Obituaries

John I. Allen
Aug. 16, 1905-March 12, 1974

Niles Daily Star, Wednesday, March 13, 1974, page 2, col. 6, microfilm Niles District Library

NILES--John I. Allen, 68, of 709 Ferry St., died at 9:30 a.m. Tuesday in his home.

A retired Clark Equipment Co. employe, Mr. Allen was born Aug. 16, 1905, in Conway, Ark., and had lived here since 1945, coming from Kansas City, Kan. On Jan. 31, 1946, in Buchanan, he married the former Corine Vassar, who survives.

Also surviving are three sons, Charles of Niles, William of the Republic of Philippines and Clarence of Tehran, Iran; a daughter, Miss Sheila Allen of South Bend; a half-brother, Othur Tanner of Dumas, Ark., and three grandchildren.

Funeral arrangements are pending at the Pifer Chapel of the Swem-Smith Funeral Home. Burial will be in Silverbrook Cemetery.

Niles Daily Star, Friday, March 15, 1974, page 2, col. 8, microfilm Niles District Library

NILES--Funeral services for John I Allen, 68, of 709 Ferry St., who died Tuesday , will be held at 10 a.m. Saturday in the Pifer Chapel of the Swem-Smith Funeral Home.

Officiating will be the Rev. C.E. Wilson of the Franklin A.M.E. Church. Burial will be in Silverbrook Cemetery.

A wake will be held from 7 to 9 tonight at the funeral home.

Mary Evelyn Baird
Feb. 13, 1915-March 31, 1974

Niles Daily Star, Monday, April 1, 1974, page 3, col. 1-2, microfilm Niles District Library

NILES--Mrs. Mary Evelyn Baird, 59, of 2011 S. Third St., died at 2:20 p.m. Sunday in Pawating Hospital after an extended illness.

An employe of the Payroll Department of Simplicity Pattern Co., Mrs. Baird was born Feb. 13, 1915, in Michigan City, Ind., and had lived here since 1920. Her husband, Armond, died in 1962.

Survivors include a daughter, Mrs. John (Diana) Nelson of Eureka, Calif.; two brothers, Elmer Pfister of Swartz Creek, Mich., and Roger Pfister of Niles; a half-brother, Harry Hollscher of Oglesby, Ill.; two sisters, Mrs. Oscar Schrumpf of Niles and Mrs. Florence McLain of Marshall; a half-sister, Mrs. Willard Seeger of Musing, Mich., and three grandchildren.

Funeral services will be held at 3 p.m. Wednesday in the Pifer Chapel of the Swem-Smith Funeral Home, with the Rev. John Wyngarden of the First Presbyterian Church officiating. Burial will be in Silverbrook Cemetery.

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

Gladys Baumann
May 9, 1895-Oct. 7, 1968

Niles Daily Star, Tuesday, October 8, 1968, page 14, col. 5, microfilm Niles District Library

Mrs. Gladys M. Baumann, 73, of 24 N. State St., died at 10:45 a.m. Monday in her home. She had been ill for some time.

She was born May 9, 1895, in Niles and was a lifetime resident. Mrs. Baumann is survived by her husband Hermann.

Funeral services will be held at 10 a.m. Thursday in the Pifer Funeral Home with the Rev. Leonard Putnam, pastor of the Grace United Methodist Church officiating. Burial will be in Silverbrook Cemetery.

Friends may call at the Pifer Funeral Home after 7 tonight.

George D. Benson
Dec. 11, 1892-Jan. 13, 1974

Niles Daily Star, Monday, January 14, 1974, page 2, col. 6, microfilm Niles District Library

NILES--George Dwight Benson, 81, of 1915 N. Fifth St., Died at 9:38 p.m. Sunday in Pawating Hospital after an illness of one week.

The retired owner of Benson's Furniture, Mr. Benson was born Dec. 11, 1892, in Jamestown, N.D., and had lived here since 1910. On Oct. 8, 1914, in Niles, he married the former Jeanne C. Smith, who survives.

Benson was a member of St. Joseph Valley Masonic Lodge, the Niles Shrine Club, Saladin Temple of Grand Rapids, and the Scottish Rite of Grand Rapids.

Also surviving are a daughter, Mrs. Patricia Bachman of Flint; a sister, Mrs. Virginia Brothers of Niles, one grandchild and two great-grandchildren.

Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m. Wednesday in the Halbritter Funeral Home, with full Masonic rites administered by St. Joseph Valley Lodge. Burial will be in Silverbrook Cemetery.

Memorials may be given to the Niles Shrine Club crippled children's fund.

Donald Lamar Berry
Dec. 15, 1969-April 17, 2004

Niles Daily Star, Wednesday, April 21, 2004, page 2, col. 1, microfilm Niles District Library

Funeral services for Donald Lamar Berry, 34, of 1103 N. Ninth St., Niles, are Friday at 1 p.m. at Mount Calvary Baptist Church, Niles, by the Rev. Tommie L. Bridgeman of New Harvest Christian Ministries.

Burial will be in Silverbrook Cemetery, Niles.

Berry died Saturday at 5:15 p.m. at St. Joseph Regional Medical Center in South Bend, Ind., following a motorcycle accident.

He was born Dec. 15, 1969, in Niles, and was a lifetime resident of the area.

Berry was a U.S. Army Veteran and a member of the New Harvest Christian Ministries in South Bend.He worked in the paint shop at AM General Corp.

Survivors include his parents, Donald Cross and Christine Cosey, of Niles; his step-father, Otis Cosey; his grandfather, Sherwoood Cross; a son, Dontoni Harris of Fort Hood, Texas; ; a step-son, Martelle Mitchell of Mishawaka, Ind.; a niece, Deja Berry; a brother, Dejwan Berry of Niles; and a step-brother, Henry Davis of South Bend; a god-daughter, Miracle Berry of Indianapolis;

and his fiancee, Michelle Tavorn.

Friends may call Friday from noon to 1 p.m at Mount Calvary Baptist Church.

Hoven Funeral Home, Buchanan, was in charge of arrangements.

Memorials may be made to New Harvest Christian Ministries, 5911 York Road, South Bend, IN. 46614.

*Published originally in Niles Daily Star, Tuesday, April 20, 2004, page 2, col. 1, and then republished with corrections and additional survivors in Wednesday's paper.

Josephine Butler
Oct. 15, 1913-March 26, 1974

Niles Daily Star, Tuesday, March 26, 1974, page 2, col. 5, microfilm Niles District Library

NILES--Mrs. Josephine B. Butler, 60, 405 Dey St., died at 2:15 a.m. Tuesday in Memorial Hospital, South Bend, after an illness of several months.

Born Oct. 15, 1913, in Niles, Mrs. Butler had lived here all her life. Her husband, Lyne W. Butler, survives.

Also surviving are a son, David L. Butler of South Bend and three brothers, Earl Fowler of Niles, Phillips Fowler of Mishawaka and LeRoy Fowler of Midland.

Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m Thursday in the Halbritter Fuernal Home, with the Rev. Thomas P. Jones of the Maranatha Baptist Church of Mishawaka officiating. Burial will be in Silverbrook Cemetery.

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