Rose Margaret Miller 
May 30, 1888-Dec. 31, 1957

Niles Daily Star, Thursday, January 2, 1958, page 2, col. 4, microfilm Niles District Library

Mrs. Rose Margaret Miller, 69, of 2922 North Fifth Street, died at 9:30 p.m. Tuesday in Pawating Hospital where she had been admitted at 4:15 in the afternoon.  She had been ill for several years.

Mrs. Miller, a member of the auxiliaries to the American Legion and Veterans of Foreign Wars, was born May 30, 1888, in South Bend and came to this city 20 years ago from Chicago.

Surviving are: her husband, William F. Miller; a daughter, Mrs. Dorothy Sittler, of Niles; two grandchildren, and a brother, Charles Turnock, of Niles.

Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m. Friday in the Kiger-Halbritter Funeral Home here with the Rev. earl Wickstrom, pastor of the First Baptist Church, officiating. Burial will be in Silverbrook Cemetery.  Friends may call at the funeral home.

Members of the American Legion and VFW auxiliaries and all past presidents of the Legion auxiliary will meet at 1:45 pm. Friday at the funeral home to attend the services.

Frank Mollison
March 24, 1885-March 28, 1976

Niles Daily Star, Tuesday, March 30, 1976, page 2, col. 6, microfilm Niles District Library

NILES—Word has been received here of the death of Frank Mollison, 91, of Corte Madera, Calif. Mr. Mollison died Sunday at his home following a brief illness.

He was a retired employe of the Hudson Motors Co. at Detroit.

He was born March 24, 1885 in Forfar, Scotland and had lived in Corte Madera since 1963, coming from Niles.

He wife Mary Mollison died in 1958.

Surviving is a son, Attorney Andrew R. Mollison of Niles; a daughter, Mrs. Harold (Flora) Seielstad of Corte Madera; seven grandchildren and 16 great-grandchildren.

Services will be Wednesday in Corte Madera, with private committal services at Silverbrook Cemetery here.  Local arrangements are being handled by the Halbritter Funeral Home.

Memorials may be made to the Wesley United Methodist Church Memorial Fund.

Lyle A. Morris
Jan. 24, 1894-March 9, 1991

Niles Daily Star, Tuesday, March 12, 1991, page 2, col. 2, microfilm Niles District Library

Funeral services for Lyle A. Morris, 97, of 2525 E. First St., Fort Myers, Fla., formerly of Niles, will be today at 3:30 p.m. at Havey-Engelhardt Funeral Home, Fort Myers.

Burial will be at Silverbrook Cemetery, Niles.

Mr. Morris died at 5:30 p.m. Saturday at Calusa Harbor retirement Community in Fort Myers, following an extended illness. He was born Jan. 24, 1894, in Niles and lived here on Fairland Road until 1971 when he moved to Florida.

A retired farmer, he was a U.S. Army veteran of WWI and a member of American Legion Post No. 26, Niles.

He married the former Arlene Stout, who survives.

Other survivors include a sister, Ruth Cleary of Melvindale; a niece, Mary Lou Carter of Madison, Ala.; and a nephew, James Kehrer of Niles.

There will be no local services.

Arrangements were handled by Halbritter Funeral Home.

Sidney Okerbloom
Sept. 26, 1926-July 17, 1968

Niles Daily Star, Thursday, July 18, 1968, page 26, col 2, microfilm Niles District Library

Mrs. Sydney Akerbloom [sic], 41, 2251 ½ Lake St., died at 4 a.m. yesterday in Pawating Hospital. She had been ill four years.

Mrs. Akerbloom was born September 26, 1926, in Newport, Ark. She lived here since 1959, coming from California.

In addition to her husband, Donald, she is survived by one daughter, Mrs. Barbara Warlaw, Elkgrove, Ill., and two sons, James Crabtree of Niles and Roland Crabtree, serving in Vietnam; two sisters, Mrs. Selma Gibson, Thida, Ark. And Mrs. Doshie Leonard, Solado, Ark.

Funeral services will be held in the Pifer Funeral Home, at 1 p.m. Saturday. Burial will be in the Silverbrook Cemetery.

Friends may call at the funeral home after 7 p.m.

Niles Daily Star, Friday, July 19, 1968, page 2, col 1, microfilm Niles District Library

Mrs. Sidney Okerbloom, 41, 2251 ½ Lake St., died at 4 a.m. yesterday in Pawating Hospital. She had been ill four years.

Mrs. Okerbloom was born September 26, 1926, in Newport, Ark. She lived here since 1959, coming from California.

In addition to her husband, Donald, she is survived by one daughter, Mrs. Barbara Warlow, Elkgrove, Ill., and two sons, James Crabtree of Niles and Roland Crabtree, serving in Vietnam; two sisters, Mrs. Selma Gibson, Thida, Ark. And Mrs. Doshie Leonard, Solado, Ark.; and three grandchildren.

Funeral services will be held in the Pifer Funeral Home, at 1 p.m. Saturday. Burial will be in the Silverbrook Cemetery.

Friends may call at the funeral home.

Ethel Hightower, formerly of Niles
Jan. 7, 1952 — April 15, 2014

Niles Daily Star, Published 9:20am Monday, April 21, 2014

Ethel Hightower

Ethel Hightower, 62, of South Bend, Ind. and formerly of Niles, Mich., died at 3:15 a.m. on Tuesday, April 15, 2014, at home, unexpectedly but of natural causes.

She was born on Jan. 7, 1952, in Jackson, Tenn. to Steven Bennett and Florene (Pearson) Bennett. She was graduated from Niles High School, and lived here until moving to South Bend in 1998. She had been employed by area manufacturing firms, and in the kitchens of area health care facilities.

Esther was a devout Christian and enjoyed worshipping with a great variety of congregations, although she most recently favored the Interfaith Christian Union Ministries Church, home to WUBS-FM 89.7. She also enjoyed singing at church, but her greatest joy was cooking for family and friends.

Surviving family includes her sons, Steven (Marla Jones) Bennett of Indianapolis, Ind. and James (Melissa) Bennett of South Bend; grandchildren Omni, Keziah, Jadyn “JJ”, Kathryn, Alexander, Dominique, and Ashlyn; Esther’s companion, Theopolis “Otis” Jones; her siblings, Forestine McCuin of Las Vegas, Almeda Kelly of Lansing, Mich., Gloria Darby of Niles, Christine Cherry of Kalamazoo, Ernestine Taylor, Eulah Adams, Nathaniel Bedford and Willie Cherry, all of Niles, Larry Pearson of Jackson, Tenn,, Patricia Bennett of Niles, Anita Bennett of Mississippi, Angie Bennett of Niles, Sherry Bennett of Buchanan, and Tim Bennett of Niles; many aunts and uncles including Cecil Bennett of Niles, and cousins; and Esther’s husband, Tyrone Hightower of Kalamazoo.

She was preceded in death by her parents, and by Joseph J. and Lillie (Bedford) Bennett who raised her.

The funeral service for Ethel Hightower will be at 11 a.m. on Tuesday, April 22, 2014, at Mount Calvary Baptist Church in Niles with the Rev. Bryant Bacon officiating. Committal will follow at the Silverbrook Cemetery in Niles.

The family will receive relatives and friends on Monday from 6 until 8 p.m. at the Halbritter Funeral Home in Niles. Contributions in memory of Esther may be made to the Esther Hightower Memorial Fund c/o Facebook at gofundme.com.

www.halbritterfunerals.com

Shirley M. Daly, of Niles
March 10, 1941 — April 10, 2014

Niles Daily Star, Published 9:01am Monday, April 14, 2014

Shirley M. Daly

Shirley M. Daly, 73, of Niles, Mich. died at 11 p.m. on Thursday, April 10, 2014, at Memorial Hospital in South Bend, Ind. following a brief illness.

She was born on March 10, 1941, in Dowagiac, Mich. to Jesse R. and Maude May (Regenos) Lucas. She was graduated from Niles High School, and has lived in Niles all of her life. She was employed by the City of Niles, serving many years in the utilities office.

Shirley enjoyed crochet, reading — usually romance novels, and caring for her cats and her family.

On Nov. 28, 1964, in Niles she married Charles M. “Chuck” Daly, Sr. with whom she celebrated the 39th anniversary of their wedding prior to his death on Jan. 6, 2004. She was also preceded in death by two grandsons, William Michael Daly on Jan. 18, 2005, and Corey DeNardo on Aug. 24, 2013; and by a sister, Alice L. Craw and brother, G. Richard Lucas.

Surviving family includes her sons, Charles M. (Wendelyn) Daly, Jr. of North Liberty, Ind., and Richard R. (Teresa) Daly of Niles; grandsons, Aaron DeNardo, Matthew Charles Daly, and Liam Cedric Daly; Shirley’s sister, Doris (Clifford) Thomas of Niles; brother-in-law Samuel Craw of Buchanan and sister-in-law, Eloise Lucas of Lansing, Mich.; and Chuck’s brother, Martin (Mary) Daly of Niles and sister, Marcie (Larry) Kelly of Stevensville, Mich.; and many nieces and nephews.

The funeral service for Shirley Daly will be at 1 p.m. on Monday, April 14, 2014, at the Halbritter Funeral Home in Niles with Pastor Tim Stewart of North Liberty Church of Christ officiating. Committal will follow at Silverbrook Cemetery in Niles.

The family will receive relatives and friends at the funeral home beginning at noon on Monday. Contributions in memory of Shirley may be made to the Homeward Bound Animal Welfare Group in Mishawaka, Ind.

www.halbritterfunerals.com