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.

Coffinger, Anna A.

Anna A. Coffinger
Feb. 2, 1863-May 13, 1941


Niles Daily Star, Wednesday, May 14, 1941, page 2, col 3, microfilm Niles Daily Star


Mrs. Coffinger, Native of Niles, Dies at Oshtemo

 

Mrs. Anna A. Coffinger, 814 Howard street, died Tuesday afternoon at 1:50 in Pinecrest sanitarium in Oshtemo after an illness of 18 months. She was born in Niles Feb. 2, 1863.

She is survived by two sons, Albert and Ralph, and a daughter, Mrs. Mary Bidwell, Niles and another daughter, Mrs. Margaret Bectner, Grand Rapids;a brother, Will Lemmerhart, California; and a sister, Mrs. Minnie Brock.

Friends may call at the Price and Kiger funeral home where services will be conducted Friday afternoon at 2 with the Rev. G.W. Simon officiating. Burial will be in Silverbrook cemetery.

 

Coffinger, Albert B.

Albert B. Coffinger
Aug. 28, 1899-Dec.26, 1966


Niles Daily Star, Tuesday, December 27, 1966, page 2, col. 3, microfilm Niles District Library

Albert B. Coffinger, 77, of 622 S. 5th St., died at 4 p.m. Monday at Memorial Hospital, South Bend, where he had been a patient for one day.

He was born Aug. 28, 1899, in Niles and had lived here all his life. He retired in 1954 from the Kawneer Company, where he was a member of the 25-Year Club.

Survivors include five sons, Frank, Thomas and Russell, all of Niles, Henry of Buchanan and Paul of Berrien Springs; three daughters, Mrs. Francis Nichols, Niles, Mrs. Loren Mesaros, South Bend, and Mrs. Charles Curtis, Cassopolis; a brother, Ralph, Niles; a sister, Mrs.Margaret Beckner, Wyoming; 15 grandchildren; and seven great-grandchildren.

Friends may call at the Pifer Funeral Home, where funeral services will be held at 2 p.m. Thursday. Burial will be in Silverbrook Cemetery.

 

Gault, Sarah E.

Sarah E. Gault
Dec. 5, 1878-May 21, 1941


Niles Daily Star, Wednesday, May 21, 1941, page 2, col. 1, microfilm Niles District Library

Mrs. Sarah E. Gault, 62, died this morning at 3:15 in the home of her sister, Mrs. Abe Harrod, at 925 Michigan street. Mrs. Harrod is her only survivor.

Mrs. Gault was born Dec. 5, 1878, in Kentucky and come here from Ohio 38 years ago. She was a member of the Second Baptist church of Niles.

Friends may call at the Price and Kiger funeral home where services will be conducted Friday afternoon at 2. The Rev. L.L. Lemmons will officiate and burial will be in Silverbrook cemetery.

 

Brown, Arnold Mac

Arnold Mac Brown
Feb. 23 1916-Dec. 16, 1966


Niles Daily Star, Friday, December 16, 1966, page 2, col. 1, microfilm Niles District Library

Arnold Mac Brown, 1219 Fair Oaks South, died at 2:13 a.m., today in Pawating Hospital where he was admitted Monday. Funeral arrangements are being completed at the Pifer Funeral Home.

Niles Daily Star, Saturday, December 17, 1966, page 2, col. 3-4, microfilm Niles District Library

Funeral services for Arnold M. Brown, 50, of 1219 Fair Oaks, who died Friday, will be at 2 p.m., Monday in the Fulkerson Park Baptist Church.

The Rev. Larry Whiteford, pastor, will officiate. Burial will be in Silverbrook Cemetery, with military committal rites by American Legion Post 26.

Mr. Brown, a machinist at the National-Standard company, was born Feb. 23, 1916, in Salem, Ill. He came to Niles from Mishawaka in 1961. Surivivors[sic] include his wife, Lacy; his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Hezikiah Brown, Peoria, Ill.; four sons, Jack and Jeffrey, both of Salem, Ore., Jerry, Ashville, N.C., and James, at home; two daughters, Mrs. Thomas Nied, Gary, Ind., and Jeannine Brown, at home; two brothers, Ira D., Davenport, Iowa, and Eugene, Binghamton, N.Y.; two sisters, Norma Allison, also of Binghamton, and Mrs. James Sellers, Chicago; and five grandchildren.

Friends will  be received at the Pifer Funeral Home after 7 p.m. today.

 

Marks, Raymond T.

Raymond T. Marks
July 15, 1901-Dec. 16, 1966


Niles Daily Star, Saturday, December 17, 1966, page 2, col. 4, microfilm Niles District Library

Raymond T. Marks, 65, of 1015 N. 8th St., died at 2:45 p.m., Friday in Pawating Hospital, where he had been a patient a day.

Mr. Marks was born July 15, 1901, in Jalapa, Ind. and lived most of his lifetime in this community.

Survivors include his wife, Helen L.; two daughters, Mrs. Donald Elrod and Mrs. Robert Holmes, both of Niles; and three grandchildren.

Funeral services will be conducted at 2 p.m., Tuesday in the Pifer Funeral Home. The Rev. Larry Whiteford, pastor of the Fulkerson Park Baptist Church, will officiate.

Burial will be in Silverbrook Cemetery.

Friends will be received at the Pifer Funeral Home after noon Sunday.

 

White, Mae Florence

Mae Florence White
March 29, 1877-Dec. 18, 1966


Niles Daily Star, Monday, December 19, 1966, page 2, col. 1-2, microfilm Niles District Library

Funeral services for Mae Florence White, 89, of 1404 Mould Ave., will be at 2 p.m., Wednesday in the Pifer Funeral Home.  The Rev. E.G. Kolenda, pastor of the Faith Tabernacle, Mishawaka, will officiate.

Miss White died at 3:10 p.m., Sunday in Berrien General Hospital, Berrien Center, where she had been a patient since August, 1965.

She was born March 29, 1877, in St. Joseph, and came to Niles from Benton Harbor three years ago.

Surviving are a half-brother, Dan Copeland, Benton Harbor; and several nieces and nephews.

Friends will be received at the funeral home after 4 p.m., Tuesday.

 

 

Ranft, Herman L.

Herman L. Ranft
Aug. 23, 1905-April 28, 1958


Niles Daily Star, Tuesday, April 29, 1958, page 2, col. 5, microfilm Niles District Library

Herman L. Ranft, 52, 0f 715 Brown Street, retired Niles businessman, died at 3 p.m. Monday on arrival at Pawating Hospital.

Mr. Ranft, who had been [in] the trucking business for

30 years in the city, was born Aug. 23, 1905, in Niles. He was the former owner of the B. & R. Trucking firm. He was a member of the Niles Elks Lodge, St. Mary's Catholic Church and the Niles Fraternal Order of Police.

Surviving are his widow, Helen; two sons, Robert Ranft, of Niles, and Richard Ranft, of Big Rapids, Mich.; three grandchildren, and two sisters, Mrs. William F. Woods and Mrs. James Lewellen, both of Niles.

Funeral services will be conducted at 10 a.m.  Thursday at St. Mary's Catholic Church with the pastor, the Rev. Cletus Rose, officiating.  Burial will be in Silverbrook Cemetery. The Rosary will be recited at 8 p.m. Wednesday in the Pifer Funeral Home here where friends may call.