Obituaries

We now have over 7,000 obituaries collected about the interred here at Silverbrook Cemetery.

The obituaries are transcribed by the volunteers of the Friends of Silverbrook Cemetery from various sources.  If you see an opportunity for an addition or a correction, please email our obituary editor at obits@friendsofsilverbrook.org.

Schmitt, Joseph

Joseph J. Schmitt
11/4/1878-12/3/1943

Niles Daily Star, Saturday, December 4, 1943, page 2, col. 5, microfilm Niles District Library

JOSEPH SCHMITT STRICKEN FRIDAY

Joseph J. Schmitt, 65, Route 3, died in his home at 9:30 Friday night after an illness of one week.

A life-long resident of the Niles area, he was born in Bertrand township, Nov. 4, 1878. He was married to Miss Emma Hutson in Niles, Sept. 16, 1903. He was employed by the Bendix corporation, South Bend.

Surviving are his wife, Emma Schmitt; five daughters, Mrs. Helen Murdock, Galien, Mrs. Margaret Roth, South Bend, Mrs. Annete Herman, Bertrand, Mrs. Effie May Harrell and Mrs. Mary Louise Case, Route 3; two sisters, Mrs. Ada Guske, Niles, and Mrs. Carrie Hotmer, Brooklyn, N.Y., and four grandchildren.

The body was taken to the Price and Kiger chapel where friends may call.

Funeral services will be held at 2:30 Monday afternoon in the Baptist church by the Rev. Floyd W. Johnston. Burial will be in Silverbrook cemetery.

 

Schrader, Donald

Donald Schrader
Jan. 26, 1922-March 15, 1943

Niles Daily Star, Monday, March 15, 1943, page 1, col. 3 and cont. page 3, col. 8, microfilm Niles District Library

DONALD SCHRADER KILLED, UNCLE NEAR DEATH IN CRACKUP

Daugherty in Hospital;

Russell Hath Hurt as

Car Rolls on Old US-31

Donald Schrader, 20, Route 2, Niles, was killed instantly, his uncle Ira Daugherty, South Bend, injured critically, and a cousin, Russell Hath, 936 Pine street, rendered unconscious in Berrien county's first fatal traffic crash of 1943 on the old South Bend-Niles road at 2 this morning.

The three men were riding to Niles when the right rear tire of the car, driven by Schrader, reportedly blew out causing the car to swerve to the side of the road where it turned over and rolled 60 feet near the B. and R. forwarding company, south of the Michigan Mushroom company.

City police and ambulances were called and the injured were taken to Pawating hospital, where Daughterty was reported in a critical condition this afternoon. His injuries consist of severe concussions of the head and a dislocated left shoulder.

Among the first to arrive at the scene of the accident were two night workers at the Michigan Mushroom company, George Holmes and Orrel Pointer. When the tire blew out, Holmes said, the car evidently took a violent lurch, leaving the highway and turning over at once and beginning to roll.

Returned Motorcycle

Daugherty, a South Bend engineer, had spent the afternoon and evening visiting with Niles relatives, and accompanied Schrader and Hath to the home of Theodore Schrader, brother of Donald, who lives near the Bell school, south of Niles, to return a motorcycle belonging to Theodore. The men left for the return to Niles about 2.

Daugherty was bringing the younger men back to Niles, intending to return to his home in South Bend later.

Donald Schrader was an employe of the Clark Equipment company in Buchanan. He was born in Dowagiac, Jan. 26, 1922, and had lived in Niles since early childhood.

He is survived by his wife and young son, Joseph Samuel Schrader, who live with his parents, Mr.and Mrs. Samuel Johnston in the Route 2 home; also by three brothers--Theodore, south of Niles; Edward, at home and Pvt. Joseph Schrader, in the air corps training base at Spokane, Wash.; and one sister, Mrs. Douglas Byrd, 943 Pine street.

Friends may call at the Prince[sic] and Kiger funeral home until Tuesday night. The service will be held Wednesday in the Evangelical church, of which he was a member, according to plans still incomplete.

 

Niles Daily Star, Tuesday, March 16, 1943, page 2, col. 6, microfilm Niles District Library

Schrader Funeral Friday; Uncle Remains in Coma

Funeral services for Donald Schrader, of the Barron lake community, will be held in First Evangelical church Friday afternoon at 2, conducted by Rev. A.C. DeVries, pastor of the church. Burial will be in Silverbrook cemetery.

With an uncle, Ira Daugherty, South Bend, and a cousin, Russell Hath, Niles, Schrader was driving the Daugherty car into Niles early Monday morning when the car went off the road and rolled 60 feet, killing Schrader instantly.

Daugherty, critically injured, is in Pawating hospital, still in a coma from head concussions and a dislocated shoulder.

 

Niles Daily Star, Saturday, March 20, 1943, page 1, col. 6, microfilm Niles District Library

Crash Victims Buried in Rites 24 Hours Apart

Final rites for Ira Daugherty, South Bend, Niles crash victim, were conducted this afternoon at 3 in the First Evangelical church where the funeral for his nephew, Donald Schrader, Niles, was conducted 24 hours earlier.

The Rev. A.C. DeVries, pastor of the church, officiated at both services and burial is in Silverbrook cemetery.

Daugherty, who died Thursday morning, was the second victim of the automobile accident on the old Niles-South Bend highway in which Schrader was killed instantly early Monday morning.

 

Schrader, Elizabeth

Elizabeth Schrader
March 11, 1862-Dec. 4, 1943

Niles Daily Star, Saturday, December 4, 1943, page 2, col. 3, microfilm Niles District Library

Elizabeth Schrader, 81, Stricken Today in Killarney Home

Mrs. Elizabeth Shrader[sic], 81 died in the home of her daughter, Mrs. Joseph Killarney, 1544 Lake street, at 11:30 this morning after a paralytic stroke a year ago on Thanksgiving day.

Born in Germany, March 1, 1862, in Bay City, she came to Niles from Oregon 17 years ago. She was married in Bay City Nov. 22, 1881, to Peter Schrader, who died 17 years ago.

Survivors include four daughters, Mrs. Selma Wilken, Niles, Mrs. Caroline Richard, Bay City, Mrs. Killarney, Niles, and Mrs. Lawrence Hook, Portland, Ore., and five sons, Albert, Niles, Chris, South Bend, Charles, Flint; Ervin, Roseburg, Ore., and George, Bandon, Ore.

She was a member of St. Paul's Lutheran church, Niles.

Friends may call at the Rutherford funeral home.


Niles Daily Star, Monday, December 6, 1943, page 2, col. 2, microfilm Niles District Library

Services Set

Funeral services for Mrs. Elizabeth Schrader, who died Saturday morning, have been set for Tuesday afternoon at 2, in the Rutherford funeral home, and will be conducted by the Rev. Theodore Laesch. Burial will be in Silverbrook cemetery.

Niles Daily Star, Tuesday, December 7, 1943, page 2, col. 2, microfilm Niles District Library

Schrader Funeral

Funeral services for Mrs. Elizabeth Schrader, who died Saturday morning, were conducted in the Rutherford funeral home this afternoon by the Rev. Theordore Laesch. Burial was in Silverbrook cemetery. Pallbearers were C.G. Craig, John Monahon, Homer Holloway, Simon Dukes, Henry [illegible] . .

 

 

 

Sharkey, Patricia

Patricia Sharkey
Feb. 28, 1889-Aug. 16, 1943

Niles Daily Star, Tuesday, August 17, 1963, page 2, col. 6, microfilm Niles District Library

PATRICIA SHARKEY DIES IN HOWARD

Mrs. Patricia Sharkey, 54, a resident of this community 16 years, died Monday morning at 11:40 in her home in Howard township after an illness of four months.

A native of Lithuania, Mrs. Sharkey was born Feb. 28, 1889. She moved to Howard township . .[illegible].

Surviving are: a son, Casimer Toecas, Niles; a daughter, Mrs. Anne Gesto, Niles, and three brothers, Stanley and Frank Zukawski, Niles, and John Zukawski, South Bend.

Friends may call in the Price and Kiger funeral home where services will be conducted [illegible] afternoon at 2 by the Rev. Guy W. Simon of the First Presbyterian church. Burial will be in Silverbrook cemetery.

Soule, Margaret

Margaret Soule
Sept. 9, 1866-Oct. 1, 1943

Niles Daily Star, Saturday, October 2, 1943, page 2, col. 8, microfilm Niles District Library

MARGARET SOULE TAKEN BY DEATH

Mrs. Margaret E. Soule, 77, died in her home, 707 North Fourth street, Friday afternoon at 12:30 after an illness of six months.

She was born in Niles Sept. 9, 1866, the daughter of John and Christian Henkel, the former a pioneer clothing merchant here. A member of the Presbyterian church she had lived all her life in Niles and was married to Sanford Soule 56 years ago.

She is survived by her husband; a son, John, and a daughter, Mrs. Harry Saunders.

Friends may call at the Pifer funeral home where funeral services will be conducted by the Rev. Guy W. Simon at 2 Monday afternoon. Burial will be in Silverbrook cemetery.

 

Niles Daily Star, Monday, October 4, 1943, page 2, col. 2, microfilm Niles District Library

SOULE RITES

Services for Mrs. Margaret E. Soule, 77, who died in her home, 707 North Fourth street, Friday afternoon, were conducted by the Rev. Guy W. Simon at 2 today at the Pifer funeral home. Ernest Bennett, Palmer Williams, Charles Visel, Clifford Eden, Roy Rupert and Gaylord Ball served as pallbearers. Burial was in Silverbrook cemetery.

 

Soule, Sanford

Sanford Soule
Sept. 3, 1860-Dec. 4, 1943

Niles Daily Star, Monday, December 6, 1943, page 2, col. 6, microfilm Niles District Library

SANFORD SOULE FUNERAL TUESDAY

Sanford Soule, 83, died Saturday afternoon at 2 in the home of his daughter, Mrs. Harry Saunders, of complications after a two-month illness.

Born in Maywood, Wis., Sept. 3, 1860, he was married to Miss Margaret Hinkle in Niles, Feb. 3, 1886. She died Oct. 1.

He came here from Maywood and was retired from the Michigan Central railroad after 40 years of service.

Surviving besides the daughter are a son, John Soule, Niles, and a twin sister, Mrs. Sarah Jessup, Lansing.

The body is in the Pifer funeral home where services will be conducted Tuesday at 2 by Dr. Guy W. Simon. Burial will be in Silverbrook cemetery.

 

Niles Daily Star, Tuesday, December 7, 1943, page 2, col. 2, microfilm Niles District Library

Soule Rites

Funeral services for Sanford Soule, who died Saturday afternoon , were conducted this afternoon in the Pifer funeral home by Dr. Guy W. Simon. Burial was in Silverbrook cemetery. Pallbearers were Clifford Eden, Raymond Ruppert, Ernest Bennett, William Flynn, Carl Hossfeld and Gaylord Ball.

 

Visser, Arthur L. Sr.

Arthur L. Visser Sr.
Oct. 2, 1884-Nov.17, 1963

Niles Daily Star, Monday, November 18, 1963, page 2, col. 2, microfilm Niles District Library

Funeral services for Arthur L. Visser Sr., 79, of 2044 S. 11th St., will be conducted at 3:30 p.m. Wednesday in the Kiger Funeral Home. The Rev. Orlen L. Njus, pastor of Bertrand Bible Church, will officiate. Burial will be in Silverbrook Cemetery.

He died at 9:40 p.m. Sunday in Memorial Hospital, South Bend, where he had been a patient nine days. He had been ill two years.

Mr. Visser was born Oct. 2, 1884, in Grand Rapids. He came to Niles from that city 40 years ago, and retired in 1950 from service as a machinist at the Bendix Corporation, South Bend. He married Anna L. Vandenboch May 22, 1905 in Holland. She survives.

Other survivors include two daughters, Mrs. Dorothy Christner, Granger, and Mrs. Russell Samuelson, Niles; a son, Arthur Jr., also of Niles; four Sisters, Mrs. Hattie Kruithoff, Mrs. Camelia Dirkse, Mrs. Lizzie Dirkse, and Mrs. Cora Paris, all of Holland; seven grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren.

He was a member of Bertrand Bible Church.

Friends are being received at the Kiger Funeral Home.