Obituaries

John H. Keeys
Feb. 6, 1882-Feb. 5, 1959

Niles Daily Star, Friday, February 7, 1959, 1942, page 2, col. 4, microfilm Niles District Library

John H. Keeys, 76, of 1645 Michigan Street, died at 4:59 p.m. Thursday in the Berrien County Hospital, Berrien Center, following five months of failing health.

Mr. Keeys, a retired office porter for the New York Central Railroad, was born Feb. 6 , 1882, in Uniontown, Ala., and came to Niles in 1943 from Sunflower, Miss. His wife, Pauline, preceded him in death in 1951.

Surviving are: six sons, Erskine Keeys, of Buffalo, N.Y., Central, Denver and Theora Keeys, all of Niles; Sgt. Verties Keeys, stationed at Fort Riley,Kan., and Airman 2C Garnetta Keeys, with the United States Navy in Hawaii; two daughters, Mrs. Nevada Morgan and Mrs. Mildred Gray, both of Niles; 14 grandchildren and two great grandchildren.

Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m. Monday in Mount Calvery Baptist Church with the pastor, the Rev. T. Hadley, officiating. Burial will be in Silverbrook Cemetery. Friends may call at the Pifer Funeral Home beginning Saturday noon.

Harold E. Koenigshof
July 16, 1909-Feb. 4, 1990

Niles Daily Star, Tuesday, February 6, 1990,  page 2, col. 5-6, microfilm Niles District Library

Services for a former resident of Buchanan, Harold E. Koenigshof, 80, of 5845 13th St., Zephyrhills, Fla., will be held Thursday at 11 a.m. at the Pifer-Smith Funeral Home, the Rev. Lou Schweppe officiating.

Koenigshof died Feb. 4 at the East Pasco Medical Center, Zephyrhills. He had lived in Florida for 18 years, coming from Buchanan.

He was retired from Simon Brothers Warehouseman, South Bend, and had served in the U.S. Army during World War II.

Koenigshof was born July 16, 1909, in Dayton, Mich. He married Evelyn M. Barkman, who survives him, Feb. 16, 1947, in Niles.

Other survivors include three sisters, Lena Castle, Laura A. and Agnes Koenigshof, all of Buchanan, and two brothers, Carl F. and Robert Koenigshof, both of Buchanan,

Koenigshof was affiliated with the First Methodist of Zephyrhills.

Burial will take place at the Silverbrook Cemetery, Niles.

Friends may call 2-4 and 7-9 p.m. Wednesday.  Memorials may be made to the Berrien County Cancer Service and to St. John's United Church of Christ.

Lizzie M. Washington
Sept. 26, 1900-Feb. 3, 1990

Niles Daily Star, Tuesday, February 6, 1990,  page 2, col. 6, microfilm Niles District Library

Services for a former Niles woman, Lizzie M. Washington, 89, of 718 N. Elmer St., South Bend, Ind., will be Wednesday at 1 p.m. at the Washington Temple Church of God in Christ, Niles, the Elder Paul Adams, pastor, officiating.

She was born Sept. 26, 1900, in Monroe County, Ga. In 1939, she married Henry Washington in South Bend, who preceded her in death in 1945. A son, Cullen Walton, South Bend survives her. She has seven grandchildren and eleven great-grandchildren.

Washington died after an extended illness at 10:55 a.m. Saturday, at Memorial Hospital, South Bend.

She had lived in the area for 50 years.  She was active in the Washington Temple Church of God in Christ, and was a member of the Mothers Board of that church.

Burial will be at Silvebrook.  Friends may call 7-9 p.m. at Alford's Mortuary, 1222 Napier St., South Bend.

Mary Castleman Andress
July 23, 1911-Sept. 23, 1977

Niles Daily Star, Saturday, September 24, 1977, page 2, col. 3, microfilm Niles District Library

NILES--Mary Castleman Andress, 66, of 22 S. Lincoln Ave., died at 11:15 a.m. Friday at South Bend Osteopathic Hospital after an illness of two weeks.

A part-time cook at Jay's Lounge, she was a member of the Post 26 American Legion Auxiliary. She was born on July 23, 1911, in South Bend, and lived in Niles since 1959 after moving from South Bend.

Two previous husbands, Rudy Castleman and Harvey Andress, died in 1944 and 1969 respectively.

Survivors include a son, Paul Castleman, with the U.S. Air Force at Ft. Meade, Md.; a daughter, Mrs. Walter (Alice) May of Mishawaka; two brothers, Walter and Ike Borowski, both of South Bend,  and a sister, Mrs. Lottie Stachowski of South Bend; and seven grandchildren.

Services will be at 10 a.m. Monday in the Pifer Chapel of the Swem-Smith Funeral Home. Burial will follow in Silverbrook Cemetery. Friends may call after noon Sunday at the funeral home.

Niles Daily Star, Monday, September 26, 1977, page 2, col. 7-8, microfilm Niles District Library

NILES--Mary Castleman Andress, 66, of 22 S. Lincoln Ave., died at 11:15 a.m. Friday at South Bend Osteopathic Hospital after an illness of two weeks.

A member of the Post 26 American Legion Auxiliary, she was a part-time cook at Jay's Lounge.  Mrs. Andress was born on July 23, 1911, in South Bend, and lived in Niles since 1959 after moving from South Bend.

Her first husband Rudy Castleman did in 1944.  She then married Harvey Andress.

Survivors include two sons, Paul Castleman, with the U.S. Air Force at Ft. Meade, Md., and Eugene Borowski of South Bend; a daughter, Mrs. Walter (Alice) May of Mishawaka; two brothers, Walter and Ike Borowski, both of South Bend,  and a sister, Mrs. Lottie Stachowski of South Bend; and seven grandchildren.

Funeral services were to be held at 10 a.m. today in the Pifer Chapel of the Swem-Smith Funeral Home. Burial was to follow in Silverbrook Cemetery.

Alfred Earl Archer
Oct. 31, 1932-Feb. 11, 1990

Niles Daily Star, Tuesday, February 13, 1990, page 2, col. 2-3, microfilm Niles District Library

Services for Alfred Earl Archer, Jr. 57, of 218 Owens st., Niles, will be held Thursday at 11 a.m. at the Pifer-Smith Funeral Home, Niles, the Rev. John Bair, Bethel Tabernacle, officiating.

Archer was born Oct. 31, 1932 in Medaryville, IN, and had lived in this area since 1955. He retired from Tyler Refrigeration May 1, 1985. In Medaryville, IN, July 30, 1955 he married Rosa Lee Carpenter, who survives him.

Archer died Sunday at 11:17 p.m. in Pawating Hospital after a sudden illness.

Also surviving are two daughters, Cathy Baughman, Mishawaka, IN, and Diane Archer, Phoenix, AZ; two sisters, Florine Bonnell, Mishawaka, IN, nad Audrey Allen, Rensselaer, IN; and five grandchildren.

Burial will be at Silverbrook Cemetery, Niles. Friends may call 2 to 4 and 7 to p .m. Wednesday.

Augusta C. Asmus
June 29, 1877-Jan. 9, 1953

Niles Daily Star, Saturday, January 10, 1953, page 2, col. 3, microfilm Niles District Library

Mrs. Augusta C. Asmus, 1622 North Twelfth street, died at 3:30 p.m. Friday in Pawating Hospital.  She had been in poor health for a number of years.

Surviving are her husband, Charles C. Asmus; three sons, Alfred, Deverne and Clarence, all of Niles; seven grandchildren and four great-grandchildren; three brothers, Paul, Carl and Julius Wedel, all of Niles, and three sisters, Mrs. Minnie Zimmerman, Mrs. Caroline Asmus and Mrs. Frieda Faye. all of Niles.

Mrs. Asmus was born on June 29, 1877, in Germany, and came to Niles from Germany 63 years ago. She was a member of St. John's Evangelical and Reformed Church, an honorary member of the church's Women's Guild, and a member of Lady Maccabees.

Friends may call at the Pifer Funeral Home, where services will be conducted at 2 p.m. Monday by the Rev. H.A. Meussling, pastor of St. John's Church. Burial will be in Silverbrook Cemetery.

All members of the Woman's Guild are requested by the president, Mrs. Anthony Jaroch, to meet in a group to attend the rites.