Obituaries

Alice Marie Pawlak
May 14, 1916-Nov. 16, 1992

Niles Daily Star, Tuesday, November 17, 1992, page 2, col. 1-2, microfilm Niles District Library

Alice Marie Pawlak
1916-1992
retired store clerk

Funeral services for Alice Marie Pawlak, 76, of Silverbrook Manor Nursing ome, formerly  of 17 N. Seventh St., Niles, are Wednesday at 10 a.m. at Pifer-Smith Funeral Home by the Rev. Edward Villalba, pastor of Fulkerson Park Baptist Church, Niles.

Burial will be in Silverbrook Cemetery.

Mrs. Pawlak died Monday at 3:15 p.m. at Silverbrook, following an extended illness.

Born May 14, 1916, in Putnam County, Ohio, she lived in this area most of her lifetime.

She was preceded in death in 1975 by her husband, William D. Pawlak.

Survivors include three daughters, Karen Thompson and Mary Lou Lappan, both of Niles and Sharon Lane of Plant City, Fla.; two sisters, Hulda Driebelbeis of South Bend, Ind., and Lucille Kalinsek of Delphas[sic], Ohio; 10 grandchildren; and 20 great-grandchildren.

Friends may call today from 4 to 8 p.m. at the funeral home. Memorials may be made to Hospice at Home of Berrien County.

Debra Ann Prince
Nov. 24, 1957-Nov. 9, 1992

Niles Daily Star, Monday, November 9, 1992, page 2, col. 3, microfilm Niles District Library

Deborah Prince
arrangements pending

Deborah Prince, 34, 2585 Dick St., Niles, died at 5:13 a.m. Monday at Pawating Hospital following an extended illness.

Arrangements at Halbritter Funeral Home are incomplete.

Niles Daily Star, Tuesday, November 10, 1992, page 2, col. 1-4, microfilm Niles District Library

Debra Ann Prince
1957-1992
former employee of
Niles Board of
Public Works and
Michigan Bell

Funeral services for Debra Ann Prince, 34, 2585 Dick St., are scheduled for 11 a.m. Thursday at First Church of Christ-Christian with church Pastor Lowell Black officiating.

Burial will follow at Silverbrook Cemetery in Niles.

Prince died at 5:13 a.m. at Pawating Hospital following an extended illness.

Born Nov. 24, 1957, in Niles, she was a resident of Niles all her life.

She was active in the First Church of Christ-Christian, the church choir and the Multiple Sclerosis Society. She was a 1975 graduate of Niles High School.

She is survived by her parents, Richard and Nellie Prince of Niles; a brother, U.S. Navy Petty Officer Fist[sic] Class Matthew Lee Prince of Charleston, S.C.; a nephew, William Prince of Charleston and a niece, Angela Prince of Charleston.

Friends may call from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Wednesday at Halbritter Funeral Home.

Memorial contributions may be made to the First Church of Christ-Christian or the Multiple Sclerosis Society.

Earl Reed
March 7, 1892-Feb. 21, 1952

Niles Daily Star, Thursday, February 21, 1952, page 2, col. 2, microfilm Niles District Library

Earl Reed, of 620 Sycamore street, died this morning at Hines Memorial hospital, Hines, Ill. He had been in poor health since October of last year.

Surviving are his mother, Mrs. Laura Reed, of Frankfort, Ind.; his widow, Lillie; two daughters, Mrs. Quincy Sharp, of Frankfort, Ind., and Mrs. Robert Martin, of Niles; three sons, Elmer, of Frankfort, and Eddie and Frank Reed, of Niles; three grandchildren; two brothers, Calvin, of Chicago, and Donald Reed, of Noblesville, Ind., and two sisters, Mrs. James Langston, of Monticello, Ind., and Mrs. Allen Stone, of Frankfort, Ind.

Reed was born in Frankfort, Ind., on March 7, 1892, and came here from South Bend 29 years ago. He was a railroad yard conductor and a veteran of World War I.

Friends may call at the Pifer funeral home, where services will be conducted at 2 p.m. Saturday by the Rev. L. George Beacock, Methodist pastor. Burial will be in Silverbrook cemetery, and veterans will have charge of the committal service.

Stanton M. Tharp
March 1, 1909-Nov. 7, 1992

Niles Daily Star, Monday, November 9, 1992, page 2, col. 1-2, microfilm Niles District Library

Stanton M. Tharp
1909-1992
Retired from Niles Automotive

Funeral services for Stanton M. Tharp, 83, 1418 S. 13th St., Niles, are scheduled for 2 p.m. Tuesday at Halbritter Funeral Home with Pastor Glen Howenstine of Laketon-Ijamsville United Methosdist Church.

Burial will follow at Silverbrook Cemetery in Niles.

Tharp died at 4:22 a.m. Saturday at Silverbrook Manor in Niles following an extended illness.

Born March 1, 1909, in Pokagon Township, he was a lifetime area resident.

On May 9, 1936, in South Bend, he married the former Vivian R. Sherburn who survives.

He was retired from Niles Automotive. He was a former member of the Fraternal Order of Eagles in Niles, American Legion Post 28 and a former volunteer fireman with both the Niles Township and Morris Township fire departments.

Other survivors include two daughters, Selva Garson of Mishawaka and Lois Bilotti of Niles; two sons, Robert Tharp of North Manchester, Ind., and Roger Tharp of Niles; nine grandchildren; four great-grandchildren; three sisters, Anna Akin of Niles, Marjorie Garrard of Mishawaka and Ellen Gillette of Howard, Ill., and four brothers, Milton Tharp, Verdon Tharp of Granger, Frank Tharp of Niles and Edmund Tharp of Elkhart.

Friends may call from 2 p.m .to 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Monday at Halbritter Funeral Home.

Memorial contributions may be made to the Berrien County Cancer Service.

Plato Williams
Aug. 8, 1880-Jan. 25, 1948

Niles Daily Star, Monday, January 26, 1948, page 2, col. 5, microfilm Niles District Library

Funeral arrangements for Plato W. Williams, 67, rural route two, who died upon admission to Pawating hospital last night, were incomplete today.

Mr. Williams was born in Winona, Miss., on Aug. 8, 1880. He came to Niles five years ago,and for a time worked for the Clark Equipment company in Buchanan.

Surviving are three daughters, Willella, Niles, Betta and Odessa, both of Show, Miss.; six brothers, A.L., J.D., and M.C. all of Niles; A.W., Buchanan; Melenon, Pennsylvania; James, Los Angeles; and a grandchild.

Niles Daily Star, Tuesday, January 27, 1948, page 2, col. 6, microfilm Niles District Library

Williams Rites Wednesday

Services for Plato Williams who died Sunday night, will be held at 2 p.m. on Wednesday by the Rev. Richard Alexander, pastor of the Second Baptist church, at the Pifer Funeral home.  Friends may call at the funeral home. Burial will be in Silverbrook cemetery.

Dorothy Hilary, 67
Dec. 6, 1944-July 16, 2012

Niles Daily Star, Published online 10:06pm Tuesday, July 17, 2012

Dorothy N. Hilary, 67, of Davenport, Fla., and formerly of Bristol, Ind., died at 3:25 a.m. Monday, July 16, 2012, at Hospice House of South Bend following an extended illness.

She was born Dec. 6, 1944, in Niles to Arthur N. and Alice Minnie (Fricke) Pears.

She graduated from Niles High School in 1963 and earned her bachelor’s degree from Western Michigan University. In 2001, she and her husband became “snow birds,” splitting their time between Bristol and Davenport.

Dorothy was a member of the Elkhart-Goshen Alumni Chapter of the Alpha Sigma Alpha Sorority and the Elkhart General Hospital Auxiliary. She enjoyed outdoor activities, including golfing, boating and swimming.

As a young lady, she was an involved mother in her children’s activities.

On Nov. 8, 1969, in Niles, she married Merville “Skip” Hilary, with whom she celebrated their 42nd wedding anniversary. He preceded her in death on Dec. 21, 2011.

Dorothy’s greatest pride was the family she and Skip created together. She was a loving and devoted mother to their daughter, Michelle Hilary, of Glastonbury, Conn, and son, Dustin (Jessica) Hilary, of Granger. She was a caring “Mama” to her three cherished grandchildren: Anna, Gavin and Gwyneth; a dear friend and sister to Mary Carol (John) Grinnell, of Niles; a caring sister-in-law to Skip’s brother, Richard Hilary, of Copperstown, N.Y.; and a caring aunt to her nieces and nephews.

The services for Dorothy N. Hilary will be held at 5 p.m. Thursday, July 19, at Halbritter Funeral Home in Niles with the Rev. Fran Lane-Lawrence, of First Presbyterian Church in Niles, officiating.

Interment will be at Silverbrook Cemetery in Niles.

The family will receive friends and relatives at the funeral home beginning at 3 p.m. until the time of service.

Contributions in memory of Dorothy may be made to the Center for Hospice and Palliative Care, 111 N. Sunnybrook Court, South Bend, IN 46637.