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.

Strickland, Virginia Mae (Curtner)

Virginia Mae Strickland
Sept. 3, 1921-July 9, 1980


Niles Daily Star, Thursday, July 10, 1980, page 2, col. 4, microfilm Niles District Library

NILES--Mrs. Virginia Mae Strickland, 58, formerly of 911 S. Third St., died at 3:25 a.m. Wednesday at Pawating Hospital, following an extended illness.

A homemaker, she was born Sept. 3, 1921 in Lake City, Ark., and came here 37 years ago from Jonesboro, Ark.

On March 25, 1938 in Lake City, she married Levi Strickland, who died May 13, 1968.

Survivors include her father and mothers, Orla Curtner Sr.,and Lockie Cullins Curtner, both of Jonesboro,; a son, Frank of Dalton, Mich.; five daughters, Ms. Montene Summers of South Bend, Mrs. Howard (Sarah) Gogley of Niles, Ms. Josephine Westfall of Edwardsburg, Mrs. Frank (Joyce) Jendrezewski of Edwardsburg,and Mrs. Jack (Reta) Tesch of Niles; a step-son, William A. Strickland of Peoria, Ill.; five brothers, Orla Curtner Jr., Dean Curtner, Jerry Curtner and Richard Curtner, all of Jonesboro, and Don Curtner of Sacremento, Calif;. four sisters, Mrs. Louise Bunch Mrs. Mattie Cunningham, both of Jonesboro, Mrs. Maxine Carlton of Rockford, Ill, and Mrs. Fayon Henderson of Stutgard, Ark.; 12 grandchildren and one great-grandchild.

Mrs. Strickland was a member of the Missionary Church where funeral services will be conducted at 1:30 p.m. Saturday with the Rev. K.W. Phipps officiating. Burial will be at Silverbrook Cemetery.

Friends may call from 6 to 9 p.m. Thursday and Friday at the Pifer-Smith Funeral Home. Memorials may be made to the Berrien County Cancer Service.

 

Stueber, John LaVerne

John LaVerne Stueber
Jan. 9, 1926-July 16, 1980


Niles Daily Star, Thursday, July 17, 1980, page 2, col. 7, microfilm Niles District Library

John LaVerne Stueber, 54, of 115 S. Third St., Niles, died at 6:07 a.m. Wednesday in Pawating Hospital.

A janitor for Elixir Industries, Elkhart, he was born on Jan. 9, 1926 in Niles and had spent his lifetime in this area. He was a member of the Niles Eagles Lodge and the Buchanan Moose Lodge.

Survivors include a stepson, Kenneth Brewster of Detroit; three sisters, Mrs. Esther Cox and Mrs. Edward (Geneva) Schrader, both of Niles, and Mrs. William (Alice) Karstens of Winterhaven, Fla.

Funeral services will be held at 10:30 a.m. Friday in the Pifer-Smith Funeral Home in Niles. Burial will be in Silverbrook Cemetery.

 

Swartz, Howard R. Sr.

Howard R. Swartz Sr.
April 19, 1914-July 14, 1980


Niles Daily Star, Tuesday, July 15, 1980, page 2, col. , microfilm Niles District Library

NILES--Howard R. Swartz Sr., 66, of 1621 Howard, died at 2:35 a.m. Monday at Pawating Hospital, following a brief illness.

He was a member of the St. Mary's Catholic Church, a veteran of World War II, having served with the U.S. Army, a member of Niles American Legion Post 26, the Moose Lodge, the Eagles Lodge, of which he was a past president, and a member of the Greater Niles Senior Citizen Center.

Mr. Swartz was a retired employee of the Lake Shore Motor Transit. He was born April 19, 1914 in Niles, and had lived here his lifetime.

On July 3, 1947 in Cassopolis, he married June M. Phillips, who survives.

Also surviving are a son, Howard (Howie) R. Jr., of Glendora; a daughter, Mrs. Sharon Morros of Niles; a brother, Harry E. of Niles; and four grandchildren.

Funeral services will be at 10 am. Thursday at St. Mary's Catholic Church with the Rt. Rev. Msgr. John D. Slowey, pastor, officiating. Burial will be at Silverbrook Cemetery.

Friends may call after 2 p.m. Wednesday at the Halbritter Funeral Home, where a rosary service will be conducted at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday.

Memorials may be made to the Berrien County Cancer Service.

 

 

 

Thomas, Amelia K. (Goette)

Amelia K. Thomas
April 30, 1885-April 15, 1959


Niles Daily Star, Thursday, April 16, 1959, page 2, col. 4, microfilm Niles District Library

Mrs. Amelia K. Thomas, 73, of 1138 South Lincoln Avenue, a resident of his community for the past 50 years, died at 7 p.m. Wednesday in Buchanan Community Hospital following an illness of wo years.
Mrs. Thomas was born April 30, 1885, in Fort Wayne, Ind., and came to Niles from there.  Her husband, Cordial, preceded her in death in 1948.
Surviving are: five brothers, Henry Goette, of Niles, Carl Goette, of Cleveland, O., Ernest and Edward Goette, both of Fort Wayne, and William Goette, of Lima, O., and four sisters, Mrs. May Wetel and Mrs. Minnie Bueker, both of Fort Wayne,and Mrs. Hannah Boversema and Mrs. Emma Quickery, both of Doster, Mich.
Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m. Saturday in the Kiger-Halbritter Funeral Home with the Rev. Forrest Anderson, pastor of the First Assembly of God Church, officiating. Burial will be in Silverbrook Cemetery. Friends may call at the funeral home

Warren, Lillian Luella

Lillian Luella Warren
July 26, 1888-July 28, 1978


Niles Daily Star, Monday, July 28, 1980, page 2, col. 4, microfilm Niles District Library

NILES--Mrs. Lillian Luella Warren, 90, of 410 N. Sixth St., died at 1 a.m. today at Pawating Hosptial, following an illness of two weeks.

A homemaker and member of the Mt. Calvary Baptist Church and the Greater Niles Senior Citizens Club, she was born July 26, 1888 in Kentucky, and came to Niles in 1954 from South Bend.

On April 12, 1963 in Niles she married the Rev. James W. Warren, who dies Nov. 19, 1974.

Funeral services will be at 1:30 p.m. Monday at Mt. Calvary Baptist Church with the Rev. W.L. Daniel of Mt. Calvary and the Rev. Theodis Hadley of the Canaan Baptist Church of Elkhart, Ind., officiating. Burial will be in Silverbrook Cemetery.

Friends may call after noon Sunday at the Pifer Chapel of the Swem-Smith Funeral Home, where a wake service will be conducted from 7 to 8 p.m. Sunday.

 

Wellingham, Paul A.

Paul A. Wellingham
Aug. 1, 1897-April 30, 1959


Niles Daily Star, Thursday, April 30, 1959, page 2, col. 5, microfilm Niles District Library

Paul A. Wellingham, 61, of 520 Eagle Street, died at 8:45 a.m. today on arrival at Pawating Hospital. He had suffered a heart attack.

Mr. Wellingham, a resident of Niles since 1922, was born Aug. 1, 1897, in Moulton, Ia., and came to Niles from Missouri. A retired New York Central Railroad yard conductor, he was a member of the First Presbyterian Church here, the Veterans of Foreign Wars in Sunnyslope, Ariz., Seaman Lodge 126, F. and A.M. of Milan, Mo., the Niles Commandry Niles Council 19 and Knights Templar and the Brotherhood of Railroad Trainmen and the Railroad Pioneer Association. He was a veteran of World War I.

Surviving are: his widow, Ursela; four daughters, Mrs. James B. Gallagher, of Niles, Mrs. James Magness, of Lansing, Mrs. Rodney Baum, of Loveland, Colo.,and Miss Mary Alice Wellingham, of Chicago; four grandchildren; a brother, Sang Wellingham, of Gadsen, Ala.; and a sister, Mrs. Clyde Winner, of Quincy, Ill.

Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m. Saturday in the First Presbyterian Church here with the pastor, the Rev. John P. MacLachlan, officiating. Burial will be in Silverbrook Cemetery.  Friends may call at the Pifer Funeral Home beginning Friday afternoon.

 

Whittaker, Leonard E.

Leonard E. Whittaker
Feb. 5, 1917-July 16, 1980


Niles Daily Star, Wednesday, July 16, 1980, page 2, col. 7-8, microfilm Niles District Library

Leonard E. Whittaker, 63, of 605 Platt St., died at 12:15 a.m. Tuesday in the Michigan Veteran's facility, Grand Rapids, after an extended illness.

A retired employe of Electro-Voice, Inc., Mr. Whittaker was a veteran of World War II with the U.S. Army.

He was born Feb. 5, 1917-in Bremen, Indiana and had lived in the Niles area since 1945 coming from South Bend.

He is survived by his parents, Mr. and Mrs Harry Whittaker of South Bend; three sons, Gary L. and Leonard E. Jr., both of Niles and William of Miller, Mo.; two daughters, Mrs. Clarence Gwin, of Miller, Mo., and Mrs. Charles Hilderbrant of Olympia, Wash.; four brothers, Nelson of Jacksonville, Ark., Robert of Edwardsburg, Dale of Tucson, Ariz. and Virgil of Arcanum, Ohio; four sisters, Mrs. Ellen Burnside of Kalispell, Montana, Mrs. Lucile Burlingham, Sawyer, Mich., Mrs. Gertrude Davey, Medford, Oregon, Mrs. Dorothy Long of Esparto, Calif., and Mrs. Fred Stump, Goshen, Ind., nine grandchildren and one great-grandchild.

Services will be at 1 p.m. Thursday in the Halbritter Funeral Home with Rev. Paul A. Fisher of the First Assembly of God officiating. Burial will be in Silverbrook Cemetery.

Friends may call after 2 p.m. today.