Obituaries

Elsie P. Mitchell
April 30, 1824-March 24, 1903

Niles Daily Star, Friday, March 25, 1903, page 3, col. 3, microfilm Niles District Library

MRS. E.P. MITCHELL

Sketch of the Life of Deceased Pioneer Resident of Niles

Mrs. E.P. Mitchell, notice of whose demise appeared in yesterday's edition of the STAR, was born in Lackawac, Ulster county, N.Y. April 30, 1824. Feb. 27, 1845, she was married to Joseph Mitchell and moved to Michigan in 1846, settling at Ann Arbor, then removed to Lansing, which was then but a forest. A year later they removed to Bennington, Shiawassa[sic] county, then to Detroit in 1871, and to Niles in 1885. Mr. Mitchell died in this city in December, 1877.  The following eight years Mrs. Mitchell resided in Detroit and Grand Rapids. Since 1885 her home has been in Niles, at the old homestead, corner of Ninth and Cherry streets.  She had for a number of years spent a few months of her time with her children in Chicago and Milwaukee.  It was on one of the visits that she was taken with her final illness.

She leaves five children, Mrs. E.F. McFarlin of Chicago, I.N. Mitchell of Milwaukee, Mrs. J.M. Carr of Niles, Mrs. R.C. Notbohm of Milwaukee, and Chas, W. Mitchell, of the United States Naval station at Oakland, Cal.

The remains will arrive here this evening.  Funeral services will take place from the old home, corner of Ninth and Cherry streets, Sunday afternoon at 2 o'clock.  Rev. A.T. Ferguson of the Methodist church will conduct the services. Interment at Silver Brook cemetery.

Frank W. Pugh
April 28, 1900-June 1, 1972

Niles Daily Star, Thursday, June 1, 1972, page 3, col. 3, microfilm Niles District Library

NILES--Frank W. Pugh, 72, of 1060 Kish Rd., died at 12:20 a.m. today in Buchanan Community Hospital after an extended illness.

A retired farmer, Mr. Pugh was born April 28, 1900, in Missouri, and had lived in this area for the past 15 years. His wife, Angie, survives.

Mr. Pugh was a World War I veteran.

Surviving in addition to his wife are two sons, Billy of Niles and Frank Jr. of Grand Rapids; three brothers, Louis of St. Louis, Miss., Leo of Dexter, Miss., and Elvis of Pontiac; three sisters, Mrs. Ethyl Dye of Kennett, Mo. Mrs. Lillie Ford also of Kennett, and Mrs. Elizabeth Coleman of Garden City, Fla., 14 grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

Funeral services will be held at 10 a.m. Saturday in the Pifer Funeral Home, with the Rev. Robert Trenery of the Wesley United Methodist Church officiating. Burial will be in Silverbrook Cemetery.

Friends may call after 7 tonight at the funeral home.

Dorothy Pauline Sheperis
August 12, 1915-July 8, 2002

Niles Daily Star, Friday, July 12, 2002 pg 2

Mrs. Dorothy Pauline “Polly” Sheperis, 86, of Wells Street, Niles, died at 1 p.m.   Monday, July 8 at Riveridge Manor in Niles, following a brief illness.

Sheperis was born Aug. 23, 1915 in Marshall County, Ind. to Welcome and Hazel Loretta (Lee) Barts.  On July 1, 1933, she married John Robert Sheperis in Plymouth, Ind.  He preceded her in death on March 10, 1979.  Mr. and Mrs. Sheperis came to Niles in 1945 and were among the first residents of the Oak Manor neighborhood.

Mrs. Sheperis was a member of the First Presbyterian Church in Niles.

She was one of the original residents of the Four Flags Plaza on Seventh Street in Niles.  She had always enjoyed caring for family and friends and was very active in doing so at the Four Flags Plaza.

Survivors include; three daughters, Barbara Ann Kane of Niles, Marilyn “Jo” Miller of Scottsdale, Ariz., and Dorothy Roberta Sheperis of Clearwater; 11 grandchildren and 16 great-grandchildren.

In addition to her husband, she was also preceded in death by two brothers, Welcome Lee and Robert Kenneth Barts.

Graveside funeral services will be Monday, July 15 at 10 a.m. at Silverbrook Cemetery, Niles.  The Rev. Dr. Ronald H. Wakeman of First Presbyterian Church will be officiating.  Interment will follow.

The family is gathering privately at Halbritter Funeral Home in Niles.

Memorial contributions in memory of Mrs. Sheperis may be made to the American Heart Association of Michigan, the American Lung Association of Michigan, or the American Diabetes Association-Michigan Affiliate.

Arrangements were made at Halbritter Funeral Home.

Mary A. Thayer
Dec. 2, 1925-Dec. 15, 1992

Niles Daily Star, Wednesday, December 16, 1992, page 2, col. 1-2

1925-1992
secretary-treasurer of Thayer’s Jewelers Inc.

Funeral services for Mary Alyce Thayer, 67, 36 N. St. Joseph Ave, Niles are scheduled for 2 p.m. Friday at Trinity Episcopal Church in Niles with the Rev. Steven L. Schuneman, church rector, officiating.

Burial will follow at Silverbrook Cemetery in Niles.

She died at 7:06 a.m. Tuesday at St. Joseph’s Medical Center in South Bend following a brief illness.

Born Dec. 2, 1925, in Niles, she was a lifetime resident.

On Nov. 9, 1949, in Niles, she married James A. Thayer, who survives.

She was secretary-treasurer of Thayer’s Jeweler’s Inc.

Thayer was a member of Trinity Episcopal Church.  She was past president of Trinity Episcopal Altar Guild.  She was also a member of Trinity Episcopal’s St. Catherine’s Guild, the Seepewa Reading Club and the Niles Service League.  She was a 1944 graduate of Niles High School.

Other survivors include a son, Joseph D. Thayer of Niles; two grandchildren and a brother Robert Radka of South Bend.

Friends may call from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. and 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Thursday at Halbritter Funeral Home.

Memorial contributions may be made to Trinity Episcopal Church.

Mary V. Vandenburg
Dec. 24, 1905-Dec. 18, 1992

Niles Daily Star, Saturday, December 19, 1992, page 2

1905-1992
member of Wesley Church, Niles

Funeral services for Mary V. Vandenburg, 86, formerly of 15 S. Third St., Niles, are Monday at 11 a.m. at Halbritter Funeral Home by the Rev. Nolan R. Williams, pastor of Wesley United Methodist Church.

Burial will be in Silverbrook Cemetery, Niles.

Mrs. Vandenburg died Friday at 1:25 a.m. at the Cass County Medical Care Facility in Cassopolis, following an extended illness.

Born Dec. 24, 1905 in Morehead, Ky., she had lived in Niles for 70 years, coming here from Marion, Ind.

On Sept. 14, 1930, in Muskegon Heights, she married Fred L. Vandenburg, who preceded her in death on Feb. 14, 1957.

Mrs. Vandenberg was a member of Wesley United Methodist Church of Niles and of the church’s Susanna Wesley Guild.  She was also a member of the Order of the Eastern Star, Niles.

Survivors include two sons, John Vandenburg of Alexandria, Va., and Stephen Vandenburg of Niles; a daughter, Mary Jane Nichols of Niles; and a sister, Corona McIntire of Niles.

Friends may call from 3 to 5 p.m. at Halbritter Funeral Home.

Memorial contributions may be made to Alzheimer’s Disease or Related Disorders.

Warren W. Virgil
Jan. 17, 1922-June 2, 1972

Niles Daily Star, Saturday, June 3, 1972, page 2, col. 5, microfilm Niles District Library

NILES--Warren W. Virgil, 50, of 1340 Phoenix St., was dead on arrival at 6:45 p.m. Friday at Pawating Hospital.

Mr. Virgil was born Jan. 17, 1922, in Buchanan, and had lived in this area all his life. On March 10, 1941, in Napoleon, Ohio, he married the former Evelyn Potokar, who survives.

Also surviving are a son, Todd, at home; a daughter, Mrs. Larry Brock of Niles; his mother, Mrs. Bernice Virgil of Buchanan; six brothers, Paul, Richard and George, all of Buchanan, Oscar of Wisconsin, Donald of Maryland, and Robert in the armed services in Wyoming,and three grandchildren.

Funeral services will be held at 1 p.m. Monday in the Pifer Funeral Home, with burial in Silverbrook Cemetery.

Friends may call after 7 p.m. today at the funeral home.