Marie Sears, 76
May 12, 1936-June 4, 2012

Niles Daily Star, Published online 11:07pm Wednesday, June 6, 2012

Marie Darlene Sears, 76, of North Fifth Street, Niles, died Monday, June 4, 2012, at Lakeland Community Hospital, Niles, following an extended illness.

She was born May 12, 1936, in Wakelee, Mich., to Clyde Wilbur and Dorothy Darlene (Johnson) Davis. On July 25, 1959, in Niles, she married Gordon L. Sears, who preceded her in death on May 14, 1997.

From their union survives two sons, Michael Lee Sears and Kenneth Paul Sears, and a daughter, Diana Sears, all of Niles; five grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren. She is also survived by four brothers and sisters.

Marie was preceded in death by son, Clayton Barber; grandson, Adam Barber; and five brothers and sisters.

Funeral services for Marie Darlene Sears will be held at 1 p.m. Friday, June 9, at Halbritter Funeral Home, Niles, with the Rev. Fran Lane-Lawrence, of First Presbyterian Church, officiating. Interment will follow at Silverbrook Cemetery, Niles.

The family will receive relatives and friends from 11 a.m. until the time of service on Friday at the funeral home.

Contributions in memory of Marie may be made to either the American Heart Association or the American Diabetes Association.

The family would like to thank the doctors and caregivers at Liberty Dialysis for the loving care of Marie.

Alfred Pfister
Sept. 23, 1889-April 14, 1975

Niles Daily Star, Tuesday, April 15, 1975, page 2, col. 4-5, microfilm Niles District Library

Alfred Pfister, artist dies at 85

NILES--Alfred Pfister, 85, of 716 Hickory St., a retired professional artist widely known in the Michiana area, died at 12:30 p.m. Monday at Pawating Hospital after a two-day illness.

A former poster artist who originated posters for 101 Ranch Shows and the Hagenbeck-Wallace and John Robinson Circuses, Mr. Pfister had a long career of working primarily in oils and watercolors. He had several one-man invited shows in South Bend, Detroit and Niles, and was a familiar figure at other area art shows.  After retirement, he taught art in his home studio and in adult education programs of the Niles, Brandywine and Buchanan schools for 16 years.

Mr. Pfister was born Sept. 23, 1889, in Norwood, Ohio,and came to Niles in 1913 as a poster artist with the National Printing and Engraving Co. Except for a three-year residence at Cleveland Ohio, where he studied at the Huntington Polytechnic School of Art, he lived in Niles ever since. On July 6, 1916, at Niles, he married the former Lulu Swartwout. She died Feb. 25, of this year.

Before coming to Niles, Mr. Pfister worked as a poster artist for the U.S. Litho Co. at Norwood and Otis Litho Co. at Cleveland and studied at the Art Academy at the University of Cincinnati. In about 1945, he turned to water colors to paint waterfront scenes of western Michigan and the New England and Gulf coasts.

Mr. Pfister was an elder in the First Presbyterian Church and a member of St. Joseph Valley Masonic Lodge, the Northern Indiana Artists Assn., the Niles Art Assn. and the Professional Artists' League of New York.

Surviving are a son, Alfred H. Pfister of Bloomfield Hills, Mich.; two daughters, Mrs. Harold F. Klute and Mrs. Hubert H. Haslett, both of Niles; a brother, Carl A. Pfister of Mobile, Ala, 11 grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

Funeral services will be held at 4 p.m. Wednesday at the First Presbyterian Church. The Rev. John R. Wyngarden will officiate and burial will be in Silverbrook Cemetery.

Friends may call from 6 to 8 p.m. today at the Halbritter Funeral Home. Memorials may be made to the Pawating Hospital building fund or the First Presbyterian Church memorial fund.

Peggy Exner
Dec. 20, 1925-March 4, 1940

Niles Daily Star, Tuesday, March 5, 1940, page 1, col. 2, microfilm Niles District Library

Death Takes Peggy Exner Auto Victim

Injuries Suffered Feb.9 Prove Fatal to 14 Year Old Girl

Peggy Exner, 14-year-old Niles high school student and daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Henry Exner, died in Pawating hospital Monday night at 9:40.

Injuries suffered in an automobile accident Feb. 9 which resulted in injuries to five others, four of whom are still in the hospital, caused her death.

She was the fourth Berrien county traffic victim in 1940.

Her injuries included five broken ribs, fractured pelvis, injuries to the lung and right leg. Peritonitis developed a few days before her death.

Services Thursday

The body was taken to the Exner home, 1326 Eagle street. Friends of the family may call there until noon Thursday.

At 12:30 Thursday afternoon the body will be removed to St.John's Evangelical church to lie in sate until 3 o'clock, the hour of the funeral.  The Rev. Theo Eisen will officiate.

The services will be held in the church in which she was baptized and in which she was to have been confirmed with a class of young people at Easter time.

The accident in which she was injured occurred on US-31. The car driven by Edward French, skidded on the icy pavement and struck on driven by Mrs. Arletta Silcox, Benton Harbor. With Mrs. Silcox were Miss Virginia Tiebohl and Miss Hollis Olds, both of Benton Harbor.  All three are still in the hospital.

Four Still in Hospital

Also in the hospital suffering from injuries incurred in the crash is Edward French.  His sister Marilyn was released.

Beside her parents, Peggy leaves three grandparents--Louis Exner, Niles,

and Mr. and Mrs. Edward Hemmeke, Holland, and a sister, Emma Lou.

Peggy was born in Niles Dec. 20, 1925. She had attended Niles grade and high schools and was active in school and social affairs of the younger set.

George S. Shaw
May 4, 1864-March 6, 1940

Niles Daily Star, Wednesday, March 6, 1940, page 2, col. 3, microfilm Niles District Library

George S. Shaw, Former 4 Flags Employe, Dead

George S. Shaw, 75, an engineer at the Four Flags hotel for 10 years, died this morning at 5 in the home of his daughter, Mrs. Harold Steigely, 908 East Main street. Mr. Shaw had been ill six months and in serious condition the last two months of internal carcinoma.

He was born May 4, 1864, in Connellsville, Pa., and came here 20 years ago from Springfield, O. He was married in 1888 in Indianapolis to Lena Walter who died April 11, 1922. Mr. Shaw had been superintendent of the Indiana Switch and Frog Manufacturing company in Springfield for 28 years before coming to Niles.

He is survived by four children, Walter Shaw, Crescent City, Calif.; George S. Shaw, Jr., Detroit; Mrs. Florence Baldwin, St. Joseph, and Mrs. Steigely. A sister, Mrs. E.B. Clawson, Slatersville, W.V.; a brother, C.B. Shaw, Springfield, O., and three grandchildren also survive.

Friends may call at the Rutherford funeral home. Arrangements for the service are incomplete.

Frank Blanchard
July 17, 1882-March 4, 1940

Niles Daily Star, Tuesday, March 5, 1940, page 2, col. 3, microfilm Niles District Library

Frank Blanchard, 57, Taken by Death, to be Buried Friday

Frank Blanchard, 57, of Route 2, a resident of the community all his life, died in Cass county hospital Monday after several years' illness.

Mr. Blanchard leaves a sister, Mrs. May Batzel, Route 2, and three brothers, George J., Russell and Burton, all of route 2, near Niles.

He was born July 17, 1882, at the family home near Niles.

The body was taken to the Price and Kiger funeral home where services will be held Friday afternoon at 2. Burial will be in Silverbrook cemetery.

Hiram Mortimer Babcock
June 19, 1853-Oct. 12, 1924

Niles Daily Star, Monday, October 13, 1924, page 1, col. 7-8, microfilm Niles District Library

H.M. Babcock, Dies Suddenly, Early Sunday

When Hiram Mortimer Babcock, 202 Parkway, failed to respond when his sister, Mrs. Emma White, called him about 5 o'clock on Sunday, she went to his room and found him dead.  She had called to him after hearing him make a choking sound. Mrs. White, who will soon be 79 years old, in spite of the shock, hastened to the home of a neighbor to summon a physician and her relatives.

The physician attributed death to a stroke of apoplexy. Mr. Babcock had been in ill health since he returned to Niles last April, after spending the winter in Florida, but his condition was not considered serious of late and he had on Saturday worked with his brother, James, on the latter's farm throughout the day, and had seemed apparently in his usual health.

The death of Mr. Babcock removes a life-long and highly esteemed resident of Niles or vicinity. He was born June 19, 1853, on the Babcock homestead a mile and one-half west of Niles, where James Babcock now resides, and was one of the sixteen children of Hiram Babcock, who cleared the farm for his home, and who with his wife endured the hardships incidental to the early days of Niles history, working diligently and implanting in their children the desire to be worthy citizens of their community. Eleven of the children grew to manhood and womanhood, and of those but two survive their brother Hiram. They are Mrs. White, who for eleven years has made her home with him, and James Babcock, who resides on the old homestead.  Besides the brother and sister, Mr. Babcock is survived by the following nieces and nephews: Mrs. Charles Hess and Loren Babcock, Niles; Mrs. Homer Martin of Hartford City, Ind.; Mrs. Melvin Frame, South Bend.  Rome Babcock, a brother of the deceased died a few months ago.

Mr. Babcock was twice married. His first wife was Emma La Pierre. The one child born to them died in infancy, and its mother died soon afterward. Mr. Babcock married Mrs. Dora Wolf for his second wife. She died 10 years ago.

The deceased had no fraternal relations. He was a carpenter by trade, and was well known as a faithful and conscientious workman.  He had acquired considerable property and only recently had purchased a large tract in the Delahunt addition in west Niles, and with his brother, had planned to do extensive building there in the spring. He was a lover of nature, and took special pleasure in making his home and surroundings attractive.

The funeral services will be held on Tuesday afternoon at 2 o'clock at the home. Rev. Alfred Trenerry, pastor of the Baptist church where Mr. Babcock had faithfully worshiped for many years, will officiate. Burial will take place in Silver Brook cemetery.