Lena A. Collins
April 12, 1884-July 4, 1971

Niles Daily Star, Tuesday, July 6, 1971, page 2, col. 1-2, microfilm Niles District Library

NILES—Mrs. Lena A. Collins, 87, of 641 N. Sixth St., died at 3:30 p.m. Sunday in the Dor-A-Lin Nursing Home, after an illness of several months.

Born April 12, 1884, in Niles, Mrs. Collins had lived here all her life. On Sept. 16, 1907, in Niles, she married Malcomb E. Collins, who preceded her in death. She was a member of St. John's United Church of Christ and the USNA Switchmen's Auxiliary.

Survivors include two sons, Malcomb E. Jr. and Vernon L. Collins, both of Niles; a daughter, Mrs. Robert Stephens of Niles; a sister, Mrs. Henrietta Clark of Niles; three grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.

Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m. Wednesday in the Halbritter Funeral Home, with the Rev. Calvin A. Schmid officiating.  Burial will be in Silverbrook Cemetery.

Friends may call at the funeral home.

Gordon Andrew Conrad
Feb. 11, 1882-March 24, 1944

Niles Daily Star, Friday, March 24, 1944, page 2, col. 6, microfilm Niles District Library

GORDON CONRAD TAKEN BY DEATH

Gordon Andrew Conrad, 62, died this morning in the home of his son, Everett Conrad, 427 South Lincoln avenue, after an illness of two years.

Born in Bristol, Feb. 11, 1882, he had lived most of his life in this community.  A carpenter, he formerly was employed by the French Paper company.

Surviving are a brother, Otis Conrad, Route 1, Niles, and three grandchildren.

Services will be conducted at 2 Monday in the Price and Kiger chapel by the Rev. J. Kenneth Hoffmaster.  Burial will be in Silverbrook cemetery.

Sylvester L. Dickeson
Oct. 12, 1908-July 5, 1971

Niles Daily Star, Tuesday, July 6, 1971, page 2, col. 2, microfilm Niles District Library

NILES—Sylvester L. Dickenson, 62, of Kalamazoo, a native of Nils, died Monday in Kalamazoo after an extended illness.

Born Oct. 12, 1908, in Niles, Mr. Dickeson had lived in this area most of his life.

Survivors include a brother, Virgil of Niles, and four sisters, Mrs. Burton Cheney, Mrs. Ellis Hoyt and Opal Dickeson, all of Niles, and Mrs. Raymond Yung of Hamlet, Ind.

Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. Thursday in the Halbritter Funeral Home, with the Rev. Calvin A. Schmid officiating. Burial will be in Silverbrook Cemetery.

Friends may call after 4 p.m. Wednesday at the funeral home.

Note:  Name is spelled Dickenson in obituary; however, cemetery record, death certificate and grave marker spell as Dickeson.

Grace Maude Dittmar
Feb. 10, 1878-Oct. 5, 1930

Niles Daily Star, Monday, October 6, 1930, page 1, col. 6, microfilm Niles District Library

MRS. GEORGE DITTMAR DIES OF HEART FAILURE
Passes Away at Pawating Hospital After Short Illness

Mrs Grace Maude Dittmar, wife of George R. Dittmar, 626 S. Fifth street, died a 5:15  Sunday afternoon in Pawating hospital where she had been a patient for a few days from heart trouble.

Mrs. Dittmar was born in Cass county, near Niles, on Feb. 10, 1878. Her maiden name was Grace Maude Smith. She was married 1888[sic] at South Bend to Mr. Dittmar, who survives her.  Beside her husband she is survived by four sons  who are Clifford, Cecil, Lawrence and Lee, all of Niles and the later at home. Besides the husband and sons she is survived by three sisters and one brother, who are Mrs. Laura Salee of Elkhart, Ind., Mrs. Amy Trudeaux of Homewood, Ill., Mrs. Lizzie Leach of Petoskey, and Major Smith of Niles. Mrs. Salee is in the city and Mrs. Trudeaux and Mrs. Leach are expected for the funeral services.

The funeral services will be held in the Methodist church on Wednesday afternoon at 2:30 with the pastor, the Rev. W.W. Slee in charge. Burial will be in Silver Brook cemetery.  Mrs. Dittmar was a member of the Woman's Benefit Association.

Niles Daily Star (Niles, Berrien Co., MI) Tuesday, October 7, 1930, page 4, col. 1, microfilm Niles District Library

Niles News in Brief: HERE FOR FUNERAL

Mrs. Amy Trudeau, of Homewood, Ill., has arrived in the city on account of the death of her sister, Mrs. George Dittmar, 626 S. Fifth street. Another sister, Mrs. I.W. Leach and her son, Merle and his family, are motoring to Niles from Petoskey and are expected here tomorrow for the funeral services which are to be held in the Methodist church at 2:30. The Rev. W.W. Slee will officiate. Burial will be made in Silver Brook cemetery.

Niles Daily Star (Niles, Berrien Co., MI) Wednesday, October 8, 1930, page 4, col. 2, microfilm Niles District Library

Niles News in Brief: FUNERAL MRS. DITTMAR

Funeral services for Mrs. George F. Dittmar were held this afternoon in the Methodist church. The pastor, the Rev. W.W. Slee, officiated. The pallbearers were selected from the relatives of the deceased. Burial was made in Silver Brook cemetery.

Note: Death record gives dob as Feb. 10, 1877

Benjamin M. Hance
Oct. 10, 1900-May 21, 1938

Niles Daily Star, Monday, May 23, 1938, page 1, col. 5, microfilm Niles District Library

BENJAMIN M. HANCE, 10TH TRAFFIC VICTIM OF '38, BURIED TODAY

Crash Near New Buffalo Saturday Takes Life of Niles Man

Funeral services for Benjamin M. Hance, 37, Berrien country's tenth traffic victim of the year, were held at 2:30 o'clock this afternoon in the Price and Kiger funeral home. The rev. Harry L. Nicholson officiated.  Burial was in Silverbrook cemetery.

Mr. Hance was instantly killed at 1:30 o'clock Saturday afternoon when his automobile crashed into a parked car, owned by Charles D. Strawbridge, Muncie, Ind. The tragedy occurred three miles east of New Buffalo on M-60.

Heart Punctured

Death resulted from a punctured heart suffered when the steering wheel shaft was drive into his chest. Mr. Hance also suffered a fractured skull. His dog, riding with him, was uninjured.

Mrs. Strawbridge, seated in her car at the time of the crash, escaped with  only minor injuries. She was waiting for her husband, who had stopped to make a call at the Paddock farm.

According to state police, the Strawbridge car was parked off the highway, and was driven approximately 56 feet by the impact.

Mrs. Strawbridge told police she saw the Hance car approaching from the west, but thought that it would pass.  Evidently the driver last control just before reaching her car, she said.

Son of Former Mayor

The son of the late Thomas C. Hance, former Niles mayor, Mr. Hance lived at 914 Oak street. He had been employed as a salesman for the Interstate Glass and paint company of South Bend for the last eight years.

He is survived by his mother, Mrs. Genevieve Hance, Niles; his widow, the former Ester[sic] Cranston who he married in Dowagiac Aug. 29, 1922; three children, Thomas, Mary Ann and Dare, Niles; also two sisters, Mrs. Jack Rabe, Dearborn,and Mrs. Allen Belknap, LaGrange, Ill.

A World war veteran, Mrs. Hance was born in Niles township Oct. 10, 1900. He was a member of the Presbyterian church, the American Legal and Veterans of Foreign wars. He had spent his entire life in Berrien county.

Niles Daily Star, Tuesday, May 24, 1938, page 2, col. 2, microfilm Niles District Library

SERVE AS PALLBEARERS

Carl Radewald, Charles Mason, Reynold Wood, Clayton Harrah, Joseph Thompson and Burton Stahlberg served as pallbearers for Benjamin M. Hance, 37. Rites were conducted by the Rev. Harry L. Nicholson in the Price and Kiger funeral home. Burial was in Silverbrook cemetery.  Mr. Hance was instantly killed Saturday afternoon in an automobile accident near New Buffalo.

Galien River Gazette, Thursday, May 26, 1938, page 1, col. 6, microfilm Niles District Library

Niles Man Killed in M-60 Traffic Accident Saturday

Benjamin M. Hance, 37, of Niles the father of three children, was instantly killed last Saturday when the car he was driving crashed in to the parked automobile of C.D. Strawbridge of South Bend on M-60, three miles west of Three Oaks.

Hance was alone in the car, except for a small dog which escaped injury. It was evident that he drove at high speed directly into the rear of the other machine which was parked several feet off the pavement and which was driven ahead almost  60 feet by the impact. In the car at the time was Mrs. Strawbridge who was bruised and shaken up but otherwise uninjured. Mr. Strawbridge was in a farm home nearby attending to a business matter.

Surviving Mr. Hance is a widow and three children. He was the son of the late Thomas C. Hance, one-time mayor of Niles and a prominent man in that city.

Esther Hance
April 29, 1900-July 21, 1971

Niles Daily Star, Wednesday, July 21, 1971, page 2, col. 2, microfilm Niles District Library

NILES—Mrs. Esther C. Hance, 71, 1316 park Lane, a lifetime resident of Niles, died at 7:20 a.m. Wednesday in Pawating Hospital, following an illness of three weeks.

Mrs. Hance was born April 29, 1900. She was a retired employe of Simplicity Pattern Co. and a member of the Trinity Episcopal Church choir for 40 years.

Her husband, Benjamin, died in 1938.

Mrs. Hance is survived by a son, Thomas of Sunnyvale, Calif.; two daughters, Mrs. James E. Thompson of Stevensville and Mrs. John C. Downey of Elgin Air Force Base, Fla., 13 grandchildren and one great-grandchild.

Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday at Trinity Episcopal Church. The Rev. Fr. Vincent Anderson will officiate and burial will be at the Silverbrook Cemetery.

Friends may call at the Halbritter Funeral Home after 7 p.m. Thursday.

Memorials may be given to the Trinity Episcopal Church Memorial Fund.