Obituaries

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

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.

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.

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.

Lloyd F. Womack
Feb. 13, 1899-July 7, 1980

Niles Daily Star, Tuesday, July 8, 1980, page 3, col. 8, microfilm Niles District Library

Lloyd F. Womack, 81, of 3245 US-12 West, Niles, died at 8:50 p.m. Monday at Pawating Hospital.

Funeral arrangements are incomplete at the Halbritter Funeral Home in Niles.

Niles Daily Star, Wednesday, July 9, 1980, page 2, col. 6-7, microfilm Niles District Library

Lloyd F. Womack, 81, of 3245 U.S. 12, West, died at 8:58 p.m. Monday in Pawating Hospital after an extended illness.

He was a self-employed fruit and vegetable retail salesman and had lived in the area since 1941.

Mr. Womack was born Feb. 13, 1899 in Cleborne County, Ark., and on Sept. 2, 1920, married Blanche Wiggins in Arkansas.

She survives along with three sons, Doyce of Niles, John W. of Dade City, Fla., and Lloyd L. of Danbury, Conn.; four daughters, Mrs. George  (Lou) Kimmell of Berrien Springs, Mrs. Henry (Bobbie) Brelowski and Mrs. James (Betty) Skalla, both of Niles and Mrs. Charles (Estelle) Hinkle, New Orleans, La.

He is also survived by 21 grandchildren and 16 great-grandchildren.

Services will take place at 1 p.m. Thursday in Halbritter Funeral Home with Mr. Stanley Davis of Michigan City, Ind., officiating. Burial will be in Silverbrook Cemetery.

Friends may call between 6 and 8 p.m. today.

Pearl L. Wright
Oct. 28, 1885-July 28, 1980

Niles Daily Star, Tuesday, July 29, 1980, page 3, col. 1, microfilm Niles District Library

Mrs. Pearl L. Wright, 94, of 1418 Sheridan, died at 1:45 p.m. Monday in Fountainview Place of Mishawaka after an extended illness.
She was a member of the First Presbyterian Church, the Order of the Eastern Star and the Progress Club.
She was born Oct. 29, 1885 in Allegan and had lived in the area since 1916. She was married to Paul Wright who died in May 1960.
She is survived by one daughter, Mrs. Joseph (Ruth E.) Starke of Mishawaka; two grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
Services will be at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday in Halbritter Funeral Home with Rev. William J. Fuerstenau of the First Presbyterian Church officiating.  Burial will take place in Silverbrook Cemetery.
Friends may call after 4 p.m. Tuesday. Memorials may be made to the First Presbyterian Church.