Obituaries

Grace Lewis
July 25, 1933-July 10, 1972

Niles Daily Star, Tuesday, July 11, 1972, page 2, col. 4, microfilm Niles District Library

NILES--Mrs. Grace Lewis, 38, of 3047 Carberry Rd., died at 3:30 p.m. Monday in Pawating Hospital after a brief illness.

An employe of the Four Flags Hotel, Mrs. Lewis was born July 25, 1933, in Round Pond, Ark., and had lived here for 25 years, coming from Caruthersville, Mo.  On Feb. 5, 1950, she married Eddie Lewis, who survives.

Also surviving are her mother, Mrs. Mary Ann Seawood of Niles; four brothers, Lewis and Ause Seawood of Benton Harbor and Marvin and Charles Seawood of Chicago and three sisters, Mrs. Pearl Capers of South Bend, Mrs. Louise White of East St. Louis,Ill., and Mrs. Coetelia McKinney of Chicago.

Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m. Thursday in the Mt. Olive Missionary Baptist Church, with the Rev. E.J. Jones officiating. Burial will be in Silverbrook Cemetery.

Friends may call after 7 tonight at the Pifer Funeral Home.

Clarence W. Manthe
July 13, 1904-Jan. 31, 1980

Niles Daily Star, Thursday, January 31, 1980, page 2, col. 8, microfilm Niles District Library

Clarence W. Manthe, 75, of 1901 Walton Road, died at 8:15 a.m. today at Pawating Hospital following a brief illness.

Mr. Manthe was born July 13, 1904, in Kewanee, Ill. He came to the Niles area in 1935 from Chicago, Ill. He [was a] railway mail clerk and retired in 1964 from the U.S. Postal Service.

He was a member of the Elks Lodge No. 1322, the St. Joseph Valley Masonic Lodge No. 4, the Order of Eastern Star, the Ancient Accepted Scottish Rites of Grand Rapids, the Niles Commandery No. 12, Knights Templar, and the St. Joseph Valley Chapter No. 2 Royal Arch Masons, Niles.

On Oct. 27, 1953, he married Verda D. Cozart in Niles. She survives.

Also surviving is a daughter, Virginia Manthe, of Miami, Fla.

Masonic rites will be conducted at 2 p.m. Saturday at the Pifer-Smith Funeral Home by members of the St. Joseph Valley Lodge No. 4.

Burial will follow in Silverbrook Cemetery.

Friends may call after 4 p.m. Friday at the funeral home.

Ray I. Martin
Sept. 10, 1899-Jan. 23, 1980

Niles Daily Star, Thursday, January 24, 1980, page 2, col. 2, microfilm Niles District Library

Ray I. Martin, 80, 0f 202 E. Bertrand Road, died at 6:00 a.m. Wednesday at Riveridge Manor Nursing Home following an extended illness.

Mr. Martin was born Sept 10, 1899, in Dayton, Ohio. He came to Niles area in 1951 from Vista, Calif. He was retired from Modineer Co.

On Dec. 31, 1938, in South Bend, he married Jeanette Keller. She survives.

Other survivors include two sons, James K.Martin of Piqua, Ohio, and William I. Martin of Portage, and one grandson.

Funeral services will be at 1 p.m. Saturday at the Halbritter Funeral Home with the Rev. Arnold O. Schaap of Edwardsburg officiating.  Burial will follow in Silverbrook Cemetery.

Friends may call from 2-4 and 7-9 p.m. Friday at the funeral home. Memorials may be given to the Multiple Sclerosis Society or the Brandywine Athletic Booster Club.

Artis Moffett
Nov. 28, 1892-July 2, 1972

Niles Daily Star, Monday, July 3, 1972, page 2, col. 1, microfilm Niles District Library

NILES--Artis Moffett, 79, 0f 816 Lake St., died at 6:15 p.m. Sunday in the Michigan Skillled Care Center, where he had been a patient since May 23.

He was a retired employe of the New York Central Railroad. Born Nov. 28, 1892, in Moffettville, Ala., he had lived here since 1923 coming from Chicago.

On Dec. 24, 1939, in South Bend, he married the former Hortense Copley, who survives.

He was a member of John W. Moore Masonic Lodge and the NAACP.

In addition to his wife, he is survived by two daughters, Mrs. Emma Jackson of Canton, Ohio, and Mrs. Joseph McCrackin of Albion, Mich.; a brother, Scott of Penscola,Fla., two sisters, Mrs. Lucille Crumb of Pensacola and Mrs. Lula Beard of Wilmer, Ala., three grandchildren and one great-grandchild.

Funeral services will be held at 1 p.m. Wednesday in the Pifer Funeral Home, with the Rev. C.E. Wilson of the Franklin AME Church officiating. Burial will be the Silverbrook Cemetery, with Masonic rites by the John W. Moore Lodge.

Friends may call after 4 p.m. Tuesday at the funeral home.

George Ross
Aug. 27, 1891-July 8, 1972

Niles Daily Star, Monday, July 10, 1972, page 2, col. 4-5, microfilm Niles District Library

NILES--George Ross, 80, of 1601 Clarendon Ave., died at 12:15 a.m. Saturday in Pawating Hospital after an illness of two weeks.

A retired employe of the New York Central Railroad, Mr. Ross was born Aug. 27, 1891, in Oak Harbor, Ohio, and had lived her 46 years, coming from Marshall.  On Feb. 24, 1958, in St. Joseph, he married the former Julietta Baird, who survives.

Mr. Ross was the chairman of the Maintenance of Way employes Brotherhood, a life member of the Niles Masonic Lodge and a member of the Order of Eastern Star, Maccabees and the Knight Templar.

In addition to his wife, Mr. Ross is survived by four stepsons, Owen Michael, Norman Baird and Jerry Baird, all of Niles, and John Baird of Grand Forks, N.D.; six stepdaughters, Mrs. Howard (Madeline) Keltz, Mrs. Charles (Violet) Cronin, Mrs. Gloria Jackson, Mrs. Marvin (Leola) Sheldon and Mrs. Shirley Wickler, all of Niles, and Mrs. James (Mary) Deitrich of St. Joseph, 29 grandchildren and 13 great-grandchildren.

Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m. Tuesday in the Pifer Funeral Home, with the Rev. Larry Whiteford of the Fulkerson Park Baptist Church officiating.  Burial will be in Silverbrook Cemetery, with the St. Joseph Valley Masonic Lodge in charge of committal services.

Friends may call at the funeral home.

Flora Smith
1874-Jan. 9, 1892

Niles Daily Sun, Monday, January 11, 1892, page 4, col. 2, microfilm Niles District Library

Miss Flora Smith, daughter of Mr.and Mrs. Geo. Smith, died Saturday evening of diptheria, and was buried in Silver Brook cemetery Sunday afternoon at 1 o'clock. She was 17 years of age.

Niles Mirror, Wednesday, January 13, 1892, page 5, col. 3, microfilm Niles District Library; same was published in Niles Daily Star, Monday, January 11, 1892, page 3.

Miss Flora, aged 17 years, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Geo. Smith, of Niles, died at 11 o'clock Saturday night of diptheria. She was buried on Sunday.  It was a difficult matter to get pall bearers to convey the remains to the cemetery, but four young men volunteered to do so, as follows:  Robert Hughes, W. Morris, Joe Charlton, Elijah Burt.

Niles Republican, Thursday, February 18, 1892, page 5, col. 2, microfilm Niles District Library

The funeral services of Miss Flora, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. George Smith of this city, will be held at the M.E. church Sunday afternoon at 3 o'clock, Feb. 21.

(Note: There is some confusion caused by these newspapers notices which give varying dates of death.)