Obituaries

We now have over 7,000 obituaries collected about the interred here at Silverbrook Cemetery.

The obituaries are transcribed by the volunteers of the Friends of Silverbrook Cemetery from various sources.  If you see an opportunity for an addition or a correction, please email our obituary editor at obits@friendsofsilverbrook.org.

Fitz, Clarence

Clarence Fitz
Oct. 25, 1896-Jan. 22, 1959


Niles Daily Star, Friday, January 23, 1959, page 2, col. 4, microfilm Niles District Library


Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m. Sunday in the Pifer Funeral Home here for Clarence Fitz, 62, of 52250 Oakand Avenue, South Bend, form Niles community resident who died at 10 a.m. (EST) Thursday on arrival at Memorial Hospital, South Bend.  The Rev. Orlen Njus, pastor of the Bertrand Bible Church, will officiate and burial will be in Silverbrook Cemetery.

Mr. Fitz, who had been ill for the past six weeks, was born Oct. 25, 1896, in Pulaski County, Ind., and had lived 33 years in the Bertrand area, moving eight years ago to his present address. He had bee an assembly line employe of the Studebaker-Packard Corp.

Surviving are: the widow, Sarah; three daughters, Mrs. Pauline Kruz and Mrs. Raymond Pegan, both of Niles, and Mrs. Charles Bakeman, of Kalamazoo; three sons, Lester Fitz, with the United Sates Air Force at Wells Lake, Wis., Robert Fitz, of Niles, and Lloyd Fitz, at home; eight grandchildren; two brothers, Lloyd Fitz, of Francisville, Ind., and Ora Fitz, of Battle Ground, Ind., and a sister, Mrs. Irene Bell, of Logansport Ind.

Friends may call at the funeral home beginning this evening.

 

Flint, Otis

Otis Flint
Feb. 25, 1880-Jan. 29, 1953


Niles Daily Star, Friday, January 30, 1953, page 2, col. 2, microfilm Niles District Library


Otis Flint, 1207 North Eight Street, died in the Berrien County Hospital, Berrien Center, at 10:30 p.m. Thursday after an illness of two years.

Surviving are one nephew, Walter Flint, and one brother, Fred Flint, both of Niles. He was born in Huntsville, Ala., on Feb. 25, 1880, and came here from Chicago in 1917. He was employed by the New York Central Railroad Company.

Friends may call at the Pifer Fueral[sic] Home, where services will be conducted at 2 p.m. Saturday by the Rev. Richard B. Alexander, pastor of Mount Calvary Baptist Church. Burial will be in Silverbrook Cemetery.

 

Florence, Mary Margaretta

Mary Margaretta Florence
April 30, 1901-Jan. 8, 1959


Niles Daily Star, Thursday, January 8, 1959, page 2, col. 4, microfilm Niles District Library

Mrs. Mary Margaretta Florence, 57, of 1532 Oak Street, died at 5:30 a.m. today in her home. She had been in poor health for some time.

Mrs. Florence was born April 30, 1901, in Juniata County, Pa., and came to Niles in 1950 from Royal Oak. Surviving are: her husband, Andrew; a brother, William Megaughey, of Niles, and a sister, Mrs. Mildred Elliotte, of Royal Oak.

Friends may call at the Pifer Funeral Home where arrangements are incomplete.


Niles Daily Star, Friday, January 9, 1959, page 2, col. 4, microfilm Niles District Library


FLORENCE RITES SET

Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m. Saturday in the Pifer Funeral Home for Mrs. Mary Margaretta Florence, 57, of 1532 Oak Street, who died early Thursday at her home.  The Rev. John P. MacLachlan, pastor of the First Presbyterian church, will officiate and burial will be in Silverbrook Cemetery.

Fouche, Bernard

Bernard Fouche
March 12, 1911-Nov. 30, 1987


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


Bernard "Ben" Fouche, 76, 810 Lake St., Niles, died Monday at 6:30 a.m. at Memorial Hospital in South Bend, Ind., following an extended illness.

He was born March 12, 1911, in Yazoo County, Miss., and lived in this area since 1950. He married the former Velma Johnson April 15, 1931, in Yazoo City, Miss. She survives.

He was a retired contractor and carpenter and was also a retired employee of Clark Equipment Co. He was a member of the Franklin A.M.E. Church.

Survivors include: three sons, Otis of South Bend and Alton and Leonard of Detroit; three daughters, Vera Stokes and Etha Fouche of Atlanta, Ga., and Ola Hayes of Detroit; three brothers, Alphonso of Benton, Miss., Harold of Yazoo City and Lawrence of Chicago.

Also surviving are: five sisters, Mary Bryant of Dallas and Alice Johnson, Louise Dagley, Lucille Hubbard and Wilhemia Scott, all of Chicago; 16 grandchildren; and four great-grandchildren.

A brother, Clifton, died in January.

Services are Friday at 1 p.m. at the Franklin A.M.E. Church, where Rev. Louis Perry will officiate.  Burial will be in Silverbrook Cemetery. A wake service will be held Thursday at the Halbritter Funeral Home from 7 to 8 p.m.

 

Frazier, Albert Tyrone

Alvin Tyrone Frazier
Dec. 25, 1961-March 26, 1980


Niles Daily Star, Friday, March 28, 1980, page 2, col. 5, microfilm Niles District Library


Funeral services for Alvin Tyrone Frazier, 18, of 1208 N. 11th St., who died suddenly Wednesday, will be at 1:30 p.m. Monday at the Mt. Calvary Baptist Church with the Rev. W.L. Daniel officiating.

Frazier was born Dec. 25, 1961, in Niles. He was a special education student at Niles High School and a member of the Mt. Calvary Baptist Church.

He is survived by his parents, Henry Frazier and Mrs. Barbara Frazier of Niles; four sisters, Doris, Pamela, Tina and Nicholle Frazier, all at home; and a brother, Darryl Frazier, at home.

Funeral services Monday will be followed by burial in Silverbrook Cemetery. Friends may call after 6 p.m. Sunday at the Pifer-Smith Funeral Home in Niles.

 

Frizzell, Jesse Elmer

Jesse Elmer Frizzell
Oct. 12, 1898-March 20, 1959


Niles Daily Star, Saturday, March 21, 1959, page 2, col. 4, microfilm Niles District Library

Jesse Elmer Frizzell, 60, died at 12:15 p.m. Friday in his hme[sic] on 913 Regent Street here following an illness of four years.

Mr. Frizzell, a crating room employe at Tyler Refrigeration Corp., was born Oct. 12, 1898, in Bedford County, Tenn., and came to Niles in 1941 from Tennessee.

Surviving are: his widow, Mary; three sons, Everett and Floyd Frizzell, both of Aroma Park, Ill., and Leonard Frizzell, of Niles; three daughters, Mrs. Ione Churchill, Mrs. Josephine Smith and Mrs. Wanda Darling, all of Niles; 14 grandchildren; a brother, Henry Frizzell, of Fairfield, Tenn., and a half-brother, Charles Gibson, of Jackson, Mich.

Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m. Monday in the Pifer Funeral Home here with Stanley Davis of the Church of Christ, officiating. Burial will be in Silverbrook Cemetery. Friends may call at the funeral home beginning this evening.

 

Schrumpf, Lillian A. (Pfister)

Lillian A. Schrumpf
Jan. 20, 1908-Dec. 1, 1980

Niles Daily Star, Tuesday, December 1, 1987, page 2, col. 3, microfilm Niles District Library

Lillian A. Schrumpf, 79, 1345 Broadway, Niles, died at 1:10 a.m. today at Pawating Hospital following a sudden illness.

She was born Jan. 20, 1908, in Michigan City, Ind., and lived in Niles since 1919. She was a homemaker and member of First Presbyterian Church, Niles.

On Aug. 15, 1926, in Manistee, she married Oscar Schrumpf, who died Aug. 21, 1977.

Survivors include a son, Richard of Niles; a daughter, Patricia Dreibelbis of Niles; two brothers, Elmer Pfister of Mullett Lake and Roger Pfister of Niles; a sister, Florence McLain of Niles; a step-sister, Edith Seeger of Munising; five grandchildren, 11 great-grandchildren; and two great-great-grandchildren.

Services are 2 pm. Thursday at Pifer-Smith Funeral Home, Niles, with Rev. Clayton Fairo of First Presbyterian Church officiating.  Burial will be in Silverbrook.