Obituaries

Lloyd H. Blank
Aug. 18, 1899-Dec. 9, 1976

NILES--Lloyd H. Blank, 77, of 2476 U.S. 12 E., died at 11:30 a.m. Thursday at Pawating Hospital after an illness of six months.

Retiring from the New York Central Railroad in 1962 in Springville township, Ind. He moved to Niles in  1920 from Michigan City, Ind.

On June 24, 1920 in St. Joseph, he married Nellie M Lindborg, who survives.

Also surviving are three sons, Lloyd W., Dr. LaVern W. and Dr. William L., all of Niles; two daughters, Mrs. Marguerite Coble of Clearwater, Fla., and Mrs. George (Shirley) Elrod of Niles; a brother, Ben E. of Niles; two sisters, Mrs. Minnie Austin of Michigan City and Mrs. Bertis Martin of Indianapolis, Ind.; 11 grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.

Funeral services will be at 1:30 p.m. Monday at the First Presbyterian Church of Niles.  Burial will be in Silverbrook Cemetery.

Friends may call after 7 p.m. Saturday at the Pifer Chapel of  the Swem-Smith Funeral Home.

Niles Daily Star, Friday, December 10, 1976, page 2 col. 2-3, microfilm Niles District Library

Howard Stewart
May 2, 1906-Feb. 4, 1982

Howard Stewart, 75, of 1207 N. 8th St., Niles, died Thursday at Pawating Hospital after a short illness.

He was a U.S. Army veteran of World War II and a retired employee of the U.S. Post Office. He had lived in the area since 1932, coming from Elkhart, Ind.

He was born May 2, 1906 in Union City, Tennessee and married Alene Copley Nov. 12, 1942 in Niles. She survives.

Surviving are, Mrs. Audrey King, and Mrs. Florence Taylor of Niles, Mrs. Georgia Thomas, Mrs. Ruth Ivory, Mrs. Luella Chavis of Elkhart, all are sisters.  A brother, James Stewart, of Niles, also survives.

The Rev. W.L. Daniel of Mt. Calvary Baptist church will officiate at services at 2 p.m. Monday at the Pifer-Smith Funeral Home.  Burial will follow at Silverbrook Cemetery.

Niles Daily Star, Monday, February 8, 1982, page 2, col. 2-3, microfilm Niles District Library

Percy Gay
Sept. 23, 1894-April 12,1971

NILES--Percy Gay, 76, of 310 N. Ninth St., died at 3::35 a.m. today in Pawating Hospital, after a brief illness.

A retired employe of Clark Equipment Co., Mr. Gay was born Sept. 23, 1894, in Mexico Mo., and had lived her since 1923. His wife, the former Ella Crocker, survives.

Mr. Gay was a member of Mt. Calvary Baptist Church and chairman of the church board of trustees; the Eastern Star, Miriam chapter; the Niles branch of the NAACP and was a World War I veteran of the U.S. Army.

Also surviving are two daughters, Mrs. Helen Jones and Mrs. Mary Skinner, both of Niles, and five grandchildren.

Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m. Thursday in Mt. Calvary Baptist Church,  with the Rev. W.D. Daniel officiating. Burial will be in Silverbrook Cemetery.

Friends may call after 7 Tuesday night at the Halbritter Funeral Home.

The family requests that memorials be given to the Mt. Calvary Baptist Church Building Fund.

Niles Daily Star, Monday, April 12, 1971, page 2, col. 1, microfilm Niles District Library.

Ella M. Gay
Jan. 29, 1904-Feb. 6, 1982

Mrs. Ella M. Gay, 78, of 310 N. 9th St., Niles, died at 12:40 a.m. Saturday at Pawating Hospital following an extended illness.

She was a member of the Franklin A.M.E. Church and sewing and missionary circles of that church.

She was born Jan. 29, 1904 in Birmingham, Alabama. She lived in the area since 1949, coming from Chicago.

She married Percy Gay, Dec. 12, 1968 in Niles. He preceded her in death, April 12, 1971.

Surviving is Mrs. Mary Skinner, a stepdaughter of Niles.  Five grandchildren and six great-grandchildren also survive.

The Rev. Alfred E. Watts of the Franklin  A.M.E. Church, will officiate at the 1:30 p.m. service Tuesday, at the Halbritter Funeral Home.  Burial will follow at the Silverbrook Cemetery.

Friends may call after 2 p.m. Monday at the Halbritter Funeral Home.

Niles Daily Star, Monday, February 8, 1982, page 2, col. 4, microfilm Niles District Library

Nannie L. Tucker
June 19, 1915-April 20, 1993

Nannie L. Tucker
1915-1993
Niles homemaker

Funeral services for Nannie Lee Tucker, 77 959 S. 14th St., Niles, are scheduled for 10 a.m. Saturday at Halbritter Funeral Home with John W. Morgan, of Church of Christ, officiating.

Burial will follow at Silverbrook Cemetery.

Tucker died at 5:42 p.m. Tuesday at Pawating Hospital following a brief illness.

Born July 19, 1915,  in Sparta, Tenn., she was a resident of Niles since 1940, coming from Manchester, Tenn.

On Sept. 8, 1934, in Marchester, she married Dillard Ross Tucker, who survives.

She was a homemaker and a member of the Church of Christ in Niles.

Other survivors include a daughter, Wilma Jean Kasprzak of Pearland, Texas; four grandchildren; nine great-grandchildren; two sisters, Marge Gouldman of Niles and Lula Smith of Nashville, Tenn., two half-sisters, Jean Freeze of Manchester and Jo Nunley of Manchester.  She was preceded in death by a daughter, Gladys Alene Bender in 1987.

Friends may call from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. Friday at Halbritter Funeral Home.

Memorial Contributions may be made to the Niles Lions Club.

Niles Daily Star, Thursday April 22, 1993, page 2, co. 5-6, microfilm Niles District Library

Hamilton E. Calvert
Aug. 30, 1914-April 19, 1993

Hamilton E. Calvert
1914-1993
Former Niles Township supervisor

Funeral services for Hamilton E. Calvert, 78, of 1223 Fulkerson Road, Niles, are scheduled for 11 a.m. Thursday at Halbritter Funeral Home with the Rev. James Hosey, of Redeemer Missionary Church, officiating.

Burial will follow at Silverbrook Cemetery.

Calvert died at 3:55 a.m. Monday at Pawating Hospital following an extended illness.

Born Aug. 30, 1914, in South Bend, he was a lifetime area resident.

On Nov. 20, 1937, in Mishawaka, he married the former Sarajane Fuson, who survives.

Calvert served as Niles Township supervisor from 1957-59 and served on the Berrien County Board of Supervisors at the same time.  He was Park Commission Chairman from 1960-67, chairman of the Niles Township Republican Committee from 1960-1966 and served on the Citizen's Study Commmittee for the establishment of Lake Michigan College. He was past president of the Brandywine Junior High School Parent Teacher Association, served as a substitute teacher in various Berrien county school districts, was a member of Camp Knox Lodge 919 F,&A.M., was a scoutmaster of Troop 150 in Niles for six years and received the Silver Beaver Award from the Boy Scouts in 1969 for service to boyhood.

He was certified in education in Michigan, receiving his bachelor's degree in 1936 from the University of Notre Dame. He did post graduate work at Indiana University, Andrews University and Michigan State University. He was former grant coordinator for Bethel College from 1976-79.

He was a member of Redeemer Missionary Church and was a U.S. Army veteran, serving in World War II.

He was retired from Kawneer Co. in Niles.

Other survivors include two daughters, Pamela Austin of Albuquerque, N.M., and Penelope Thompson of Las Vegas; a son, Hamilton "Buzz" Calvert Jr. of Niles; one granddaughter and a brother, Charles Calvert of Mexico City.
Friends may call Wednesday from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at Halbritter Funeral Home.
Memorial contributions may be made to the American Parkinson's Foundation, the church or the charity of the donor's choice.

Niles Daily Star, Tuesday April 20, 1993, page 2, col. 1, microfilm Niles District Library