Anna Hojara
Jan. 16, 1887-Nov. 25, 1954

Niles Daily Star, Friday, November 26, 1954, page 2, col. 1-2, microfilm Niles District Library

Mrs. Anna Hojara, 67, of 3168 South Third street, died at 6:30 a.m., Thursday at Pawating Hospital. She had been ill three years.

Mrs. Hojara was born in Poland and came to Niles from Pennsylvania 40 years ago.

Survivors are the husband, Steve; eight children, Mrs. Rose Lamenski of South Bend, Henry of Berrien Springs, Mrs. Evelyn Colcord of Detroit, Victor, Edmund, Irvin, Clem and Floyd, all of Niles; 22 grandchildren and four great grandchildren; a brother, Dr. Andrew Maleck of Pittsburgh and a sister, Mrs. Rose Jenderas of Mt. Pleasant, Pa.

Friends may call, beginning today, at the Pifer Funeral Home.  The Rosary will be said at 8:15 tonight and funeral services will be held at 10 a.m. Saturday at St. Mary's Church with the Rev. Cletus Rose officiating. Burial will be made in Silverbrook cemetery.

Stanley Hojara
Dec. 3, 1880-June 15, 1963

Niles Daily Star, Saturday, June 15, 1963, page 2, col. 2, microfilm Niles District Library

Stanley Hojara, 82, of 2713 S. 3rd St., died at 5 a.m. today in the Berrien County Hospital, Berrien Center. He had been ill a year.

Mr. Hojara was born Dec. 3, 1880, in Poland. He came to Niles from Pennsylvania about 50 years ago.

Survivors include six sons, Edmund, Evin, Clem, and Floyd, all of Niles, Henry, Three Rivers,and Victor, Lake Wales, Fla.; two daughters, Mrs. Rose Lamenski, South Bend, and Mrs. Evelyn Colcord, Detroit; and a brother, Mike, also of Detroit.

Funeral services will be conducted at 9 a.m. Monday in St. Mary's Catholic Church. The Rev. Cletus M. Rose, pastor, will officiate. Burial will be in Silverbrook Cemetery.

Friends are being received at the Pifer Funeral Home, where the Rosary will be recited at 7:30 p.m. Sunday.

Callie A. Horn
Dec. 5, 1882-Nov. 21, 1952

Niles Daily Star, Saturday, November 22, 1952, page 2, col. 3, microfilm Niles District Library

Mrs. Callie A. Horn, 69, rural route one, Niles, died at 4:45 p.m. Friday in Pawating Hospital. She had been ill two weeks, and was preceded in death by her husband, Berry W. Horn, who died in 1931.

Surviving are one son, Curtis Horn, Ionia; two daughters, Mrs. Harold Saulsberry and Mrs. Stanley Davis, both of Niles; six grandchildren and two brothers, Jim Butler, Monette, Ark., and Henry Butler, Bald Knob, Ark.

Mrs. Horn was born on Dec. 5, 1882, in Bay Springs, Miss., and came here from Steele, Mo., 10 years ago.

Friends may call at the Pifer Funeral Home, where services will be conducted at 4 p.m. Monday by the Rev. Richard Bonner. Burial will be in Silverbrook Cemetery.

Rose Bud Howell
Jan. 18, 1910-Dec. 4, 1987

Niles Daily Star, Saturday, December 5, 1987, page 2, col. 1-2, microfilm Niles District Library

Rose Bud Howell, 77, 6418 Deans Hill Road, Berrien Center and formerly of Niles, died Friday at 2:37 p.m. at Berrien General Hospital following an extended illness.

She was born Jan. 18, 1910 in Yazoo City, Miss. and lived in Niles since 1979 coming from Memphis, Tenn.

She was a retired seamstress and a member of the Franklin AME Church in Niles. She married Caleb Howell March 14, 1928 in Shelby County, Tenn. He died in 1949.

Survivors include five sisters, Mrs. Bennie Brown, Ethel Childress and Mrs. Pinkie Reed, all of Niles; Gertrude Bell of Clevland, Ohio and Margaret Branch of Memphis.

Services are Tuesday at 11 am. at the Franklin AME Church. Burial will be in Silverbook Cemetery.

Friends may call from 7 to 8 p.m. Monday at the Halbritter Funeral Home. Memorials may be given to the Franklin AME Church.

Ethel R. (Rice) Schmidt
Dec. 27, 1886-June 15, 1963

Niles Daily Star, Saturday, June 15, 1963, page 2, col. 2, microfilm Niles District Library

Mrs. Ethel R. Schmidt, 76, of 618 N. 4th St., died at 6 a.m. today in Pawating Hospital following an illness of six weeks. She was admitted to the hospital June 7.

Mrs. Schmidt, a lifelong resident of Niles, was born here on Dec. 27, 1886. Her husband, Karl B. Schmidt, died on July 23, 1952.

She is survived by her father, William C. Rice, Niles; a son, Martin I. Schmidt, rural Berrien Center; nine grandchildren; 10 great-grandchildren and one sister, Mrs. J. Walter Wood, and one brother, Roy H. Rice, both of Niles.

Mrs. Schmidt was a member of the First Presbyterian Church.

Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m. Monday at the First Presbyterian Church with the Rev. John P. MacLachlan, pastor, officiating.  Burial will be in the Silverbrook Mausoleum.

The family has requested that flowers be omitted.

Friends may call after 3 p.m. Sunday at the Kiger Funeral Home.

Delphine Lenke Layman, 89
Jan. 20, 1923-Jan. 3, 2012

Niles Daily Star, Published 5:11pm Thursday, January 3, 2013

Delphine Lenke Layman,  89, of North Fifth Street in Niles, died at 1:50 a.m. on Thursday, Jan. 3, 2013, at Riveridge Manor in Niles following an extended illness.

She was born on Jan. 20, 1923, in Eau Claire  to Frank and Charlotte (Sooker) Lenke.

She  graduated from Niles High School in 1941 and lived here all of her life. She was employed for 17 years at the former Saint Joseph Bank in South Bend, retiring from its successor, Systematics.

Delphine was a member of Saint Paul’s Lutheran Church in Niles. She was a veteran of World War II, serving in the U.S. Navy WAVES as a radio operator.

She enjoyed painting in acrylics, completing crossword puzzles and actively watching the “Jeopardy” television game show.

She was formerly married to Pierre A. “Pete” Layman, who has died, and she was also preceded in death by her parents.

Surviving family includes her children, Cathy Layman of Bay City, Dale (and

Kathleen) Layman of Joliet, Ill., and Dean Layman, of South Bend, Ind.; several grandchildren, including Pete, Alexis, Amanda and Andrew; and great-grandchildren; and Delphine’s brother, Alfred (and Marge) Lenke, of San Diego, Calif., and several nieces and nephews.

The funeral service for Delphine Lenke Layman will be at 3 p.m. on Saturday,

Jan. 5, 2013, at Saint Paul’s Lutheran Church in Niles with the Rev. Carl Bassett

W. Bassett of the church officiating. The service will conclude with the Veteran’s

Flag Presentation and “Taps” in the churchyard by the U.S. Navy Honor Guard.

Committal services will be private, on Monday, at Silverbrook Cemetery in Niles.

The family will receive relatives and friends at the church beginning at 2 p.m. on Saturday. Arrangements were made at the Halbritter Funeral Home in Niles.

Contributions in memory of Delphine may be made to the donor’s choice.

www.halbritterfunerals.com