Evan B. Shilladey
Sept. 13, 1870-Nov. 4, 1947

Niles Daily Star, Tuesday, December 2, 1947, page 2, col. 6, microfilm Niles District Library

BURY SHILLADEY ASHES

The ashes of Evan B. Shilladey, Los Gatos, Cal, formerly of Niles, were buried this afternoon in Silverbrook cemetery.

Mr. Shilladey died in Los Gatos Nov. 4. The ashes were returned to South Bend where a  brother, William, made burial arrangements.

Born in Niles in 1870, Mr. Shilladay married Jessie Willson who survives, in Chicago. They had no children. He was employed by the Big Four railroad as a telegraph operator.

June (Weatherspoon) Calder
June 6, 1913-Nov. 30, 1947


Niles Daily Star, Monday, December 1, 1947, page 2, col. 8, microfilm Niles District Library

CALDER RITES TUESDAY

Mrs. June Calder, 34, of 32 Marmont street, passed away at 1:30 a.m. Sunday at Pawating hospital, after an illness since last September.

Mrs. Calder is survived by her children, Miss Barbara and Robert Calder, Niles; her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Harry Weatherspoon. Niles; sisters, Mrs. Frank Wolkins, Niles; Mrs. Harl Robacher, Syracuse, N.Y., and Mrs. Edward VerWest, Los Angeles, Cal.; and a brother, Harry J. Weatherspoon, Barron lake.

The decedent was born in Niles on June 6, 1913, and has been a life-long resident here. She was a member of Daughters of America, who will meet at 1:45 p.m. Tuesday at Pifer's funeral home, where they will attend the funeral services.

Friends may call at the funeral home. Services will be held at 2 p.m. Tuesday by the Rev. L.George Beacock,. Burial will be in Silverbrook cemetery.

James Lewis Richardson
Aug. 18, 1863-Feb. 20, 1940

Niles Daily Star, Wednesday, February 21, 1940, page 2, col. 7, microfilm Niles District Library

J.L. RICHARDSON, PIONEER, STRICKEN

James Lewis Richardson, 76, a member of a pioneer Berrien county family, died Tuesday afternoon at 2:30 in his home, 524 South Fifth street, after an illness of six weeks.

Mr. Richardson was the father of 10 children, four of whom preceded him in death. Those surviving include Charles Richardson, Mrs. A. N. Cochran, Mrs. John Nevill, Niles; Arden Richardson, Buchanan; Mrs. Frank Reading, Gary, and Mrs. Audas Durflinger, Watervliet.

Two sisters and a brother, Mrs. Addie Stewart and Otis Richardson, Chicago, and Mrs. Edith Walker, St. Joseph, also survive with 15 grandchildren and one great grandchild.

Mr. Richardson was born in Derby, near St. Joseph, where his parents were pioneer settlers, Aug. 18, 1863. He was one of 10 children.  He moved here 21 years ago from Chesterton, Ind., and was employed by the Clark Equipment company from which he retired 10 years ago.

Friends may call at the Nevill home, 1414 Lake Lake street, until the hour of the funeral Friday afternoon at 2:30 in the Rutherford funeral home. The Rev. T.O. Lee, Watervliet, former pastor of the Niles Methodist church, and the Rev. J.Kenneth Hoffmaster will officiate.  Burial will be in Silverbrook cemetery.

Niles Daily Star, Thursday, February 22, 1940, page 2, col. 2, microfilm Niles District Library

Richardson Rites Friday

Members of the family will serve as pallbearers for the funeral of James Lewis Richardson, 76, Friday afternoon at 2:30 in the Rutherford funeral home. The body will be taken from the John Neville home at 1414 Lake street Friday morning to the funeral home. Mr. Richardson, a member of a pioneer Berrien county family, died Tuesday afternoon.

Hester A.Marks
Nov. 14,1856-Feb. 19, 1940

Niles Daily Star, Tuesday, February 20, 1940, page 2, col. 6, microfilm Niles District Library

A week's illness brought death Monday night to Mrs. Hester A. Marks who died at 6:30 in her home, 1609 Huron street. She was born in Dark county, Ohio, Nov. 14, 1856 and had lived in Niles the past 17 years.

Mrs. Marks was married July 8, 1884 in Treaty, Ind., to the late Thomas Marks. Survivors include three sons, George, Buchanan, and Harry and Raymond, Niles. She is also survived by 11 grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

Services will be conducted Wednesday afternoon at 2 in the Rutherford funeral home by the Rev. J. Kenneth Hoffmaster, pastor of the First Methodist Church. Burial will be in Silverbrook cemetery.

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.