Daniel L.  Kingston
September 20, 1880-August 8, 1954

Niles Daily Star, Monday, August 9, 1954, page 2, col. 5, microfilm Niles District Library

Daniel L. Kingston, 73

    Daniel L. Kingston, 1308 Broadway, a retired engineer for the New York Central railroad died at 2:45 a.m. Sunday at the United Memorial Hospital at Greenville, Mich.  He had been ill for one week.
    Kingston was born in Niles on Sept. 20, 1880.  He lived in Niles his entire life.  Following his retirement from the railroad he served as a police school guard.  He was a member of the St. Joseph Valley Lodge No. 4, F. & A.M., and the Pioneer Association of the Michigan Central Railroad.
    Survivors include the wife, Lulah, three children, Mrs. Georgianna Starr of Akron, O., Mrs. Earl Minnear and Mrs Theodore Wienke of Niles; 13 grandchildren and two great grandchildren and a brother, Charles H. Kingston of Spooner, Wis.
    Friends may call at the Kiger Funeral Home after 7 p.m. tonight.  Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m. , Wednesday at the Kiger funeral home with the Rev.  L. George Beacock officiating.  Burial will be in Silverbrook Cemetery.

John A. Meile
Jan. 1, 1922-January 16, 2004

    Funeral services for John A. Meile, 82, of Marion Street in Niles, are Tuesday, Jan. 20 at 11 a.m. at Halbritter Funeral Home with the Rev. Franklin P. Schuster, III of Trinity Episcopal Church officiating.
    Burial will be in Silverbrook Cemetery.
    Meile died on Friday at 8:40 pm. at Lakeland Specialty Hospital in Berrien Center.
    He was born on Jan. 1, 1922 in Buchanan.  On Oct. 4, 1947 in Niles, he was married to Jacqueline Langston, who survives.
    Meile lived most of his life in Niles.  He retired in 1984 after several years at Niles Steel Tank. He was a member of the Church of God in Buchanan, the NRA and was a former employee of the City of Niles at the Wastewater Treatment Plant.
    Meile was a veteran of the U.S. Army during World War II.
    Survivors include his wife, Jackie; two daughters, Jennie A. Coulston of Niles and Julie Austin of Knoxville, Tenn.; a twin sister, Alice Colcord of Niles.  He was preceded in death by two brothers, Robert and Walter Meile.
    Visitation will be Monday from 6 to 8 p.m.
    Memorial contributions may be made to the Berrien County Cancer Service or Trinity Episcopal Church.
    Funeral arrangements were handled by Halbritter Funeral Home.

Souce: Niles Daily Star, Monday, January 19, 2004, page 2, col. 1; microfilm Niles District Library

Sarajane Calvert, 96
Feb. 1, 1914 – June 13, 2010

Niles Daily Star, Published online 10:39pm Tuesday, June 15, 2010

Mrs. Calvert was born Feb. 1, 1914 in Mishawaka to Paul S. and Mary Louise (Kenyon) Fuson. She graduated from Mishawaka High School. She earned her bachelor’s degree from Bethel College, and continued her post-graduate work at Western Michigan University and Michigan State University. Sally was a resident of Niles for 70 years. She retired after 15 years of teaching from the Brandywine School District.

Sally was a member of Redeemer Missionary Church. She was also a member of Christian Women’s Club, Bertrand Home Economics Club and the Rebecca Dewey Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution.

On Nov. 20, 1937, she married Hamilton E. Carter, with whom she celebrated 56 years of marriage. He preceded her in death on April 19, 1993.

Mrs. Calvert was also preceded in death by her daughter, Pamela Barcenas-Austin, who died Oct. 28, 2003; parents; six brothers; and a sister.

She is survived by her daughter, Penelope A. (Robert) Thompson, of Las Vegas; granddaughter, Kimberly (Emmet) Christy-Roache; grandson, Zane Patrick Roache, both of Tuscon, Ariz.; son, Hamilton E. “Buzz” (Darlene) Calvert Jr., of Niles; Darlene’s son, Ryan Linde, of Saint Louise, Mo.; and daughter, Jaime (Jeff) Noland, of Niles, whose children, Jenna and Jayla Noland, lovingly called her “G.G.” for “Great-Grandma.”

Services for Sarajane “Sally” Fuson Calvert will be held at 11 a.m. Friday, June 18, 2010 at Halbritter Funeral Home, Niles with Pastor Jan Van Lear, of Buchanan officiating.

Interment will be at Silverbrook Cemetery, Niles.

The family will receive friends and relatives from 4 to 7 p.m. Thursday at the funeral home.

Contributions in memory of Sally may be made to American Cancer Society for Relay for Life.

Evelyn Briney, 94
Sept. 2, 1916 — Nov. 14, 2010

Niles Daily Star, Published online 9:19am Wednesday, November 17, 2010

Evelyn Birney

She was born Sept. 2, 1916 in Milan, Mo. to Oliver C. Burton and Stella A. (Mester) Burton.

She moved from Niles to Las Vegas 15 years ago.

Evelyn retired after 17 years of service at Pawating Hospital (now Lakeland) in Niles; she volunteered at the hospital after her retirement. She was a member for more than 55 years of First Presbyterian Church in Niles and attending The Crossing in Las Vegas. She loved gardening; oil painting and other art; flower arranging; canning, making pies; dancing; traveling; camping; bowling; and hunting.

She married Harold Leland Briney on Nov. 7. 1932 in New Troy, Mich. She died in May 1987. She was also preceded in death by a daughter, Mary Lee Briney, who died in 1967; a son-in-law, William G. Knoll, who died in 2000; a daughter-in-law, Sherry Bulette Briney, who died in 2007; three brothers; and two sisters.

Evelyn is survived by her daughters, Betty J. Knoll of Niles and Carol A. (Kenneth) Moyer of Las Vegas; son, Harold “Lee” Briney, Jr. of Niles; eight grandchildren; 10 great-grandchildren; one great-great-granddaughter; and a sister, Louise Lockwood of Jackson, Mich.

Funeral services will be held at 10 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 20, 2010 at Halbritter Funeral Home in Niles with Pastor Robert Archer of Valley View Bible Church in Phoenix, Ariz. officiating.

Burial will be at Silverbrook Cemetery in Niles.

Friends may call from 6 to 8 p.m. Friday at the funeral home.

Memorial contributions may be made to The Foundation of First Presbyterian Church, Berrien County Cancer Service or the Alzheimer’s Association.

Edna Marian (Frazier) Johnson
Feb. 23, 1934 — Nov. 19, 2010

Niles Daily Star, Monday, November 22, 2010, page 2, Published Online 10:52pm Sunday, November 21, 2010

Edna M. Johnson, 76, of Niles, passed away peacefully on Nov. 19, 2010 at Riveridge Nursing Home, following an extended illness.

She was born on Feb. 23, 1934 in Hartford, Mich. to the late Darrel and Ida Alice (Weaver) Frazier.

On Oct. 16, 1950 Edna married James E. Johnson Sr. at a ceremony in Osceola, Ark. He preceded her in death in 1976.

Edna was retired from the Green Giant Mushroom Factory and from home healthcare. She was a member of Coulter’s Chapel Church of God in Niles for many years. Edna enjoyed, cooking and canning, growing flowers, gardening and ceramics. She also raised birds for many years and had large aquariums. Edna mostly loved spending time with her family.

She was preceded in death by her parents, her husband, granddaughter Carmen Jaynesa, a brother David Frazier and a sister Lois Barboza.

Edna is survived by three daughters, Martha (James) Anderson of Louisville, Ohio, Tina Magner of Elkhart and Edna (Craig) Albright of Niles; son James (Melinda) Johnson Jr. of Edwardsburg; 11 grandchildren; 11 great-grandchildren; sister Mary (James) Taylor of Combs, Ark.; brothers Allen Frazier of Niles and Darrel (Sugar) Frazier of New Mexico.

A time of visitation will be held on Monday, Nov. 22, 2010 from 5 to 8 p.m. at Brown Funeral Home. Funeral services will be held Tuesday, Nov. 23, at 11 a.m. at the funeral home with Pastor Wayne Mikel officiating. An interment will follow at Silverbrook Cemetery.

Memorial contributions may be made in Edna’s memory to the American Heart Association, American Cancer Society or the American Diabetes Association.

Condolences, photos and memories may be shared with the family at www.brownfuneralhomeniles.com.

Arrangements have been entrusted to Brown Funeral Home, Niles.

David Strachan,
Jan. 2, 1935 — Nov. 20, 2010

Published NILES DAILY STAR, 8:58pm Monday, November 22, 2010

David Charles Strachan, 75, of Hospital Road, Cassopolis, died at 5:15 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 20, 2010 in the arms of his daughter, Gwen Nelson, with the caring staff of Cass County Medical Facility nearby.

David Strachan, 75

He was born Jan. 2, 1935 in Prince Rupert, British Columbia, Canada to Alexander and Lily (Schubert) Strachan. He graduated from Yreka (Calif.) High School and attended college in Elko, Nev.

He was a veteran of the Korean Conflict, serving in the United States Air Force, and then drove for Greyhound Bus Lines for 26 safe years. He had lived in this area since 1995.

David’s greatest interest was horses. He owned and operated Strachan Appaloosas, including Last Finale W, a nationally ranked stud who is known by his stable name, “Bill.” David was a member of the Southwestern Michigan Appaloosa Horse Club and a life member of the National Rifle Association.

He had a great appreciation for the equestrian activities of Pastor Pat Robertson, and came to know Jesus through the “The 700 Club.”

David was proud of his family’s history, which includes Catherine O’Hare, well-known in western Canada as a pioneer to that territory. He also enjoyed movies on history, Westerns and “Star Trek.”

He was previously married to the former Lena Murphy.

Surviving family includes his children, Gwendolyn Gay (Dale) Nelson of Niles, Andrea Jean (Jack) Strachan-Okell of Elko, Nev., Brian Alexander Strachan of Birmingham, Ala. and David Curtis (Mary M. Stevens) Strachan of Springfield, Mo.; grandchildren, Mark (Kim) Nelson, Justin and Jeremy Strachan and Tristany, Dane and Kaylee Strachan; great-grandchildren, Abigal, Madelyn, Angel, Marie, Elise, Amelia, Rylie and Haylie; his sister, Jeanette (Bob) Gough of Seattle, Wa.; one niece; two nephews; and a former daughter-in-law, Kimberly Shorter-Kakunes.

Services for David Charles Strachan will begin at 9 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 27, 2010 at Halbritter Funeral Home for a procession to Silverbrook Cemetery, to meet a horse-drawn wagon for the final journey to the grave for services by Pastor Jeffrey L. Whittaker of Michiana Christian Embassy.

The service will conclude with full military honors by an honor guard of the United States Air Force and American Legion Post 51, Buchanan.

The family will receive friends and relatives from 6 to 8 p.m. Friday at the funeral home.

Contributions in memory of David may be made to the patient activity fund at the Cass County Medical Care Facility.