Obituaries

Edward H. Smith
Dec. 31, 1871- July 15, 1943


    Edward H. Smith, a former Niles alderman, died in his home, 316 West Main street, Thursday morning after an illness of six years.
    Smith was elected to the Niles city council from the First ward in April, 1931, and served under former Mayor William H. Corbett for one term.
    A carpenter and contractor, he was born in Germany, Dec. 31, 1871, and came to Niles from Kenosha, Wis., in 1917.  He was married to Mattie Mielke in Merrill, Wis., who now lives in Los Angeles, Calif., on Sept. 16, 1893.
    In 1928 he was married to Kathryn Grumer who, with six children from the first marriage, survive. They are Mrs. Eli Zechlin and Carl and John Smith, Niles; Mrs. Ann Cripps, Kenosha, Mrs. Ernest Bucher, of Lawrence,a nd Henry Smith, Cincinnati.
    He is also survived by two brothers, Julius, Kenosha, and Charles, Los Angeles, and six sisters, Mrs. Ernst Rothbarth, Mrs. Gust Rohnow, Mrs. Amanda Kanehl, Mrs. Charles Schlater, Mrs. Fred Weiss and Mrs. Adolph Wiess, all of Kenosha.
    A step-daughter, Mrs. George Mochour, also is a survivor, with nine grandchildren and six greatgranddchildren.
    Friends may call at the Price and Kiger funeral home where services will be conducted at 4 Saturday afternoon by the Rev. Theo Eisen, pastor of the St. John's Evangelical and Reformed church.  Burial will be in Silverbrook cemetery.

(Source:  Niles Daily Star, Friday, July 16, 1943, page 2, col. 6, microfilm Niles District Library)

Seeley Canfield
Died December 11, 1889

Seeley Canfield of Bronson, Mich., died on Wednesday last, of Bright’s disease, and his remains arrived here last evening for interment in Silver Brook cemetery. They were accompanied by his son and daughter.  Mr. Canfield will be remembered here by many as stage driver for E. Coffinger, between Niles and St. Joseph, for many years.

 (Source:  Niles Mirror, Wednesday, Dec. 18, 1889, page 5, microfilm Niles District Library)

AND

Seeley Canfield, a former resident of this city, died a few days ago at Bronson, Mich.  His remains were brought here for burial to-day.

 (Source: The (Niles, Mich.) Republican, Thursday, Dec. 12, 1889, page 5, col. 2, microfilm Niles District Library)

Rose Camfield
Oct. 4, 1852-Jan. 31, 1931


    Funeral services were held from the Childs Funeral Home at 2:30 p.m. Sunday for Mrs. Rose Camfield, 78, who died at the home of her daughter, Mrs. D.M. Carlisle, 803 Main Street, Saturday, after a long illness.
    The service was conducted by Rev. Thomas Rice, and burial was made in the Silver Brook cemetery at Niles.
    She was born Oct. 4, 1852, at Muncie, Ind., the daughter of James M. and Elizabeth (Doughty) Graham.
    On May 8, 1872, she was united in marriage to Joseph H. Camfield, who preceeded[sic] her in death on August 27, 1927.
    To this union was born five children, Frederick H. Camfield of Chicago, Mrs. Mabel Marsh, of Windsor, Canada, Mrs. Pearl Carlisle of Buchanan, Mich., Ruby Blanche Camfield of South Bend, Ind., and Leroy E. Camfield of Jamestown, New York.   She is also survived by ten grandchildren, one great grandchild, one sister, Mrs. Xenia Gallup of Windsor, Canada.
    In 1877 Mr. and Mrs. Camfield moved to South Bend and she made that city her home for fifty years.
    On August 15, 1930, she suffered a stroke of paralysis which greatly impaired her health and on October 14, 1930, she came to Buchanan to reside with her daughter, Mrs. Carlisle, where she passed peacefully away early Saturday morning.

(Source: Berrien County Record, Thurs., Feb. 5, 1931, page 1, col. 8, microfilm Niles District Library)

RUTH POTOKAR
November 14, 1934 – May 31, 2010

Ruth Helen Potokar, 75, passed away Monday, May 31, 2010.

Ruth’s life began on Nov. 14, 1934 in Niles, the daughter of Ezra and Elsie Jones. She was a 1952 graduate of Niles High School and a life-long resident of Niles until moving to Lewisville, Texas in 2006 to be with her children.

She loved animals, particularly cats, and gave freely of her time and financial support to several no-kill shelters and animal rescue groups. She loved to travel, visiting every state in the U.S. except Alaska, traveling across Europe on multiple occasions with her husband and children and vacationing on several different islands in the Caribbean with her family.  She was a keen movie fan and an avid reader, passing on her joy in books and reading to her daughters. Ruth was a member and active volunteer of the South County Democratic Club of Berrien County.

Ruth was married to Herman John Potokar, who preceded her in death on Feb. 14, 2001.

She is survived by daughters, Abbie Edwards and her, husband, Jan, of Flower Mound, Texas and Amy Potokar, of Lewisville, Texas; sisters, Evelyn Hawkins, of Niles, Joy Rolston, of Niles and Lois Rosetto, of St. Joseph; and brother, Delmar Jones, and his wife, Gloria, of Louisville, Ala.

A memorial service was held Thursday, June 3, 2010 at 2 p.m. at Mulkey-Mason Funeral Home located in Lewisville, Texas. Ruth’s family received visitors and friends prior to the service.  Ruth will be laid to rest in the Silverbrook Cemetery in Niles next to her husband.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be made in her name to the following charitable organizations: Pet Refuge, Inc., 2300 West Sixth St., Mishawaka, IN  46544, (574) 256-0886; The Golden Retriever Rescue of North Texas, P.O. Box 670031, Dallas, TX 75367; The Parkinson’s Disease Foundation, 1359 Broadway, Suite 1509, New York, NY 10018; or the Niles Public Library, 620 East Main St., Niles, MI  49120, (269) 683-8545.

Mulkey-Mason Funeral Home, Lewisville, Texas is in charge of all arrangements.  Please sign her guest book and leave a memory of Ruth at www.mulkeymason.com.

 

Ruth West
July 16, 1912-January 24, 1949

Ruth West, 38

    Mrs. Ruth West, 117 Parkway, passed away this morning at 4:10 a.m. in her home after an illness of two years.
    Surviving are her mother, Mrs. Ida Matthews, of Niles, and her husband, Jess.  Also surviving are a son, William, at home, and the following brothers and sisters: Earl, Buford, Homer, John, Lawrence, Kenneth and Glen Matthews, Mrs. Thomas Prater, Mrs. George Crumb, all of Niles, and Fred of Union City.
    Mrs. West was born in Manchester, Tenn., July 16, 1912, and came here from Manchester 20 years ago.
     Friends may call at the Pifer funeral home where services will be conducted at 2 p.m. Wednesday by the  Rev. L. George Beacock, pastor of the First Methodist church. Burial will be in Silverbrook cemetery.

(Source: Niles Daily Star, Monday, January 24, 1949, page 2, col. 7; microfilm Niles District Library)

PVT. LEO CURTIS
December 8, 1919-April 18, 1945

Niles Daily Star, Monday, June 18, 1945, page 2, col. 7; microfilm Niles District Library

Memorial Rites Held for Pvt. Leo Curtis, 25

During memorial services in St. Paul's Lutheran church at 10:30 Sunday morning for Pvt. Leo Curtis, 25, who died April 18 of wounds suffered while in action in Germany with an infantry division, the Rev. Theodore Laesch, pastor, spoke on “God's Ways are Bets”, to members of the congregation and the family of Pvt. Curtis and his many friends who gathered.

“Be Still My Soul” by Sibelius, was sung by the church choir. Throughout the service a picture of Pvt. Curtis stood on a pedestal in the front of the church beside an American flag.

He was the son of Mr. and Mrs. O.R. Curtis, rural route four, and his wife, Carol, and his son, Lee, live on rural route three.

 

Niles Daily Star, Monday, January 24, 1949, page 2, col. 7; microfilm Niles District Library

The remains of the late Pvt. Leo B. Curtis will arrive at 11:40 a.m. Wednesday from Germany for reburial here.

Pvt. Curtis, well-known here as an athlete at Niles high school, is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Ollie R. Curtis, rural route five, Niles. Curtis' record of 10.2 seconds for the 100 yard dash made in 1938 remains unbroken. In 1939 he attained 21 feet, three and one-half inches in the broad jump, and was an outstanding player on the Rutherford softball team.

He died of wounds suffered while in action in Germany on April 18, 1945,. Services will be conducted at 1:30 p.m. Thursday at the Pifer funeral home, where friends may call Wednesday evening.

Elder J.W. McKnight, pastor of the Latter Day Saints church at Galien, will officiate at the service and the American Legion post will have charge of graveside military rites. Burial will be in Silverbrook cemetery.

Besides his parents, Curtis leaves his widow, the former Carol Peterson, and a son, Lee, both of rural route three, Niles; a sister, Mrs. Cloyd Moore, of Niles, and two brothers, Miles O. Curtis, of Niles, and Everett Curtis, of South Bend.

He was born in Onarga, Ill., on Dec. 8, 1919, and came to Niles from Muskegon in 1923. A graduate of Niles high school with the class of 1940, he was inducted into the army on May 12, 1944, after working at the National Totalizator company here. He was sent overseas in November and served with the infantry in the first army.

His parents have received a letter of condolence from Mayor William O'Dwyer of New York City.