Obituaries

Donna May Merdith
May 25, 1895-Dec. 20, 1944

Niles Daily Star, Thursday, December 21, 1944, page 2, col. 2, microfilm Niles District Library

Funeral Friday for Vandalia Woman, 49

Funeral services for Miss Donna May Merdith, 49, of Vandalia, who died at 7 a.m. Wednesday in the Cass county hospital, will be conducted at 2 p.m. Friday in the Rutherford funeral home. Miss Merdith had been ill four months with heart trouble.

The Rev. G.A. Steeby, pastor of the First Evangelical church, will officiate at the services and at burial in Silverbrook cemetery.  Friends may call at the Rutherford funeral home prior to the funeral.

Miss Merdith was born in Bluffton, Ind., May 25, 1895, and had . . .[illegible] . . all her life.  An aunt, Mrs. Harley Hayes, survives.

Lucille Ann Ray
Nov. 7, 1938-Nov. 4, 1944

Niles Daily Star, Saturday, November 4, 1944, page 2, col. 1, microfilm Niles District Library

Daughter, Aged 5, Dies at Coldwater

Lucille Ann Ray, five-year-old daughter of Pvt. Edwin and Alice ray, 640 North Eighth street, died this morning in the Coldwater state home. She had been ill since three weeks old.

The child was born in Niles Nov. 7, 1938. Surviving is a sister, Clara Ray, and the parents.

Private funeral services will be conducted in the Price and Kiger funeral chapel.

Sarah G. Ricks
June 27, 1898-July 5, 1971

Niles Daily Star, Wednesday, July 7, 1971, page 2, col. 3, microfilm Niles District Library

NILES—Mrs. Sarah G. Ricks, 73, of 1350 Cass St., Died at 3 p.m. Monday in Pawating Hospital, where she had been a patient since May 7.

Born June 27, 1898, in Jonesboro, Ind., Mrs. Ricks had lived here for 35 years, coming from Chicago.  On Oct. 5, 1922, in Jonesboro, she married Russell Ricks, who survives.

She was a member of the Order of Eastern Star, the Daughters of America and the First Baptist Church of Niles.

Additional survivors include a son, Robert A. Ricks of Kalamazoo; a daughter, Mrs. Sara L. Rees of Marion, Ind. and five grandchildren

Funeral services will be held at 4 p.m. Friday in the Pifer Funeral Home, with the Rev. Ray Cunningham of the First Baptist Church of Niles officiating.  Burial will be in Silverbrook cemetery.

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

George Michael Rudell
Jan. 31, 1944-Oct. 26, 1944

Niles Daily Star, Friday, October 27, 1944, page 1, col. 2, microfilm Niles District Library

BABY KILLED AT BERRIEN SPRINGS

BERRIEN SPRINGS, Oct. 27—Nine-month old, George Michael Rudell, son of Mr. and Mrs. George Rudell, range Line road, was killed instantly Thursday when the baby carriage was struck by a truck, throwing the infant to the ground.

The infant was in the baby carriage in the field with the parents on the Rudell Brothers fruit farm where they were harvesting potatoes. A worker had wheeled the cab near the truck, in order to get the baby out of the wind.

Not knowing the carriage had been moved, the infant's father climbed into the truck from the opposite side of the cab.  As it moved the truck body caught the cab, throwing the child onto the ground and fracturing his skull.  The truck did not pass over the infant's body.

Coroner William Pifer ruled that no inquest was necessary.

The infant was born in Berrien Springs Jan. 31, 1944. Surviving are the parents; a sister, Mary Lu Rudell and the grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. Glen Goff, Niles, and Mrs. Mary E. Rudell, Buchanan.

Friends may call at the Rutherford funeral home, Niles.  Services will be conducted in the Trinity Lutheran church, Berrien Springs, Saturday afternoon at 2 by the Rev. Adolph A. Klein.  Burial will be in Silverbrook cemetery, Niles.

Sarah Schreck
Nov. 10, 1863-June 1, 1944

Niles Daily Star, Friday, June 2, 1944, page 2, col. 4, microfilm Niles District Library

SARAH SCHRECK, 80, TAKEN BY DEATH

Mrs. Sarah Schreck, 80, formerly of 609 North Second street, and a lifetime resident of Niles, died in Helen's Haven Convalescent home in Dowagiac Thursday night at 8:10 after an illness of three years.

She was born in Niles Nov. 10, 1863.

Surviving are a daughter, Mrs. Melvin Babcock, Fort Lauderdale, Fla., and three grandchildren, Sgt. Arthur L. Brewer, Newburgh, N.Y.; Pvt. Allen Brewer, in Italy, and Mrs. Harold Myers, South Bend.

Friends may call at the Pifer funeral  home. Services will be conducted Monday morning at 9 in St. Mary's Catholic church by the Rev. Fr. Joseph Rochford. Burial will be in Silverbrook cemetery.

George Shaffer
Oct. 17, 1856-Sept. 26, 1944

Niles Daily Star, Tuesday, September 26, 1944, page 2, col. 6, microfilm Niles District Library

GEORGE SHAFFER, 87, DIES THIS MORNING

George Shaffer, 87, for 21 years an employe of the French Paper company, died this morning in this home at 803 Grant street.

Born in Buffalo, M.Y., Oct. 17, 1856, Shaffer came to Niles from Marcellus 70 years ago. His wife, the former Mary Weaver whom he marred Aug. 28, 1877, died Sept. 29, 1941.

Survivors are two sons, George Shaffer, Jr., Chicago; and Hilles Shaffer, Niles; two daughters, Mrs. Walter Janery and Mrs. Daisy Ford, both Niles; eight grandchildren; five great-grandchildren; two brothers, Henry Shaffer, Los Angeles, Calif., and William Shaffger[sic], Pamona, Calif., and four sisters, Mrs. Josephine Weiss, Whittier, Calif.; Mrs. D.H. Caldon, Monrovia, Calif.; and Mrs. Mina Knox and Mrs. Edward Brooks, Cleveland, O.

Niles Daily Star, Tuesday, September, 1944, page 2, col. 3, microfilm Niles District Library

SHAFFER RITES

George Shaffer, 87, of 803 Grant street, was buried in Silverbrook cemetery this afternoon following services in the Pifer funeral home with the Rev. G.A. Steeby officiating.  Pallbearers were Harry Parker, Joseph File, Wallace McLaughlin, Frank Teske, Jacob Bucher and Lawrence Kretchman, all employes of the French Paper company where Shaffer worked for 21 years.