Sylvia (Murphy) Blanchard
May 13, 1880-April 3, 1947

Niles Daily Star, Friday, April 4, 1947, page 2, col. 5, microfilm Niles District Library

Mrs. Blanchard Succumbs

Mrs. V.J. Blanchard, 66, passed away on April 3 at her home in Berrien township after an extended illness.

Born on May 13, 1880, near Berrien Center, she was the former Sylvia Murphy.  She was married to Virgil J. Blanchard on Sept. 17, 1902.

She leaves her husband; two daughters, Mrs. Margaret Trattles, and Mrs. Mary Miller, Niles; two grand children; a brother, H.C. Murphy, Indianapolis, Ind., and two sisters, Mrs. Ada Peterson and Mrs. Alice Miller, Berrien Center.

Services will be held Saturday at 2:30 p.m. in the Bowerman funeral home at Eau Claire, with interment at Silverbrook cemetery.  The body will lie in state in the funeral home until the hour of services.

Edgar E. Benhard
Sept. 6, 1864-April 29, 1950

Niles Daily Star, Monday, May 1, 1950, page 2, col. 5, microfilm Niles District Library

Edgar E. Benhard, 83, of rural route six, died at 12:10 p.m. Saturday in the Cass county hospital near Cassopolis.

Surviving are two daughters, Mrs. Paul McManus, of Niles, and Mrs. Arthur Sayles, of Alliance, O., and two sisters, Mrs. Ernest Blood, of Passaic, N.J. and Mrs. Albert Kuppernuss, of Elkhart, Ind.

Friends may call at the Pifer funeral home. Services will be at 2 p.m. Tuesday at the Pifer funeral home with the Rev. T.M. Greenhoe officiating. Burial will be in Silverbrook cemetery.

Hazel Woods
Feb. 23, 1902-Nov. 1975

Niles Daily Star, Monday, November 24, 1975, page 2, col. 2, microfilm Niles District Library

NILES--Funeral services for Mrs. Hazel W. Woods, 73, will be held at 1:30 p.m. Tuesday at the Halbritter Funeral Home. She died suddenly at her home in South Bend.

Mrs. Woods was born Feb. 23, 1902, in Spencer County, Ind., and had lived in this area all her life.

Surviving are a son, Jack of Niles; a daughter, Mrs. Dale (Wanda) Witham of Niles; a brother, R.E. Wilson of McLean, Va.; sister, Mrs. Lillian Widener of Louisville, Ky., and four grandchildren.

The Rev. John R. Wingarden, pastor of the First Presbyterian Church, will officiate at the services and burial will be in Silverbrook Cemetery.

Clare B. Harrison
1883-Nov. 23, 1975

Niles Daily Star, Monday, November 24, 1975, page 2, col. 1-2, microfilm Niles District Library

Niles--Mrs. Clare B. Harrison, 251 Cass St., died at 7:45 a.m. Sunday at Pawating Hospital following an extended illness. A retired employe of the Masonic Service Assn., she had lived in this area all her life. She was a member of Trinity Episcopal; Church. Her husband, Merrill, died in 1932.

Surviving are two nephews, Frank and Rex Barron, and a niece, Mrs. Robert Long, all of Niles.

Graveside services will be conducted at 10 a.m. Tuesday at Silverbrook Cemetery by the Very Rev. Vincent J. Anderson, pastor of Trinity Episcopal.  Arrangements were made by the Halbritter Funeral Home.

Jane Ann Harrison
1797-May 26, 1875

Niles Democrat, Saturday, June 5, 1875, page 3, col. 4, microfilm Niles District Library

DIED

MRS. JANE ANN HARRISON, widow of the late John Harrison, at the residence of Henry Rounds, in this city, May 26, aged 78 years.

She was a native of the Isle of Man, and came to America in 1828, and to Niles in 1869.  Mrs. H. had been a consistant[sic] member of the Methodist Episcopal Church for 60 years. During her long and industrious life she had acquired a large fund of general knowledge which her retentive memory held in store, and enabled her to use, for the edification of her friends and the benefit of the community.  She leaves a son and four daughters.

Raleigh ‘RyRy’ Franco, 4
May 25, 2007 — March 9, 2012

Niles Daily Star, Published 10:55pm Tuesday, March 13, 2012

Raleigh Franco

Raleigh Ashlyn Franco, 4, of Niles, passed away peacefully at Memorial Hospital in South Bend, with her family by her side, on Friday, March 9, 2012. Raleigh “Ry Ry” was born to Xavier and NaShawn Franco on May 25, 2007, in Niles.

She was a preschool student of Tri-County Head Start, where she loved to color and paint pictures of her family and friends. She was well-known for her beautiful smile and warm personality, but many close to “Ry Ry” knew her best by her love for music, singing and dancing. She truly loved hanging out at her “Gama” Linda’s hair salon, where she was often pampered with manicures and pedicures.

Above all, she was daddy’s little girl.

Preceding Raleigh were her great-great-grandparents, James and Tillie Anderson, and great-grandparents, Willie Travier, Pauline Coleman Travier, Betty J. Kirkendoll, Maurice Ulysses Miller; and her grandmother, Deborah Denise Travier–Franco.

She is survived by her great-great-grandmother; Audell Miller of Chicago; great-grandparents, Fannie Davis Miller of Niles, Perry Gene Kirkendoll of Elkhart; her grandparents, Eucebio “Jimmy” and Linda Evelyn Franco, Rodney and Linda Kirkendoll of Niles; and her parents, Xavier and NaShawn Franco of Niles. She is also survived by a sister, Kennedi Kimyia Franco, of Niles; close uncle, Rodney Rene Kirkendoll Jr.; and close aunt, Kyla Renese Kirkendoll, of Niles; and a host uncles, aunts, cousins and family friends.

Funeral services will be held Saturday, March 17, at 10 a.m. at Mt. Calvary Baptist Church in Niles with Pastor James Hightower, of Benton Harbor, officiating. A time for visitation will begin one hour prior.

An interment will follow the service at Silverbrook Cemetery, in Niles.

Donations can be made to the Raleigh A. Franco Memorial Fund at Fifth Third Bank.