Obituaries

Joseph Gonyon
Sept. 15, 1906-March 15, 2004

Niles Daily Star, Saturday, March 20, 2004, page 2, col. 1-2, and Monday, March 22, 2004, page 2, col. 1, microfilm Niles District Library

Funeral services for Joseph Gonyon, 97, of Bame Ave. in Niles, are Monday, March 22 at 2 p.m. at Halbritter Funeral Home with Pastor Ned C. Elsass of Holy Trinity Lutheran Church officiating.

Burial will be in Silverbrook Cemetery.

Gonyon died on Monday at 4:14 p.m. at Lakeland Hospital.

He was born on Sept. 15, 1906 in Gould City. On Dec. 1, 1948 in Munissing, he was marrid[sic] to Lyla Marie Niemi, who survives.

Gonyon lived in Niles since 1954, coming from Shigleton. He was retired from Clark Equipment Co. in Buchanan.  While living in the upper peninsula, he was involved in farming, logging, and carpentry.  He was a veteran of World War II, serving in the U.S. Army, and was a member of the former Chapter 55 Disabled American Veterans in Niles. He will be best remembered for his dry sense of humor.

Survivors include his wife, Lyla; two sons, Rene D. Gonyon of Mishawaka, Ind., and Joseph K. Gonyon of Holt.; two grandchildren, Kayla elise and Derek Joseph Gonyon.  He was preceded in death by a son, Brian L. Gonyon on Dec. 9, 2003, and a brother and four sisters.

Visitation will be an hour prior to services at the funeral home.

A Veteran's flag presentation will follow the committal by Cmdr. John McLaughlin of American Legion Post 26 in Niles.

Funeral arrangements were handled by Halbritter Funeral Home.

Marion E. Guisinger
Aug. 19, 1900-Nov. 23, 1976

Niles Daily Star, Wednesday, November 24, 1976, page 2, col. 1, microfilm Niles District Library

NILES--Marion E. Guisinger, 76, of 525 S. Lincoln, died at 11 am. Tuesday at the Dor-A-Lin Nursing Home, following an extended illness.

A member of the Niles Westside Seventh-day Adventist Church, he was a retired employe of Clark Equipment Co., Jackson.

Mr. Guisinger was born Aug. 19, 1900 in Forest, Ohio, and had lived here since January coming from Jackson.  On Oct. 18, 1921 in Berrien Springs, he married Myra M. Stiles, who survives.

Also surviving is a son, Dale L. of Jackson; a daughter, Mrs. Earl (Dorothy) Shepard of Niles; four brothers, John of South Bend, Maurice of Edwardsburg, Harley of Whittier, Calif., and Ralph of Quincy,Mich.; two sisters,Mrs. Bertha Ames of South Bend and Mrs. Lillian Sills, also of South Bend; six grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren.

Funeral services will be at 11 am. Friday at the Halbritter Funeral Home with Elder Arthur Covell of Kalamazoo officiating. Burial will be in Silverbrook Cemetery.

Friends may call from 7 to 9 p.m Thursday at the funeral home. Funeral arrangements are being handled by the Halbritter Funeral Home and the Guisinger Colonial Chapel, South Bend.

Birton* C. Jayson
Sept. 7, 1892-March 30, 1974

Niles Daily Star, Monday, April 1, 1974, page 3, col. 4, microfilm Niles District Library

NILES--Birton C. Jayson, 81, of 2236 N. Fifth St., Died at 10:35 p.m.  Saturday in Pawating Hospital after an illness of several weeks.

A member of St. Paul's Lutheran Church, Mr. Jayson was a retired carrier with the U.S. Postal Service. He was born Sept. 7, 1892, in St. Joseph County, Ind., and had lived here since 1910.  On June 6, 1915, in South Bend, he married the former Anna C. Hames, who died in 1966.

Surviving are a son, Wesley of Niles, one grandchild and four great-grandchildren.

Funeral services will be held at 11 am. Tuesday in the Halbritter Funeral Home, with the Rev. Theodore Laesch of St. Paul's Lutheran Church officiating. Burial will be in Silverbrook Cemetery.

Friends may call at the funeral home.

*Inscription on gravemarker says Burton C. Jayson.  However, Michigan Death record, Social Security Death Index, and WWI Draft Registration (which has his signature) has the name spelled Birton.

Frank B. Jones
Sept. 4, 1892-March 30, 1974

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

NILES--Frank B. Jones, 81, of 251 Cass St., died at 10:35 p.m. Saturday in Pawating Hospital after an illness of one month.

A retired employe of Clark Equipment Co., Mr. Jones was born Sept. 4, 1892, in Cassopolis, and had lived in this area all his life. On Oct. 4, 1913, in Dowagiac, he married the former Mary E. Lilly, who died in 1957.

Survivors include two sons, W.L. Jones of Niles and Dave Lilly of Dale City, Calif.; two daughters, Mrs. Albert (Estella) Lundgren of Niles and Mrs. Wilson (Marguerite) Kelly of Cassopolis; six grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.

Funeral services will be held at 3 p.m Tuesday in the Halbritter Funeral Home with the Rev. John R. Wyngarden of the First Presbyterian Church officiating.  Burial will be in Silverbrook Cemetery.

Friends may call at the funeral home.

Memorials may be given to the Berrien County Cancer Service, Inc., for lukemia[sic] research.

Lucille Jones
June 26, 1919-Jan. 10, 1974

Niles Daily Star, Friday, January 11, 1974, page 2, col. 6, microfilm Niles District Library

NILES--Lucille Jones, 54, of 1405 Bell Rd., died at 1:50 a.m. Thursday in Berrien General Hospital, Berrien Center, after an extended illness.

Born June 26, 1919, in Chicamaga, Ga., Mrs. Jones had lived here since  1958, coming from Newbern, N.C.  On Feb. 25, 1936, in Knoxville, Tenn., she married James F. Jones, who survives.

Also surviving are a son, James C. Jones of Niles; a foster son, Johnnie B. Davis of Atlanta, Ga.; a brother, Everett Owensby of Knoxville; a sister, Mrs. Anna Mae Hurst of Niles, and two grandchildren.

Funeral services will be held at 10 a.m. Saturday in the Pifer Chapel of the Swem-Smith Funeral Home, with the Rev. W.E. Weaver of the First Church of the Nazarene officiating.  Burial will be in Silverbrook Cemetery.

Friends may call after 7 tonight at the funeral home.

Frances A. Krueger
Jan. 20, 1896-Jan. 8, 1974

Niles Daily Star, Wednesday, January 9, 1974, page 2, col. 5, microfilm Niles District Library

NILES--Mrs. Frances A. Krueger, 77, of 611 Chicago Rd., died at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday in Pawating Hospital.

Born Jan. 20, 1896, in Reedsville, Wis., Mrs. Krueger had lived here since 1922, coming from Menasha, Wis.  Her husband, George, died in 1955.

Mrs. Krueger was a member of St. Mary's Catholic Church and the Disabled American Veterans Auxiliary.

Surviving are two sons, Charles G. of Niles and Lloyd J. of Dowagiac; a daughter, Mrs. Jane Buck of Niles; a brother, Charles Turensky of LeSueur, Minn., 12 grandchildren and 18 great-grandchildren.

Funeral services will be held at 10 a.m. Monday in St. Mary's Church, with the Rt. Rev. Msgr. John D. Slowey officiating.  Burial will be in Silverbrook Cemetery.

Friends may call after 2 p.m. Thursday at the Halbritter Funeral Home where a rosary will be recited at 7:30 that night.

Niles Daily Star, Thursday, January 10, 1974, page 2, col. 2, microfilm Niles District Library

NILES--Funeral services for Mrs. Frances A. Krueger will be held at St. Mary's Catholic Church at 10 a.m. Friday rather than on Monday as reported in Wednesday's paper. The Daily Star regrets the error.