Obituaries

Lawrence Benton Matthews
June 18, 1920-Nov. 17, 1984

Niles Daily Star, Monday, November 19, 1984, page 2, col. 2-3, microfilm Niles District Library

Lawrence Benton Matthews, 64, of 58376 Smith Lake Dr., Dowagiac, died Saturday at his home after a short illness.

He was born June 18, 1920 in Summittville, Tenn., and had lived in Dowagiac 10 years, moving there from Niles. He was production foreman at Modineer Co. and was a WWII Army Air Force veteran.

He married Eunice A. Bates on Dec. 24, 1959 in Niles. She survives.

Also surviving are five daughters, Sharon Matthews and Berneth Hollanderski of Niles, Carmen Smith of McMinnville, Tenn., Linda Fahlsing of Indianapolis and Ruth Nieuwland of Salt Lake City, Utah; three sons, David of Niles, Alvin of Dowagiac and Daryle of Edwardsburg; three brothers, Kenneth of Arizona and Fred and Glen of Niles; a sister Edith McIntyre of Niles; and 19 grandchildren.

Services will be held Tuesday at 10:30 a.m. at the Pifer-Smith Funeral Home. Rev. Fred Smith of the South Niles Community church will officiate. Friends may call from 7 to 9 p.m.m today at the Pifer-Smith Funeral Home.

Myrtle Holmes
Oct. 23, 1893-Nov. 7, 1978

Niles Daily Star, Wednesday, November 8, 1978, page 2, col. 5-6, microfilm Niles District Library

BUCHANAN- Myrtle Holmes, 85, 507 W. Front St., Buchanan, died at 12:50 p.m. Tuesday at Pawating Hospital after a long illness.

She was  born Oct. 23, 1893, in Berrien Springs. She married Charles E. Holmes on Aug. 26, 1930, in LaPorte, Ind. He preceded her in death in 1964.

Survivors include three stepsons, Frank Holmes of Dalton, Ga., George Holmes of Niles and Charles Holmes of Chicago; two stepdaughters, Mrs. Carolyn Bernard of Sawyer and Mrs. Unis Nichols of Glendora, Calif.; a sister-in-law, Mrs. Frances Holmes of South Bend, and a niece, Lucille Riland of Niles.

Funeral services will be at 1:30 p.m. Thursday at the Pifer-Smith Funeral Home, Burial will follow in Silverbrook Cemetery.

Friends may call after 7 p.m. today.

Delbert D. Fox Sr.
July 25, 1900-Dec. 29, 1984

Niles Daily Star, Monday, December 31, 1984, page 2, col. 2-3, microfilm Niles District Library

Delbert D. Fox, Sr. 84, 1924 River Bluff, died at 11:13 p.m. Friday at Pawating Hospital following an extended illness.

He was a retired employee of Davis Products.

Born July 25, 1900 in Berrien Springs, he was a lifetime area resident.

On Aug. 13, 1924 in St. Joseph, he married Lillian N. Dunn, who survives.

Also surviving are a son, Delbert D. Fox Jr. of Niles; two daughters, Mrs. Mary Jane Harker of Niles and Mrs. Gloria Hellingstine of South Bend; two brothers, W. Fay Fox of Buchanan and Clifford Fox of Berrien Springs; a sister, Mrs. Rosemary Rietz of Berrien Springs; 11 grandchildren; and eight great-grandchildren.

Services will be at 11 a.m. Wednesday at Halbritter Funeral Home with Rev. Arnold O. Schaap of Edwardsburg officiating.  Burial will be at Silverbrook Cemetery.

Friends may call from 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 p.m. Tuesday at the funeral home.

Memorials may be made to the Berrien County Cancer Service.

Mrs. Donnabelle Finney
Aug. 1, 1921-Dec. 29, 1984

Niles Daily Star, Monday, December 31, 1984, page 2, col. 3-4, microfilm Niles District Library

Mrs. Donnabelle Finney, 63, 709 Rynearson St., Buchanan, died at 3:34 p.m. Saturday at Pawating Hospital following an extended illness.

She was a member of the First Church of Christ Christian and the Senior Citizens Bowling League.

Born Aug. 1, 1921 in South Bend, she was a lifetime area resident.

On June 8, 1941 in South Bend, she married Orban Finney, who died Feb. 18, 1974.

Surviving are four daughters, Mrs. Dee Stewart, Mrs. Charlene Pierson, Mrs. Marlene Hunsberger and Mrs. Beverly McCavitt, all of Niles; two brothers, Theodore Roose of Mishawaka, Ind., and Robert Roose of Granger, Ind.; six sisters, Mrs. Mildred Bookmiller of Cleveland; Mrs. Evelyn Vancuren of Mishawaka; Mrs. Elizabeth Beckett of Hohenwald, Tenn., Mrs. Mary Jane Schrader of East Moline, Ill., and Mrs. Audrey Nicodemus and Mrs. Roberta Nemeth, both of South Bend; eight grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren.

A sister, Mrs. Helen Meyer, died last Friday.

Services will be at 2 p.m Wednesday at the First Church of Christ Christian with Brother Russell Ross of that church officiating. Burial will be at Silverbrook Cemetery.

Friends may call from 2 to 9 p.m. Tuesday at the Halbritter Funeral Home.

Memorials may be made to the First Church of Christ Christian Memorial Fund.

Richard Lee Anderson
April 2, 1925-Dec. 17, 1984

Niles Daily Star, Wednesday, December 19, 1984, page 2, col. 1-2, microfilm Niles District Library

Richard Lee Anderson, 59, of 4620 Proctor Rd., Sarasota, Fla., died at 10:15 a.m. , Monday, Dec. 17, at Sarasota Memorial Hospital following a brief illness.

Anderson, a self employed contractor, was born April 2, 1925 in Cassopolis, Mich.  He lived in the Niles-Cassopolis area until 1971 moving to Kalamazoo. He is survived by his former wife, Mildred A. Anderson of Sarasota.

Also surviving are his mother, Rose E. Anderson of Cassopolis; four sons, David M. Anderson, of Vicksburg, Mich., William S. of Chicago, Ill., Douglas P. of Sarasota, Fla., and Thomas G. of Sarasota, Fla. as well as one daughter, Mrs. Carol Parks, of Sarasota and one grandchild.

Services will be held Friday, Dec. 21, at 11 a.m. at the Halbritter Funeral Home.  The reverend Bradley Heiple of the Union Protestant Church in Dailey, Mich. will officiate. Friends may call at the funeral home from 2-4 and from 7-9 p.m., Thursday.  Burial will be held at Silverbrook Cemetery.

Sarah Blinka
Nov. 9, 1871-March 11, 1942

Niles Daily Star, Wednesday, March 11, 1942, page 2, col. 7, microfilm Niles District Library

Mrs. Sarah Blinka, Life Resident of Niles, Dies at 70

Mrs. Sarah Blinka, 70, of 609 North Front street, died this morning at 9:30 in the Berrien Center hospital after an illness of two years.  Death resulted from complications. She had been seriously ill for two months.

Survivors include a niece, Mrs. William Swartz, South Bend; a nephew, Harold George, Niles; two step-grandchildren, Miss Martha Hood, Niles; and Mrs. Flossie Wade, South Bend; and several great-nieces and great-nephews.

She was born Nov. 9, 1871, in Niles and lived here all her life. She was a member of the First Evangelical church.

Friends may call at the Rutherford funeral home.

Niles Daily Star, Thursday, March 12, 1942, page 2, col. 3, microfilm Niles District Library

BLINKA FUNERAL

The Rev. John Schurman, Ann Arbor, former pastor of the First Evangelical church here, will officiate at rites Friday afternoon at 3 in the Rutherford funeral home for Mrs. Sarah Blinka, 609 North Front street, who died Wednesday morning.  Burial will be in Silverbrook cemetery. Pallbearers will include William Edwards, Walter Martin, William Weiser, Chris Rader, Edward Hahn and Dennis Cook.

NB: The obits spell last name "Blinka" while the gravemarker at Silverbrook spells the name "Blimka".