Oscar Curtis
Sept. 29, 1890-March 9, 1957

Niles Daily Star (Niles, Berrien Co., MI), Monday, March 11, 1957, page 2, col. 4, microfilm Niles District Library

Oscar Curtis, 66, of Kankakee, Ill, formerly of Niles, died Saturday in Kankakee following an illness of several years.

Mr. Curtis was born Sept. 29, 1890, in Niles and had lived here until 1928, when he moved to Kankakee. While in Niles he made his home with an aunt, Mrs. R.W. Gully, of 516 Cass Street. His wife preceded him in death.

Also surviving are a daughter, Mrs. Lois Clark of Dayton, O.; three grandchildren; a sister, Mrs. Percy Gay, of Niles and a brother, Harold Finley, also of Niles.

Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m. Thursday in the Kiger-Halbritter Funeral Home. Burial will be in Silverbrook Cemetery. Friends may call at the funeral home beginning Tuesday noon.

Mr. Curtis was a member of the Lutheran Church of Kankakee.

Kimela Sue Fitz
March 23, 1957-March 25, 1957

Niles Daily Star (Niles, Berrien Co., MI), Tuesday, March 26, 1957, page 2, col. 4, microfilm Niles District Library

DEATH OF AN INFANT

Committal services for the infant daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Clarence Fitz of 52250 North Oaklawn Avenue, South Bend, who died at 4 p.m. Monday at South Bend Osteopathic Hospital, were conducted at 3 o'clock this afternoon at Silverbrook Cemetery. The Rev. Clarence Pederson, pastor of the First Assembly of God Church of Niles, officiated.

The baby was born March 23 at the South Bend hospital. Survivors beside the parents are the paternal grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. Clarence Fitz of South Bend . [illegible] . and maternal grandparents, Vernon Reid and Mrs. [illegible] of Niles.

Eva L. Flynn
June 9, 1877-Feb. 2, 1957

Niles Daily Star (Niles, Berrien Co., MI) Monday, February 4, 1957, page 2, col. 4, microfilm Niles District Library

Mrs. Eva L. Flynn, 79, of 24 South State Street, died at 11:45 a.m. Saturday in a Kalamazoo hospital where she had been a patient since March 17, 1952.

Mrs. Flynn, a member of Trinity Episcopal Church, St. Agnes Guild of the church and the Shakespeare Club, was born June 9, 1877, in Niles and had lived her entire lifetime here. Her husband, Edwin, died in 1927. Surviving are a niece and nephew, Mrs. Carl Allmon and Ray Miller, both of Jackson, Mich.

Funeral services will be held at 10:30 a.m. Tuesday in Trinity Church with the rector, the Rev. John Carlton, officiating. Burial will be in Silverbrook Cemetery. Friends may call at the Kiger-Halbritter Funeral Home.

Bessie Ausmus Goodsell
Sept. 1, 1889-Feb. 14, 1957

Niles Daily Star(Niles, Berrien Co., MI) Thursday, February 14, 1957, page 2, col. 4, microfilm Niles District Library

Mrs. Besse[sic] Ausmus Goodsell, 67, lifetime resident of Niles, died at 1:45 a.m. today in Pawating Hospital. . .[illegible] . . .

Mrs. Goodsell, a member of Morris Chapel Methodist Church, was born Sept. 1, 1889, in Niles, and had made her home with her son and daughter-in-law, Mr. and Mrs. Robert Goodsell, of 1710 Kinzie Creek Road, here. Her husband, Louis, died in December, 1937.

Surviving besides the one son are: two other sons, George M. Goodsell, of Costa Mesa, Calif., and Henri Goodsell, of Dowagiac; eight grandchildren, and a sister, Mrs. Alyce Evans, of Jackson, Mich.

Funeral services will be held at 1 p.m Saturday in the Kiger-Halbritter Funeral Home here with the Rev. Fred T. Smith, pastor of the Morris Chapel Methodist Church, officiating. Burial will be in Silverbrook Cemetery. Friends may call at the funeral home.

John A. Gouldman
June 10, 1934-March 3, 1957

Niles Daily Star (Niles, Berrien Co., MI) Monday, March 4, 1957, page 1, col. 8, microfilm Niles District Library

Father of 3 Killed in Oklahoma Accident
John Gouldman, 22, Dies as Car Is Hit by Train
Was Returning to Niles From California With Two Children, Sister

A Niles father of three was killed Sunday when his truck in which he was returning from California was struck by a train at Picher, Okla., according to word received by relatives.

John A. Gouldman, 22 of 1004 Sycamore Street, was killed when the pickup truck was struck by a train nears the Oklahoma-Kansas border. His daughter, Edythe Belle, 3, one of two children in the truck . . .[illegible] . . . Springs, Kan.,where she still is undergoing treatment for a fractured skull and concussion.

A son, John Jr., 1 ½ , also in the truck suffered minor injuries and was not hospitalized. Gouldman's sister, Ruth Fay Gouldman, also . . [illegible] . . infant son, David, were riding in a trailer behind the truck and reportedly were not injured.

Relatives said Gouldman, his children and sister were returning from California where they had been staying since the first of the year. Gouldman's wife, who remained in Niles, left Sunday to care for her children at the Kansas town.

Born June 10, 1934 at Dexter, Mo., Gouldman moved to Niles in 1943 and had been employed in the New York Central Railroad yards here. Survivors beside his widow Mary Ellen, and three children are his father, Fred, of Niles; three sisters, Miss Gouldman and Mrs. Margery Jarman, both of Niles, and Mrs. Gene Jarman, Chicago and two brothers, James and Ray Gouldman, both of Niles.

Removal will be made to the Pifer Funeral Home. Arrangements are incomplete.

Niles Daily Star (Niles, Berrien Co., MI) Wednesday, March 6, 1957, page 2, col. 4, microfilm Niles District Library

FRIENDS MAY CALL

The body of John A. Gouldman, 22, of 1004 Sycamore Street, killed Sunday in a truck-train accident, was to arrive today at the Pifer Funeral Home where friends may call beginning this evening. Services will be held Thursday afternoon with A.M. Mellender of Jehovah Witnesses in South Bend, officiating.

Lois DeJonge
Dec. 19, 1935-Jan. 6, 2023 

Niles Daily Star, Published 11:13 am Tuesday, January 10, 2023

Lois Jean (McNitt) DeJonge, who loved to be called “Grandma D” by her grandkids and great-grandkids went home to be with Jesus on Friday, Jan. 6, 2023, after a courageous battle with lung and ovarian cancer. She never stopped fighting and was always optimistic no matter how difficult the journey. Through her strength and positivity, we know what resilience and perseverance truly looks like.

Lois was born in Hartford, Michigan on Dec. 19, 1935.  Lois met the love of her life Bruce, on the campus of Western Michigan University and they were married at the Kanley Chapel on Aug. 30, 1958. Even though Lois had a degree in Music and Arts, she fell in love with teaching 8th grade English and did so for 33 years at Brandywine Public Schools. She even continued to substitute teach for another eight years after retiring because she loved “her kids” Lois was an accomplished clarinet player and taught many students along the way as well as performed in plays, concerts and the pep band at Brandywine basketball games. After retirement, Lois and Bruce traveled in their RV for eight years and joined the “Restless Rovers” where she made many friends and had the time of her life.

Lois was preceded in death by her husband of 49 years, Bruce, son “Randy”, her parents, Orlo and Lois McNitt, her father-in-law and mother-in-law Willard and Berdette DeJonge, brother-in-law Robert DeJonge, and her grandson-in-law, Shane Bloomberg.

She is survived by her children; Rhonda (Rob) Finn of Fruitport, Rick (Krista) DeJonge of Tennessee, Robb (Kymm) DeJonge of Niles, and Renee (Joel) Maat of Holland, her nine grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren; sister Shirley (Charles) Cottrill, brothers-in-law William (Mary) DeJonge, Henry (Ellen) DeJonge, sister-in-law Jacky DeJonge and many nieces and nephews.

The family will receive visitors Monday, Jan.16, 2023, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Brown Funeral Home in Niles prior to the service starting at 1 p.m. Interment will be in Silverbrook Cemetery.

Those who wish to remember Lois in a special way may make gifts in her memory to Faith Hospice, 2100 Raybrook St. SE #300, Grand Rapids, MI 49546 and/or Shields of Hope West MI, 29 W. Main Ave, Zeeland, MI 49464. Photos, condolences, and memories may be left for Lois’ family at www.BrownFuneralHomeNiles.com. Arrangements have been entrusted to Brown Funeral Home, Niles.