Mrs. Smith was born in Niles December 25, 1863.  She was a member of the Episcopal church.  There are no survivors.

Friends may call at the Kiger funeral home in Niles where services will be conducted at 2 p.m. Wednesday.  The Rev. Percy Jones will officiate.  Burial will be in Silverbrook cemetery.

Marion S. Sroka
Nov. 23, 1908-June 13, 1951

Niles Daily Star, Wednesday, June 13, 1951; page 2, col. 5, microfilm, Niles District Library from K. Alton

Marion S. Sroka, 42, of 1018 Herbert street, was found dead in his car at 8 a.m. today on a road about six miles east of Valpariso, Ind. Porter, Ind., county officials said he had committed suicide by running a rubber hose from the exhaust pipe of his car through a window.

He was born Nov. 23, 1908, in Posen, Poland, and came here from Chicago in November.  He was a machine operator for the Bendix corporation in South Bend.

Surviving are his wife, Wanda, and a daughter, Pamela Wendy, at home, and a brother, Leon, of Dallas, Tex.

Friends may call at the Pifer funeral home after today. Funeral arrangements are incomplete.

Fred Swartz
March 16, 1869-May 9, 1951

Niles Daily Star, Thursday, May 10, 1951; page 2, col. 5, microfilm, Niles District Library from K. Alton

Fred Swartz, 82, of Friendship house, Richmond, died at 8 a.m. Wednesday after being ill for 12 days.

He was born March 16, 1869, in Niles.  A nephew Charles Swartz, of rural route four, survives.

The Rev. L. George Beacock, of the First Methodist church, will conduct funeral services at 4 p.m. Friday at the Pifer funeral home.

Floyd E. Thomas
June 19, 1911-April 21, 1951

Niles Daily Star, Monday, April 23, 1951; page 2, col. 5, microfilm, Niles District Library from K. Alton

Floyd E. Thomas, 39, of 1440 South Thirteenth street, died at 4:45 a.m. Sunday at his home after an illness of one year. He was born in Niles on June 19, 1911.

An employee of the French Paper company for 21 years, Thomas lived in Niles all his life.   He married Dorothy Partridge in Kentucky on June 16, 1933.  He was a member of the South Niles Community church.

Surviving are: his wife; a daughter, Madelyn at home; his father, Sherley, of Niles; and a brother, John of Niles.

Friends may call at the Kiger funeral home where funeral services will be held at 2 p.m. Tuesday.  The Rev. C.L. Jones, pastor of the South Niles Community church, will officiate and burial will be in Silverbrook cemetery.

Lawrene Thompson
Oct. 17, 1946-Jan. 12, 1952

Niles Daily Star, Monday, January 14, 1952; page 2, col. 6, microfilm, Niles District Library from K. Alton

Miss Lawrene Thompson, five, of rural route six, died at 3 p.m. Saturday at Blodgett hospital, Grand Rapids, after an illness of 10 weeks.

Surviving are her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Lawrence Thompson, of rural route six; a grandmother, Mrs. Pansy Thompson, of Afton, Okla.; her grandfather, L.D. Cheney, of Niles, and a brother Larry, at home.

Lawrene was born on Oct. 17, 1946, in Welch, Okla., and came here about five years ago.

Friends may call at the Pifer funeral home, where services will be conducted at 2 p.m. Tuesday by the Rev. Charles Johnson, pastor of the South Niles Pentecostal church.  Burial will be in Silverbrook cemetery.