Delia May Hemminger
Aug. 17, 1869-Feb. 14, 1939

Niles Daily Star, Wednesday, February 15, 1939, page 2, col. 7, microfilm Niles District Library

Mrs. Hemminger, Life Resident of Berrien, Cass Dies

Mrs. Delia May Hemminger, life-long, resident of Cass and Berrien counties, died at 6:30 o'clock Tuesday night in the Berrien Center hospital. She had been ill for the last three months.

Mrs. Hemminger was born five miles east of Niles in Cass county, Aug. 17, 1869. Prior to entering the hospital she had made her home with her son, Clarence, 105 Market street.

Her husband Cyrus, to whom she was married in Goshen, Ind., in 883, died several years ago.

Surviving, beside her son, are three sisters, Mrs. Ida Bigelow and Mrs. Mae B. Tuttle, Niles, Mrs. Anna McOmber, Cadillac, also five grandchildren, Mrs. Earl Litrell, and Clarence, William, Richard and Robert Hemminger, all of Niles.

Funeral services will be held at 2:30 o'clock Friday afternoon in the Price and Kiger funeral home with William Putnam officiating. Burial will be in Silverbrook cemetery.

Friends may call at the funeral home.

Benjamin F. Willard
1851-Feb. 4, 1939

Niles Daily Star, Monday, February 6, 1939, page 2, col. 6, microfilm Niles District Library

B.F. WILLARD, 87, DIES IN SOUTH BEND

Former Niles Harness Maker to be Buried Here Tuesday

Funeral services for Benjamin F. Willard, former Niles resident who died late Saturday afternoon in his South Bend home, will be held at 2:30 o'clock Tuesday afternoon in the Rutherford funeral home.

Services will be conducted by the Rev. T.O. Lee of the First Methodist church. Burial will be in Silverbrook cemetery.

A retired harness maker, Mr. Willard was 87 years old. Prior to moving to South Bend 35 years ago as a Studebaker employe, he had operated a harness store here with Charles Kelley.

Mr. Willard was married to the former Angeline Ribble, a member of one of Niles' pioneer families. They celebrated their 54th wedding anniversary last December.

Surviving, besides the widow, are one son, Warren, Buchanan; two daughters, Mrs. George Geiger, Milwaukee, Wisc., and Mrs. Charles J. Ray, South Bend; also four grandchildren.

Friends may call at the Rutherford funeral home.

Niles Daily Star, Tuesday, February 7, 1939, page 2, col. 2, microfilm Niles District Library

WILLARD SERVICES

Funeral services for Benjamin F. Willard, former Niles resident who died Saturday in his South Bend home, were held at 2:30 o'clock this afternoon in the Rutherford funeral home. The Rev. T.O. Lee officiated with burial in Silverbrook cemetery.  Oscar Johnson, Niles; Frank Ribble and Harry Reddick, South Bend; Walter Mulhagen, Mishawaka; James Rundberg, State Line; and Roy Pierce, Buchanan, served as pallbearers.

Edwin F. Willard
Oct. 11, 1927-Sept. 22, 2005

Niles Daily Star, Published online 8:49pm Friday, September 23, 2005

Edwin F. Willard, 77, of Fort Street, Niles, died at 3:30 a.m., Thursday, Sept. 22, 2005, at his home, following an extended illness.

Funeral services will be at 10 a.m. Monday, Sept. 26, at Halbritter Funeral Home, Niles. The Rev. Ronald Smith of Niles will officiate. Friends may call from 2-4 p.m. Sunday at the funeral home.

Burial will take place at the Silverbrook Cemetery, in Niles. There will be a flag presentation and "taps" following the services at the graveside, done by the American Legion Post No. 26, Niles.

Memorial contributions may be made to Cass and Van Buren County Hospice Care of Southwestern Michigan.

Arrangements are by Halbritter Funeral Home, Niles.

Thomas R. Willard
Abt. 1849-Jan. 7, 1874

Niles Democrat, Saturday, May 23, 1874, page 3, col. 3, microfilm Niles District Library

The remains of Thomas R. Willard arrived by express from New York, Wednesday last, and the burial will take place from Trinity Church at 4 o'clock, P.M., next Sunday.  Mr. Willard was a young man formerly of this city, but for a number of years his residence has been Washington, D.C.  He was the son of Orson R. Willard. His death took place in Las Angelos, Cal., on Jan. 7th, where he had gone for the restoration of his health.  The remains were accompanied by an uncle, Dr. Rufus Willard, of Oregon, and Mrs.and Mrs. Langford, of Washington, D.C.  Mrs. Langford is a sister of the deceased. The deceased was a young man of promise, and at the time of his death was nearly twenty-five years of age. Silver Brook Cemetery will be the place of burial, after the services at the church. The relatives have the sympathy of the public and many friends and acquaintenances.

A. John Kovac
July 28, 1913-July 20, 1980

Niles Daily Star, Tuesday, July 22, 1980, page 2, col. 7-8, microfilm Niles District Library

Kovac, ex-schools director, dies

A. John Kovac, 66, retired director of community education for Niles Community Schools, died at 8:20 p.m. Sunday in Memorial Hospital, South Bend, after a brief illness.

He retired in 1977 following a 35-year career in the Niles district.  He began his career in Niles in 1939 as a machine shop teacher and, in 1940, started teaching in night war training classes in Niles.

In 1945, he returned to Niles after a  three-year  tour with the U.S. Navy, and ran a veterans institute for returning vets until 1948.

In 1947, he started the cooperative training program at Niles High School, which he operated for 20 years. It was started on a part-time basis and, in 1967, he became community schools and adult education director on a full-time basis.

In 1978, he was awarded the Berrien-Cass County Adult Educator of the Year at special ceremonies in Berrien Springs.

Mr. Kovac was a member of the First Presbyterian Church, the Niles City Club and a veteran of the World War II with the U.S. Navy.

He was born July 28, 1913 in Iron River and had lived in this area since 1939.

On July 2, 1942, he married Mary Jane Beukema in Grand Haven.

She survives along with one son, Keith J. of Niles; one daughter, Miss Beverly J. Kovac of Nles; five brothers, Joseph, Peter and Martin, all of Caspian, Mich., Louis of Denver and Rudy of Los Angeles and one sister, Mrs Cecelia Atanasoff of Iorn River.

Services will be at 1 p.m. Wednesday in Halbritter Funeral Home with Rev. William J. Fuerstenau of the First Presbyterian Church officiating. Burial will be in Silverbrook Cemetery.

Friends may call between 2 and 4 and 7 and 9 p.m. today at the funeral home.

Memorials may be given to the Michigan Heart Association.

James Lightfoot
Jan. 21, 1895-July 2, 1980

Niles Daily Star, Wednesday, July 5, 1980, page 2, col. 2, microfilm Niles District Library

NILES--James Harold Lightfoot, 83, of 36 Cass St., died at 10:15 p.m. Sunday at Pawating Hospital, following an illness of one month.

A maintenance worker for several firms in the Niles area, Mr. Lightfoot was born Jan. 21, 1895 in Cleburne, Texas. He moved to this area in 1950, coming from Cleburne.

In Cleburne in1946, he married Sallie Hassen, who survives.

Also surviving are three brothers, Fred of Los Angeles, Calif., Charles of Berkley, Calif., and Jack of Chicago; and four sisters in Los Angeles.

Funeral services will be at 3:30 p.m. Friday at the Pifer Chapel of the Swem-Smith Funeral Home with the Rev. Theodis Hadley of the Canaan Baptist Church of Elkhart, Ind., officiating. Burial will be in Silverbrook Cemetery.

Wake services will be conducted at the funeral home from 7 to 8 p.m. Thursday.