Obituaries

Joseph Turk
Jan. 19, 1888-Jan. 28, 1944

Niles Daily Star, Saturday, January 29, 1944, page 2, col. 5, microfilm Niles District Library

JOSEPH TURK, 56, TAKEN BY DEATH

Joseph Turk, 56, of Route 3, died in the home of his daughter, Mrs. Leo Brown, Benton Harbor, Friday morning after an illness of  1 ½ years.

Turk, who was born in Calumet, Jan. 19, 1888, was a carpenter and had lived in Niles for 20 years.

He is survived by his wife,Mrs. Mable Turk, and five children, Mrs. Brown, and Miss Dorothy Turk, Joseph Turk, Jr., John W. Turk,and Richard Turk, all of Niles; six grandchildren, and six step-children who are Mrs. Ronald Packer, Lawton; Alma and Louis Markle, Phoenix, Ariz.; Mrs. Herbert Bowerman, Niles; Ellsworth and Miss Marilyn Markle, Niles; and two brothers, John Turk, Iron Mountain, and Rudolph Turk, Calumet.

He was a member of St. Joseph's catholic church in Calumet and the carpenters Union, Local N. 1035.

Friends may call at the Price and Kiger funeral home. Funeral services will be held at 10 Monday morning in St. Mary's catholic church. Burial will be in Silverbrook cemetery.

Angeline Ribble Willard
Feb. 17, 1850-Jan. 2, 1944

Niles Daily Star, Monday, January 3, 1944, page 2, col. 5, microfilm Niles District Library

Angeline Willard, 93, Succumbs; Rites Wednesday

Mrs. Angeline Ribble Willard, 93, formerly of Niles, died n the home of her daughter, Mrs. Charles J. Ray, 730 Sherman avenue, South Bend, at 9:40 Sunday night after a cerebral hemorrhage suffered Dec. 24. Mrs. Willard, a sister of Mrs. Charles H. Johnson, Niles, was born here Feb. 17, 1850, a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Tobias Ribble.

Widow of Benjamin F. Willard, who died in 1939, Mrs. Willard had made her home in Niles until 35 years ago when she went to live with her daughter.  Besides her daughter, Mrs. Ray, and her sister, Mrs. Johnson, she is survived by another daughter, Mrs George W. Geiger, Jr., Mishawaka, a son, Warren L. Willard, Buchanan, and four grandchildren.

Friends may call at the Rutherford funeral home where services will be conducted at 2:30 Wednesday afternoon by the Rev. J. Kenneth Hoffmaster, pastor of the Methodist church, of which Mrs. Willard was a member.  Burial will be in Silverbrook cemetery.

Niles Daily Star, Tuesday, January 4, 1944, page 2, col. 2, microfilm Niles District Library

PALLBEARERS NAMED

Pallbearers for the funeral of Mrs. Angeline Ribble Willard, who died in the home of her daughter, Mrs. Charles Ray in South Bend, will be Oscar Johnson of Niles, Harry Roderick and Frank Ribble of South Bend, and Roy and William Pierce and Otto Reinke of Buchanan.  Services will be held in the Rutherford funeral home at 2:30 Wednesday, and burial will be in Silverbrook cemetery.

Frank Woodward
Dec. 13, 1895-Feb, 21, 1944

Niles Daily Star, Wednesday, February 23, 1944, page 2, col. 6, microfilm Niles District Library

BURY WOODWARD, FIRE VICTIM, HERE

Funeral services for Frank Herman Woodward, 48, Three Rivers, formerly  of Niles, were held this afternoon in the Balch chapel in Three Rivers. Burial was in Silverbrook cemetery here with the American Legion post in charge of services at the grave.

Woodward, who died Monday morning of burns suffered Sunday afternoon, was born Dec. 13, 1805 in Jefferson, MO. He was the son of the late Mrs. W.C. Whitcher, former resident of Niles. He had been in business in Niles prior to entering the fuel business in Three Rivers eight years ago.

He is survived by his wife, Mrs. Leonore Woodward, and a son, Frank Woodward, Jr., of Alpena.

Anna L. Wyant
Jan. 24, 1866-April 29, 1944

Niles Daily Star, Monday, May 1, 1944, page 2, col. 6, microfilm Niles District Library

MRS. ANNA WYANT TAKEN BY DEATH

Mrs. Anna L. Wyant, 78, Route 3, Niles, died Saturday morning at 10 in the home of her daughter, Mrs. Norman Sassaman, Route 5, South bend, after an illness of three years.

She was born in Niles township Jan. 24, 1866, and lived here all her life with the the exception of the last year or two, when she went to live with her daughter in South Bend. Her husband, Oscar Wyant, died in 1940.

Surviving are two daughters, Mrs. Sassaman and Mrs. La Rue Gillette, Niles,, and two sons, Clarence Wyant, Berrien center, and William Wyant, Phillips, Wis.

The body will be taken to the home of Mrs. La Rue Gillette, Three miles from Niles on the Chicago road, where it will remain until the hour of service. Funeral services will be conducted Tuesday afternoon at 2:30 in the Price and Kiger chapel home by the Rev. Floyd Hardy, pastor of the United Brethren church of South Bend. Burial will be in Silverbrook cemetery.

George Patrick Yeager
Oct. 2, 1943-April 3, 1944

Niles Daily Star, Tuesday, April 4, 1944, page 2, col. 7, microfilm Niles District Library

Yeager Baby Dies; Service Today

George Patrick Yeager, six-month-old son of Mr. and Mrs. William Yeager, Route 2, Niles, died in Pawating hospital Monday afternoon at 1:30.

He was born Oct. 2, 1943. Surviving are his parents and six brothers, John, Eugene, Paul, Carl, James,and Joseph Yeager.

Services were held this afternoon in the Price and Kiger chapel with the Rev. William Putnam officiating.  Burial was in Silverbrook cemetery.

Robert Emmett Clark
1883-April 10, 1944

Niles Daily Star, Friday, April 14, 1944, page 1, col. 4, microfilm Niles District Library

Robert Clark Dies 4 Years After “Death”

This is the story of a man who left Niles some 17 years ago, and lived three or four years after his “death.”

He was Robert Emmett Clark, whose body is being brought here from Lincoln, Neb., for funeral rites and burial.

Clark, The Star learned today, left Niles in 1937 and later disappeared apparently without leaving a trace. He had been a salesman, and had lived here 14 years.

Then, some three or four years ago, his wife, Margaret, went into court and Clark was declared legally dead.

Traced to Niles

He died Monday in Lincoln after a heart attack. And his papers linked him to Niles. Arrangements were made to have his funeral here.

The body will arrive late Saturday, and the Rev. Harry L. Nicholson, rector of Trinity Episcopal church, will conduct the funeral at 2 Monday afternoon in the Pifer funeral home. Burial will be in Silverbrook cemetery.

Besides the widow, now living in South Bend, Clark is survived by four brothers and a sister—Harry Clark, Bernard Clark and J.I. Clark, all of Niles; Alfred Clark, Carp Lake, Mich., and Mrs. Isabelle Chmiel, Niles.

Niles Daily Star, Friday, April 14, 1944, page 1, col. 6, microfilm Niles District Library

'DEAD' FOUR YEARS, R.E. CLARK BURIED

Legally 'dead' four years, Robert Emmett Clark, who died last Monday in Lincoln, Nebr., after a heart attack, was buried in Silverbrook cemetery this afternoon.

Clark, who left Niles in 1927 and disappeared without leaving a trace, was thought to have died. Four years ago his wife, Margaret, went in to court and had him declared legally dead.

Found among his possessions in Lincoln at the time of his death Monday were papers liking him to Niles. One of the brothers was communicated with here, and the body was claimed.  It arrived Saturday from Lincoln.

Funeral services were conducted in the Pifer funeral home this afternoon at 2 by the Rev. Harry L. Nicholson, rector of Trinity Episcopal church.  Pallbearers were William Maunder, Harold Laberteaux, George Earl, Frank Butts, Byron Weatherby and Guy VanDusen.