Obituaries

Mary C. Stome
1847-June 19, 1943

Niles Daily Star, Thursday, June 24, 1943, page 2, col. 2, microfilm Niles District Library

Burial rites for Mrs. Mary C. Strome, 96, who died Sunday in the home of her daughter, Mrs. Edward Brohman, near Berrien Springs, were conducted Wednesday afternoon in Silverbrook cemetery after the funeral in the Brohman home. Pallbearers were Paul Brohman, Lester Brohman, Ernest Brohman, Jack Tusing, Glen Costs and Nathaniel Chapman, all of Berrien Springs.

Dora Toney (Geideman)
March 11, 1868-May 5, 1943

Niles Daily Star, Wednesday, May 5, 1943, page 2, col. 8, microfilm Niles District Library

DONA TONEY, 75, STRICKEN TODAY

Mrs. Dora Toney, 75, of 1014 North Tenth street, a life-long resident of Niles, died this morning at 10:40 in Epworth hospital, South Bend, after an illness of 10 weeks of complications.

Daughter of the late Mr. and Mrs. Henry Geideman, she was born in Niles March 11, 1868. Her husband, the late Frank S. Toney, to whom she was married May 22, 1889 in Kensington, Ill., died Dec. 4, 1917.

Surviving are three sons and a daughter, Henry W. Toney and Mrs. George R. Kneeshaw, Niles; H.F. Toney, Albuquerque, N.M., and Edward Toney, Pittsburgh, Pa.

She also leaves five brothers and a sister, Mrs. J.B. Keller and Henry, Edward, Frank, Rudolph and George Geideman, all of Niles. . .[illegible]. .

Mrs. Toney was a member of St. John's Evangelical and Reformed church and was active in its Woman's guild.

The body is in the Rutherford funeral home.

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

SET TONEY FUNERAL

Funeral services for Mrs. Dora Toney, 1014 North Tenth street, will be conducted Friday afternoon at 3:30 in St. John's Evangelical and Reformed church, it was announced today. The Rev. Theo Eisen, pastor of the church, will officiate with burial in Slverbrook cemetery. Friends may call tonight in the Rutherford funeral home.  Mrs. Toney, life-long resident of the city, died Wednesday morning in Epworth hospital, South Bend.   

Niles Daily Star, Friday, May 7, 1943, page 2, col. 2, microfilm Niles District Library

BROTHERS PALLBEARERS

Brothers of the late Mrs. Dora Toney--Frank, Edward, Henry, George and Rudolph Geideman and a brother-in-law, John B. Keller--served as pallbearers this afternoon at funeral services in St. John's Evangelical and Reformed church. Burial was in Silverbrook cemetery.

William Alton Vandygriff
Feb. 2, 1885-May 4, 1943

Niles Daily Star, Wednesday, May 5, 1943, page 2, col. 6, microfilm Niles District Library

W.A. VANDYGRIFF TAKEN BY DEATH

William Alton Vandygriff, 58, died Tuesday night at 8 in his home on Route 3 after a week's illness. He was stricken April 26 with a stroke of apoplexy.

Born in Summitville, Tenn., Feb. 2, 1885, he came to the Niles community from Summitville in 1935.  He was employed in the drill department of the Clark Equipment company plant in Buchanan.

Mrs. Vandygriff, the former Pearl Ellis to whom he was married July 31, 1903, in Cornwall, Tenn., survives.

Father of Seven

He also leaves seven children--William A. Vandygriff, Jr. and Mrs. Albert Lakey, Niles; Ralph, Oline and Bessie Mae Vandygriff, at home; Howard Vandygriff, serving in the navy,and James Vandygriff, who is in the southwest Pacific area with the army.

Also surviving are five sisters, Mrs. Earl Duffield, Mrs. Chess Duffield and Mrs. Mitchell Parker, all of Nashville, Tenn., Mrs. Walter Briley, Mt. Pleasant, Tenn., and Mrs. Mary Hendricks, Summitville and four brothers, John Ruff and George Vandygriff, all of Summitville, and James Vandygriff, Tullahoma, Tenn.

Friends may call in the Rutherford funeral home.

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

VANDYGRIFF RITES

Services of William Alton Vandygriff, Route 3, will be conducted Friday afternoon at 2 in the Rutherford funeral home. Capt. R.H. Lustvig, of the Niles Salvation Army post, will officiate with burial in Silverbrook cemetery.  Vandygriff died Tuesday night in his home.

Niles Daily Star, Friday, May 7, 1943, page 2, col. 2, microfilm Niles District Library

SERVE AT FUNERAL

Serving as pallbearers this afternoon at funeral services for William Alton Vandygriff, Route 3, were W.B. Bryant, Curt Johnson, Adam Alexander, Joseph Davis, W.M. Lovell and Robin . .[illegible].. the Niles Salvation Army post officiated at the rites in the Rutherford funeral home.

Jerry Lee VanLue
July 24, 1934-March 17, 1943

Niles Daily Star, Thursday, March 18, 1943, page 2, col. 4, microfilm Niles District Library

JERRY VANLUE, 8, TAKEN BY DEATH

Jerry Lee VanLue, eight-year-old son of Mr.and Mrs. William VanLue, Barron lake, died Wednesday night at 11 in Pawating hospital, after a week's illness of peritonitis from a ruptured appendix.

The boy was born in Niles, July 24, 1934, and was a third grade student in the Allen school.

Surviving with his parents are five brothers, Joe, Jack, Jimmy, Billy and Larry VanLue, all at home, and his grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. E.A. Stick, St. Joseph, former residents of Niles.

Friends may call in the Rutherford funeral home until Saturday afternoon when the funeral will be conducted at 2:30 in the Pokagon Methodist church.

The Rev. R.C. Puffer, Dowagiac,  will officiate with burial in Silverbrook cemetery.

Guyen F. Vose
April 5, 1879-March 29, 1943

Niles Daily Star, Tuesday, March 29, 1943, page 2, col. 7, microfilm Niles District Library

GUYEN F. VOSE, 63, EX-CONDUCTOR, DIES

Guyen F. Vose, 63, of 1715 North Fifth street,  a retired Michigan Central conductor, died Monday night at 7:40 in Pawating hospital where he underwent surgery Monday morning.

A resident of Niles since 1920, Vose came here from Michigan City. He had retired recently after 37 years of service with the Michigan Central.

Member of the Brotherhood of Railway Trainmen, the O.R.C., St. Joseph Valley lodge No. 4, F. and A.M., and the United Spanish War Veterans, he was born April 5, 1879 in Snyderville, Wis.

Rites Thursday

Surviving are his widow, Mrs. Carrie Vose; two daughters, Mrs. Laurence Abbott and Mrs. Lewis Hill, Niles; a sister, Mrs. Rose Ellsworth, Kalamazoo; a half-brother, Charles Fisher, Kalamazoo, and two half-sisters, Mrs. Sophia Perkins and Mrs. Ettie Schwencer, Battle Creek. He also leaves several nieces and nephews.

Friends may call in the Pifer funeral home where the service will be conducted Thursday afternoon at 2:30 The Rev. Guy W. Simon, pastor of the First Presbyterian church, will officiate with burial in Silverbrook cemetery.

Niles Daily Star, Thursday, April 1, 1943, page 2, col. 2, microfilm Niles District Library

VOSE RITES TODAY

Members of St. Joseph valley lodge No. 4, F. and A.M., served as honorary pallbearers this afternoon when funeral services for Guyen F. Vose, 1715 North Fifth street, were conducted in the Pifer funeral home. The Rev. Guy W. Simon, pastor of the Presbyterian church officiated.  Members of the United Spanish War Veterans post conducted committal rites at the grave.  Pallbearers were P.J. Adams, Guy Barnhart, James Moyer, Donald Mitchell, Lyman Dizard and Carl Fox.

Martin Wenzel
Aug. 21, 1863-May 9, 1943

Niles Daily Star, Monday, May 10, 1943, page 2, col. 8, microfilm Niles District Library

INFECTION FATAL TO MARTIN WENZEL

Ill three weeks of blood poisoning, Martin Wenzel, Sr., 79, of 318 Woodruff street, died Sunday morning at 5 in Pawating hospital. The poisoning spread from an infection of undetermined origin in his right foot.

He was preceded in death by two sons who died as the result of accident injuries. George Wenzel was killed in an automobile mishap in 1929 and John Wenzel in a train accident in Dowagiac in 1910.

Mr. Wenzel was born in Saxony, Germany, Aug. 21, 1863. He came to Michigan with his parents when eight years old and the family first settled in the community between Buchanan and Galien.

Here Since 1889

He moved to Niles at the time of his marriage to the former Josephine Amon, who survives. The couple was married April 4, 1889 by ..[illegible] of St. John's church. Mr. Wenzel worked several years for the Skalla Furniture company and was employed 21 years by the French Paper company. He retired in 1930.

He also leaves four children, Mrs. Floyd Higgins and Rudolph Wenzel, Niles, and James H. Wenzel and Martin Wenzel, Jr., both of South Bend; five grandchildren and one great grandchild.

Friends may call in the Rutherford funeral home, where services will be conducted Tuesday afternoon at 2. The Rev. Theo Eisen, pastor of St. John's Evangelical and Reformed church of which he was a member, will officiate. Burial will be in Silverbrook cemetery.

Niles Daily Star, Wednesday, May 12, 1943, page 2, col. 2, microfilm Niles District Library

Wenzel Pallbearers

Serving as pallbearers Tuesday afternoon at funeral services for Martin Wenzel, Sr., 318 Woodruff street, were Henry Geideman, Joseph Sarratore, Frank Schambacher, Edward Erickson, Fred Solloway and Peter Mark. The Rev. Theo Eisen, pastor of St. John's Evangelical and Reformed church, officiated at the rites at 2 in the Rutherford funeral home. Burial was in Silverbrook cemetery.