Obituaries

Lawrence H. Nielsen
Oct. 3, 1900-Nov. 11, 1976

Niles Daily Star, Thursday, November 11, 1976, page 2, col. 3, microfilm Niles District Library

NILES--Lawrence H. Nielsen, 76, of 123 N. 13th St., died at 1:35 a.m. Thursday at Pawating Hospital following an extended illness.

A member of the Seventh Day Adventist Church and a veteran of the U.S. Army in World War II, he was a retired special agent of the Auto Owners Insurance Co. of Lansing.

Mr. Nielsen was born Oct. 3, 1900 in New York City, and had lived here since 1970, coming from Battle Creek. On Aug. 1, 1970 in Niles, he married Deborah E. Benjamin, who survives.

Also surviving are two sisters, Mrs. Marie Buck of Battle Creek and Mrs. Ruth O'Shann of Costa Rico, Central America.

Funeral services will be at 2 p.m. Saturday at the Halbritter Funeral Home with Elder Ola D. Robinson of the Niles Westside Seventh Day Adventist Church officiating. Burial will be in Silverbrook Cemetery.

Friends may call after 2 p.m. Friday at the funeral home.

William C. Ostrander
Oct. 19, 1902-Nov. 1, 1976

Niles Daily Star, Tuesday, November 2, 1976, page 2, col. 1, microfilm Niles District Library

EDWARDSBURG--William C. Ostrander, 74, of Edwardsburg, died at 8 a.m. Monday from injuries received in a two car accident at Pine Lake Rd. and M-60.

A member of the Kingdom Hall of Jehovah's Witnesses, he was a retired employe of the Penn Central Railroad.

Mr. Ostrander was born Oct. 19, 1902 in Mishawaka, Ind., and had lived his lifetime in the area. His wife, the former Ruth Mitchell, preceded him in death.

He is survived by a niece, Mrs. Earl (Aleta) Styers of Niles; a brother, Joseph of Ft. Wayne, Ind.; and a sister,  Mrs. William (Iva) Imbody of Ft. Wayne.

Funeral services will be at 1 p.m. Wednesday at the Halbritter Funeral Home with Calvin Hargis of Kingdom Hall of Jehovah's Witnesses officiating. Burial will be in Silverbrook Cemetery.

Friends may call from 7 to 9 p.m. today at the funeral home. Memorials may be made to the church.

Jerome Pease
June 22, 1860-Feb. 21, 1945

Niles Daily Star, Thursday, February 22, 1945, page 2, col. 4, microfilm Niles District Library

Jerome Pease, 84, Dies Wednesday

Jerome Pease, 84, one of the mail carriers on the three original rural routes established out of Niles in 1900, died at 11 a.m. Wednesday in Pawating hospital after three months illness.

He had been confined to the hospital for eight weeks.

He was born in Howard township, Cass county on June 22, 1860 on the farm which his grandparents had bought from Michigan territory.

Pease was retired as a mailman on June 22, 1929. His wife, Anna, died in 1942.

Surviving are two daughters, Mrs. Ethel Young, Niles; and Mrs. Phyllis Schaus, Watervliet; a son, Palmer Pease, Mishawaka, and eight grandchildren.

Friends may call at the Price and Kiger funeral home. Services will be conducted at 2:30 p.m. Saturday in the Methodist church of which he was a member, by the Rev. L. George Beacock. Burial will be in Silverbrook cemetery.

Arthur C. Pfeil
March 27, 1908-Oct. 19, 1968

Niles Daily Star, Monday, October 21, 1968, page 14, col. 3, microfilm Niles District Library

Funeral services for Arthur C. Pfeil, 60, of 2119 E. Main St., who died at 3 a.m. Saturday in his home, will be held at 2 p.m. Tuesday in the Halbritter-Swem Funeral Home.

Rev. Arlan E. Schlundt, of St. John's United Church of Christ, will officiate. Burial will be in the Silverbrook Cemetery.

Mr. Pfeil, a retired office manager of Koontz-Wagner Electric Co., of South Bend, was born March 26, 1908, in Berrien Springs. He had been in poor health for several years. He was a lifetime area resident.

He was a member of the St. John's United Church of Christ, the Niles Elks Lodge No. 1322, the St. Joseph Valley Lodge No. 4 F and AM; Saladin Temple AAONMS of Grand Rapids, The Ancient Accepted Scottish Rite Valley of South Bend, the Gateway Shrine Club, the Tall Cedars of Lebanon and Bend of the River Conservation Club.

Mr. Pfeil is survived by several nieces and nephews.

The St. Joseph Valley Lodge No. 4 F and AM will be in charge of Graveside rites.

Friends may call at the Halbritter-Swem Funeral Home.

Wm. Pierce, Sr.
May 20, 1863-May 29, 1926

Niles Daily Star, Tuesday, June 1, 1926, page 5, col. 3, microfilm Niles District Library

Services for Wm. Pierce, Sr., Were Held Today

. . .Pierce, Sr., were conducted this afternoon at the home, 614 N. Third street. Rev. John Schurman, pastor of the Evangelical church, officiated. Burial took place in Silver Brook cemetery.

Mrs. Pierce died Saturday night at 11:45 o'clock.  About 18 months ago he suffered a stroke of apoplexy, and had practically since been an invalid.  The immediate cause of death was heart disease.

The deceased was born in Charleston township, Kalamazoo county, Michigan, on May 20, 1863. In 1909 he moved to a farm in Cass county, and had lived in that county until five years ago when he moved to Niles.  He is survived by a widow who was formerly Miss Minerva Sugars, and to whom he was married in Kalamazoo, and by seven children. The children are: Claude, Comstock, Mich.; Harry, Niles; Mrs. Harry Lawrence, Fulton, Mich.; William, Jr., Clyde, Niles, Mrs. Adrian Leach, Niles, and Mrs. Frank Gleason, Barron lake. He is survived by one brother, George Pierce, of Climax, Mich.

Hester Randall
Oct. 6, 1891-Oct. 26, 1968

Niles Daily Star, Monday, October 28, 1968, page 12, col. 5, microfilm Niles District Library

Mrs. Hester A. Randall, 77, of 1970 Lewis Drive, died at 11:30 p.m. Saturday in Pawating Hospital. She had been ill for several months.

Mrs. Randall was born Oct. 6, 1891, in LaGrange County, Ind. and came here from St. Louis, Mo., in 1939. Her husband Charles died May 5, 1962.

Mrs. Randall, a retired registered nurse, was a member of the Wesley United Methodist Church, a member of the Berrien County Nurses Association and a life member of the Alumni Association Christ Hospital of Cincinnait[sic], Ohio.

She is survived by two stepsons, Ralph A. Randall of Stuart, Fla., and Charles A. Randall of Athens, Ohio; a sister, Mrs. Maude M. Keith of Elkins, W. Va., and seven grandchildren.

Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m. Tuesday in the Halbritter-Swem Funeral Home with Rev. Robert M. Trenery, pastor of the church, officiating. Burial will be in Silverbrook Cemetery.

Friends may call at the Halbritter-Swem Funeral Home. At the request of the family all memorials may be given to the Cancer Fund or the Wesley United Methodist Church Memorial Fund.