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.

Flint, Velma D.

Velma D. Flint
Aug. 26, 1900-July 13, 1972


Niles Daily Star, Friday, July 14, 1972, page 2, col. 6, microfilm Niles District Library

NILES--Mrs. Velma D. Flint, 71, of 1013 Ferry St., died at 10:30 a.m. Thursday in St. Joseph's Hospital, South Bend, where she has been a patient since Sunday.

Born Aug. 26, 1900, in Decatur, Mich., she came here in 1908. On Nov. 24, 1917, in Crown Point, Ind., she married Walter Flint, who survives.

Also surviving are five sons, Richard, Eugene and Jerry all of Niles, Walter of Chicago, and Duane of South Bend; three daughters, Mrs. Beverly Austin of Niles, Mrs. Nelson Hill of Granger, Ind. and Mrs. Shirley Bryant of Oakland, Calif.; a brother, Orman Copley of Niles; three sisters, Mrs. Alene Stewart, Mrs. Hortense Moffett and Mrs. Joyce Hoover, all of Niles, 14 grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.

Funeral services will be held at 1 p.m. Saturday in the Pifer Funeral Home with the Rev. Theodis Hadley of the Canaan Baptist Church, Elkhart, Ind., officiating. Burial will be in Silverbrook Cemetery.

Friends may call after 6 this evening at the funeral home.

 

Pargo, Moxie (Lauderdale)

Moxie Pargo
Sept. 5, 1920-Dec. 30, 1979

Niles Daily Star, Wednesday, January 2, 1980, page 2, col. 5-6, microfilm Niles District Library

NILES--Moxie Pargo, 59, of 536 Lake St., died at 7:25 a.m. Sunday at Pawating Hospital.

A homemaker, she was born Sept. 5, 1920 in Forrest City, Ark., and came here from Chicago in 1972.

Survivors include two brothers, Charles Lauderdale Jr. of Chicago, and James Lauderdale of South Bend; four sisters, Mrs. Beatrice Kelley of Benton Harbor, Earmer Lee Berry, Mrs. Pauline Mayo, and Roberta Robinson, all of Niles; godsons Myron Ervin Theus of South Bend and Donald Berry of Niles; and several nieces and nephews in the Niles area.

She was a member of the Bethlehem Baptist Church.

Funeral services will be at 1:30 p.m Friday at the Mt. Olive Missionary Baptist Church  with the Rev. James Kidrey of the Bethlehem Baptist Church officiating. Burial will be at Silverbrook Cemetery.

Friends may call after 4 p.m. Thursday at the Pifer-Smith Funeral Home.

 

Smith, Ralph C. "Mike"

Ralph C. Smith
Aug. 21, 1912-Jan. 2, 1980


Niles Daily Star, Wednesday, January 2, 1980, page 2, col. 6-7, microfilm Niles District Library

NILES--Ralph C. (Mike) Smith, 67, of 525 Laurel Drive, died at 6:55 a.m. today at Pawating Hospital, following an illness of 11 days.

He was a member of the Trinity Episcopal Church, the Orchard Hills Country Club, the Elks Lodge, and the Pickwick Club, and was a World War II Army veteran.

Mr. Smith was born Aug. 21, 1912 in Niles, and had lived here his lifetime.

On July 12, 1969 in Niles he married Jacqueline Norris, who survives.

Also surviving are a son, Peter W. Smith of Niles; a step-son, Rev. Michael Malone of Springfield, Va.; two daughters, Mrs. Shelley W. Julius and Mrs. Victoria K. Aaron, both of Perrysburg, Ohio; a step-daughter, Miss Kathleen Malone of Niles; a sister, Mrs. Helen J. Stark of Niles; and six grandchildren.

Memorial services will be at noon Friday at the Trinity Episcopal Church with the Rev. Vincent J. Anderson of Trinity Episcopal Church and the Rt. Rev. Msgr. John D. Slowey, pastor of St. Mary's Catholic Church, officiating. Burial will be at Silverbrook Cemetery.

There will be no visitation. Funeral arrangements are being handled by the Halbritter Funeral Home.

Memorials may be made to the Niles Community Library.

 

Stark, Harry W.

Harry W. Stark
July 23, 1895-Dec. 31, 1979


Niles Daily Star, Wednesday, January 2, 1980, page 2, col. 7-8, microfilm Niles District Library

Harry W. Stark, 84, of 732 Hickory St., died at 8:04 p.m. Monday at Pawating Hospital following an extended illness.

Mr. Stark was born July 23, 1895, in South Bend, and was a lifetime resident of the Niles area. He was a World War I veteran of the U.S. Army and a 50-year member of the St. Joseph Valley Lodge Number 4, Free and Accepted Masons. He was retired from the Studebaker Corp.

On Sept. 1, 1917, in South Bend, he married Helen J. Smith. She survives, along with several nieces and nephews in the area.

Full Masonic Rites will be conducted at 10:30 a.m. Friday at the Halbritter Funeral Home by members of the St. Joseph Valley Lodge. Burial will follow in Silverbrook Cemetery.

Friends may call from 2-4 p.m. and from 7-9 p.m. Thursday at the Halbritter Funeral Home.

 

Woodruff, Maehue

Maehue Woodruff
March 19, 1906-Jan. 2, 1980

Niles Daily Star, Wednesday, January 2, 1980, page 2, col. 5, microfilm Niles District Library

NILES--Mrs. Maehue Woodruff, 73, of 449 Gumwood Road, died at 8:30 a.m. today at the Paul Stephen Nursing Home.

Funeral arrangements are incomplete at the Halbritter Funeral Home.


Niles Daily Star, Thursday, January 3, 1980, page 2, col. 2, microfilm Niles District Library

NILES--Mrs. Maehue T. Woodruff, 73, of 449 Gumwood Road, died at 8:30 a.m. Wednesday at the Paul Stephan Nursing Home, following an extended illness.

A member of the Franklin AME Church, she was a retired poultry sales employee.  She was born March 19, 1906 in Livingston, Ala., and had lived here since 1944 coming from Chicago, Ill.

Her husband, Clarence Woodruff, died June 15, 1958.

Survivors include a sister, Miss Fannie Lee Tankersley of Niles.

Funeral services will be at 11 a.m.  Saturday at the Halbritter Funeral Home with the Rev. Charles E. Wilson of the Franklin AME Church officiating. Burial will be at Silverbrook Cemetery.

Friends may call after 7 p.m. Friday at the funeral home, where a wake service will be held from 7-8 p.m. Friday.

 

Goldfuss, Charles Fred

Charles Fred Goldfuss
July 6, 1878-March 21, 1971


Niles Daily Star, Monday, March 22, 1971, page 2, col. 2, microfilm Niles District Library

NILES--Charles Fred Goldfuss, 92, of 2463 Dick St., died at 2:52 a.m. Monday in Pawating Hospital, after being in poor health for some time.

A retired repairman for the Penn  Central Railroad, Mr. Goldfuss was born July 6, 1878, in Bertrand Township, and had lived in this area all his life. His wife, Melissa, died in 1960. He was a member of the Brotherhood of Railway Carmen.

Survivors, in addition to his wife, are a son, Harry of Fallbrook, Calif.; a daughter, Mrs. Harold Bates of Niles; a sister, Katherine of Bridgman; two half-sisters, Mrs. Orville Williams of Niles and Mrs. Irene Jerue of Galien; four grandchildren; four great-grandchildren and one great-great-grandchild.

Funeral services will be held at 3 p.m. , Wednesday in the Pifer Funeral Home, with the Rev. Theodore Laesch of St. Paul's Lutheran Church officiating. Burial will be in Silverbrook Cemetery.

Friends may call after 7 tonight at the funeral home.

 

Marston, Viola M. (Wilcox)

Viola M. Marston
May 27, 1878-June 14, 1965


Niles Daily Star, Tuesday, June 15, 1965, page 2, col. 2, microfilm Niles District Library

Mrs. Viola M. Marston, 87, of 310 Cass St., died at 10:20 p.m. Monday in Berrien General Hospital, Berrien Center, where she had been a patient 16 days. She had been ill two and one-half months.

Mrs. Marston was born May 27, 1878, in Grand Mound, Iowa. She came to Niles from that city in 1883. As Viola Wilcox she was married Nov. 16, 1898 in South Bend to Delano S. Marston. He died July 31, 1950.

Survivors include three sons, Joseph, Niles; Harold, St. Joseph; and Carl, Albuquerque, N.M.; five grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.

Funeral services will be conducted at 3:30 p.m. Thursday in the Halbritter-Swem Funeral Home. Jerome Farmer, First Church of Christ Scientist reader, will officiate. Burial will be in Silverbrook Cemetery.

Friends are being received at the funeral home.