Obituaries

Clara Bracken
Nov. 15, 1872-Sept. 22, 1963

Niles Daily Star, Monday, September 23, 1963, page 2, col. 4, microfilm Niles District Library

Funeral services for Miss Clara Bracken, 90, of 621 N. 6^th St., will be conducted at 2 pm. Wednesday in the Kiger Funeral Home. The Rev. John MacLachlan, pastor of the First Presbyterian Church, will officiate. Burial will be in Silverbrook Cemetery.

She died at 4:30 p.m. Sunday in Pawating Hospital, shortly after being admitted.

Miss Bracken was born Nov. 15, 1872, in Brighton, Iowa. She lived most of her life here.

Surviving are five nieces, Mrs. Arthur Storms, Benton Harbor, Mrs. Robert Lyons, Mount Prospect, Ill., Mrs. John Jackson, Ozark, Ala., Mrs. E.J. Larsen, St. Petersburg, Fla., and Mrs. William Briggs, Champaign, Ill.; and two nephews, Wallace Bracken, New York State, and Worth Bracken, Fort Worth, Tex.

She was the oldest charter member of the First Presbyterian Church.

Friends are being received at the funeral home.

Dow Bybee
April 22, 1889-Oct. 20, 1943

Niles Daily Star, Thursday, October 21, 1943, page 2, col. 6, microfilm Niles District Library

Dow Bybee, Armada, Mich., son of Mrs. Mary Ellen Bybee, Niles, died Wednesday night at 10 in St. Joseph Hospital, Mount Clemens, after an illness of four weeks.

He was born in Marshall county, Ind. Surviving, besides his mother are his wife, Mrs. Jennie Bybee, a daughter, Miss Isabelle Bybee, Chicago; four brothers, Walter, Lyman and Ernest Bybee, all of Niles, Melvin Bybee, Detroit,and a sister, Mrs. Bessie Lowe, Rochester, Ind.

The body will arrive in Niles Friday. Services will be conducted Saturday afternoon at 2 in the Rutherford funeral home. Burial will be in Silverbrook cemetery.

Charles Henry Champion
Nov. 3, 1862-Nov. 5, 1943

Niles Daily Star, Friday, November 5, 1943, page 2, col. 6, microfilm Niles District Library

CHARLES CHAMPION, 81, STRICKEN TODAY

Charles Henry Champion, 81, lifelong resident of Niles and former school teacher, died this morning at 6:50 in his home, 205 South Fifth street, after an illness of two weeks.

He was born Nov. 3, 1862, in Niles. Champion taught in the Bertrand and Oak Grove schools and was associated from 1891 to 1917 with his brothers, George and William, in a grocery business. He also had been employed in the John Forler grocery. He was a member of the Methodist church.

Surviving are a sister, Miss Ella Champion, and two brothers, George and Frank Champion, all of Niles.

Friends may call in the Price and Kiger Chapel, where services will be conducted Saturday afternoon at 3 by the Rev. J. Kenneth Hoffmaster, pastor of the Methodist church. Burial will be in Silverbrook cemetery.

Frank Clavereign
Oct. 18, 1860-Oct. 6, 1943

Niles Daily Star, Saturday, October 9, 1943, page 2, col. 3, microfilm Niles District Library

Frank Clevereign Rites Conducted Here; Masons Aid

Funeral services for Frank Clavereign, 82, who died Wednesday in the Masonic hospital at Sullivan, Ill., were held at 2 this afternoon in the Price and Kiger funeral chapel with the Rev. Harry L. Nicholson officiating. Members of the Masonic order conducted rites at Silverbrook cemetery.

He was superintendent for a nation-wide hotel system with offices in Chicago. He had been ill for two years.

He is survived by his widow, Ida G., who was a daughter of the late Jacob Brown, Niles; a daughter, Mrs. J.A. Bybee, Niles; a granddaughter, Mrs. Joseph Sloan; and a grandson, Roy C. Bybee, in the United states air corps.

A 33rd degree Mason, he was a member of Medinah temple, Ladeside lodge, and the Blue lodge.

Earl Wilson Cody
July 31, 1884-Dec. 3, 1943

Niles Daily Star, Saturday, December 4, 1943, page 2, col. 8, microfilm Niles District Library

EARL W. CODY, 59, TAKEN BY DEATH

Earl Wilson Cody, 59, of 1330 North Fifth street, died in Pawaating hospital at 2:30 Friday afternoon after an illness of 10 days.

Born July 31, 1884, in Midland, he came to Niles in 1927. He had been employed as stationary fireman and engineer at the National-Standard company for 11 years.

Survivors include four sisters, Mrs. James Brewer, Forget, Saskatchewan, Canada; Mrs. Ruth Richardson and Mrs. Roy Weist, Niles, and Mrs. George Johnson, Sevelle, Fla., and two brothers, Russell and Roy Cody, Niles.

Friends may call at the Pifer funeral home where services will be conducted at 2:30 Monday afternoon by the Rev.J.K. Hoffmaster. Burial will be in Silverbrook cemetery.

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

Cody Rites

Funeral services for Earl Wilson Cody, who died Friday afternoon, were conducted in the Pifer funeral home this afternoon by the Rev. J.K. Hofmaster. Burial was in Silverbrook cemetery. Pallbearers included Norman Goodling, Ervin Knott, Eldie Livingstone, William Reum, Michael Gordon and Harold Weichman.

Juanita Coleman
March 1963-Nov. 18, 1963

Niles Daily Star, Monday, November 18, 1963, page 2, col. 4, microfilm Niles District Library

8-Month-Old Girl Found Dead in Bed

Juanita Coleman, 8-month-old daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Coleman, 517 Superior St., was found dead in her bed this morning.

Mrs. Coleman found her about 7:06 a.m. and telephoned Niles city police for help. Police arrived and administered oxygen until the child was moved to Pawating Hospital by private ambulance.

The baby girl was pronounced dead at the hospital at 7:30 a.m. Dr. Russel J. Vastine, Berrien County medical examiner, ruled death was due to natural causes.

Dr. Vastine said the little girl had been suffering from an “overwhelming infection” which he said was the cause of death. The child had been hospitalized about two weeks ago with pneumonia.