Abram B. Cox
April 12, 1848-June 4, 1939


    Ill for the last seven months, Abram B. Cox, of 914 South Fourteenth street, died Sunday in the Berrien county hospital. He was 91 years old.
    A native of Indiana, Mr. Cox was born near LaPorte, April 12, 1848.  He was a retired farmer and made his home in Niles for the last 10 years.
    Surviving are three sons, Dudley and Dewey, Niles, and Alvin, LaPorte; also four grandchildren.
    Friends may call at the Price and Kiger funeral home where services will be held at 3 o'clock Tuesday afternoon with the Rev. C.J. Harpold officiating.
    Burial will be in Silverbrook cemetery.

(Source: Niles Daily Star, Monday, June 5, 1939, page 2, col. 3, microfilm Niles District Library)

Edward D. Reid
January 16, 1905-June 11, 1968

    Edward D. Reid, 63, of 2676 Starr Ave., died at 1 a.m. today in Pawating Hospital, after being a patient there since Saturday.
    Moving here from South Bend 57 years ago, Mr. Reid was born in South Bend on Jan. 16, 1905. He was employed as a custodian by the Niles Community Schools System.
    On Jan. 11, 1925, he married Lucille Andrews in Niles.
    In addition to his widow, he is survived by two brothers, George of Niles; William of St. Cloud, Fla., and a sister, Mrs. John Mason of Niles.
    A veteran of World War II, Mrs. Reid was a member of St. Mark's Catholic Church, the Niles Elks Lodge and the American Legion Post, 26.
    Funeral services will be held at 10 a.m. Thursday in the St. Mark's Catholic Church with the Rev. Francis Timmons officiating . Burial will be in Silverbrook Cemetery.
    Rosary services will be recited at  8:30 p.m., Wednesday in the Pifer Funeral Home.
    Friends may call at the funeral home after 7 p.m. today.

(Source: Niles Daily Star, Tuesday, June 11, 1968, page 2, col. 1, microfilm Niles District Library)

Gladys May Cochrane/Cochran
April 22, 1864-November 23, 1927


    Funeral services will be held Saturday morning at 10 o'clock at the Troost and Augustine chapel for Mrs. Gladys May Cochrane, 1414 Lake street, wife of A.N. Cochrane, local contractor, who died on Wednesday afternoon at her home after 11 months of illness.  Mrs. Cochrane was about 62 years of age.  She was born in Fairfield, Iowa, April 22, 1864.
    The family moved to Niles about eight years ago from Monmouth, Ill. Besides her husband, Mrs. Cochrane is survived by five children who are Mrs. Ruth Shellenger, of Monmouth, Ill., Mrs. Cereto Hill, Hammond, Ind., Mrs. Gladys Banks of Akron, Ohio, and Rolfe Cochrane, of Bertrand.  Mrs. Rose Prindley, of Rockford, Ill., a sister of Mr. Cohrane, is among the relatives expected for the funeral services.
    Rev. H.T. Scherer, pastor of the Presbyterian church, will conduct the services.  Burial will take place in Silver Brook cemetery.

(Source; Niles Daily Star, Friday, November 25, 1927, page 1 col. 6, microfilm Niles District Library)

Dan Moss
Died May 7, 1926

DAN MOSS DEAD

    Dan Moss, colored, died today about 11 o'clock on the farm on which he was born about five miles north of Niles on Pucker street. He had long been afflicted with dropsy. He is survived by a widow and by one brother, Eugene Moss, of northern Michigan, who is here at present, and by one sister, Miss Lucy Moss, Ferry street.  The funeral plans have not been completed.

(Source:  Niles Daily Star, Friday, May 7, 1926, page 4, col. 2, microfilm Niles District Library)

Henrietta Wilson
Died March 14, 1905


    Mrs. Calvin Wilson passed away last evening at her home, 299 north Fifth street.  A few days ago Mrs. Wilson suffered a stroke of paralysis, which caused her death. She was born in Piketon, O. and was 69 years of age.  She had been a resident of Niles for the past 50 years.  Her husband, Calvin Wilson, died two years ago.
    The deceased is survived by one daughter, Mrs. Lottie Jackson of Washington, D.C., an adopted son, Harry Wilson of Kalamazoo, three sisters and one brother.  The latter are G.G. Hill of Dowagiac, Mrs. Addie Huggard of South Bend, Mrs. Manda Waring of Washington and Mrs. Adams of Hartford.
    Mrs. Wilson was a highly respected citizen and was known for many acts of kindness and charity. She had been an advocate of religion for the past 50 years.
    The funeral will be held Friday at 1:30 o'clock from the First Baptist church, Rev. A.B. Strickland officiating.  Interment at Silver Brook.

(Source: Niles Daily Star, Wednesday, March 15, 1905, page 3, col. 5-6, microfilm Niles District Library)

Calvin F. Wilson
1828-1903

Just as the Christmas bells had finished announcing the glad tidings of the anniversary of the birth of the Saviour at 12 o'clock Christmas morning sadness instead of joy entered the home of Cal F. Wilson on Fifth street, when the spirit of the veteran barber took its flight.  Death came quietly and peacefully to the aged Niles resident and the tearful relatives who surrounded his bedside hardly reailzed[sic] that the end had come.
Calvin F. Wilson was born in Halifax county, Va., in 1828 and with his parents went to Ohio. In 1846 he came to Niles to reside.  The gold discoveries in California then at their height gave him a touch of the gold fever and in 1853 he made the trip to California by way of the Panama isthmus.  He remained two years on the Pacific coast and his ambitions not being realized he returned to Niles.  Since then he has continued to reside here following his occupation as a barber.  Mr. Wilson was married to Henrietta Hill on Jan. 6, 1853, and had he lived until next Tuesday he and his wife would have completed their half century of wedded life.  They were the parents of five children, all, except Miss Lottie Wilson, of Washington, D.C. dying in infancy.
The deceased was one of the oldest and was as one of the best known and most highly respected colored citizens in this community. He enjoyed a wide acquaintance and he was held in high esteem by all his friends.  During the long period he followed his vocation here he has done work for generations of Niles people and performed services for no less than five generations of one family in this city.
The funeral services will be held next Sunday afternoon at 2 o'clock at the First Baptist church, Rev. Charles Ager officiating.  The remains will be laid at rest in Silver Brook cemetery.

(Source:  Niles Republican, January 1, 1903, page 5, col. 3, microfilm Niles District Library)

and

Just as the chimes in St. Mary's belfry had ceased heralding their midnight message of "Peace on Earth, Good Will to Men," and another Christmas day was dawning, Calvin F. Wilson, a highly respected colored resident of Niles for many years, passed from this earth to meet his Maker.  He had been ill but a week with la grippe, which terminated in pneumonia and caused his death.
Mr. Wilson was born in Halifax, West Virginia, 74 years ago and came to Niles in 1846, having resided her continuously since that time, with the exception of two years spent in California.  He was married in 1853 in Howard township, Cass county. He is survived by his wife and one daughter, Miss Lottie Wilson, who is an artist of some renown, and who resides in Washington, D.C., but who arrived here Wednesday afternoon and was present when her father passed away.
The funeral will be held from the First Baptist church Sunday afternoon, Rev. Chas. Ager officiating.  Interment will be at Silver Brook cemetery.

(Source: Niles Daily Star, Thursday evening, December 26, 1902, page 3, col. 4, microfilm Niles District Library.)