Obituaries

We now have over 7,000 obituaries collected about the interred here at Silverbrook Cemetery.

The obituaries are transcribed by the volunteers of the Friends of Silverbrook Cemetery from various sources.  If you see an opportunity for an addition or a correction, please email our obituary editor at obits@friendsofsilverbrook.org.

Dreher, Helen E.

Helen E. Dreher
1904-1991


    Funeral services for Helen E. Dreher, 87, 1711 Cedar Street, Niles, will be 2 p.m. Saturday at Halbritter Funeral Home, by the Rev. William H. Marshall, pastor of the First Baptist Church.
    Burial will be at Silverbrook Cemetery, Niles.
    Mrs. Dreher died at 10:25 a.m. Thursday at Pawating Hospital, following a brief illness.
    She was born March 27, 1904 in Cass County, and lived in Niles since 1946, coming from Benton Harbor.
    A graduate of Dowagiac High School, she was a member of First Baptist Church.
    On Oct. 17, 1922, in Dowagiac, she married Horace L. Dreher, who preceded her in death.
    Survivors include a son Dennis M. Dreher of Lander, Wyoming; a daughter, Cynthia D. Baker of Niles, five grandchildren; and ten great-grandchildren.
    Visitation will be from 1:30 p.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday at the funeral home.
    Memorial contributions may be made to First Baptist Church.
(Source: Niles Daily Star, Friday, May 31, 1991, page 2, col. 1, microfilm Niles District Library)

Hoover, Louise

Louise Genevieve Hoover
1921-1991


    Funeral services for Louise Genevieve Hoover, 69, of 1338 Regent Street, Niles, will be 10 a.m. Saturday at Halbritter Funeral Home, by the Rev. Donald A. Wieber, pastor of the St. Mark Catholic Church.
    Burial will be at Silverbrook Cemetery, Niles.
    Mrs. Hoover died at 9:30 p.m. Wednesday at her home, following a short illness.
    She was born Dec. 10, 1921, in Chicago, Ill., and lived in Niles most of her life, recently returning from retirement in Florida.
    A retired employee of Arrick's Decor Service.
    She as a member of St. Mark Catholic Church in Niles.
    On April 25, 1942, in Niles, she married Russell Lee Hoover, who preceded her in death.
    Survivors include a daughter, Diane Louise Hoover of Niles; a son, Dennis Lee Hoover, Sr. of Port Huron; four grandchildren, Scott Lee Hoover, Cordell Lee Hoover, Dennis Lee Hoover, Jr., and Melissa Emmalee Bagwell; three sisters, Catherine Hahn-Feld of Mishawaka, Ind., Margaret Letcher of South Bend, Ind., and Genevieve Bromley of Niles.
    There will be no visitation.
    Memorial contributions may be made to Michigan heart Association.
    Arrangements were made at Halbritter Funeral Home.
    
(Source: Niles Daily Star, Friday, May 31, 1991, page 2, col. 1, microfilm Niles District Library)

Ryder, Emily

EMILY RYDER
1900-1991


    Funeral services for Emily Ryder, 90, of 911 South Third Street, Niles, will be 4 p.m. Saturday at New Apostolic Church, by the District Evangelist John Lindstedt, of the New Apostolic Church.
    Burial will be at Silverbrook Cemetery, Niles.
    Mrs. Ryder died at 4 p.m. Thursday at Silverbrook Manor, Niles, following an extended illness.
    She was born Nov. 23, 1900, in Germany, and lived in the Niles area all her life.
    Mrs. Ryder was a member of the New Apostolic Church in Niles.
    On April 14, 1917, in Kalamazoo, she married Rollie J. Ryder, who preceded her in death.
    Survivors include a daughter, Dorothy Guisinger of Jackson; five sons, Rollie Ryder, Jr. of Niles, George Ryder of Niles, Larry Ryder of Niles, Kenneth Ryder of Niles, and Robert Ryder of Lakeland, Fla.; sixteen grandchildren; twenty-five great grandchildren' and nine great-great-grandchildren.
    There will be no visitation.
    Memorial contributions may be made to donor's choice.
    Arrangements handled by Halbritter Funeral Home.

(Source: Niles Daily Star, Friday, May 31, 1991, page 2, col. 4, microfilm Niles District Library)

Ryder, Rollie J. Sr.

ROLLIE J. RYDER, SR.
April 2, 1899-Sept. 25, 1957

Niles Daily Star, Wednesday, Sept. 25, 1957, page 2, col 4., microfilm Niles District Library

Rollie J. Ryder, Sr., 58, of 957 Pine Street died Wednesday at 1:25 a.m. in Pawating Hospital following an illness of two months.

Born in Dowagiac on April 2, 1899, he came to Niles 30 years ago.  He was a plumber.

Surviving  are his wife, Emily; two daughters, Mrs. Helen Clark, and Mrs. Dale Guisinger, both of Niles; five sons, Robert, Rollie, Jr., George and Kenneth, all of Niles; and Lawrence, serving with the Navy; a brother, Lyle Ryder, Battle Creek; a sister, Mrs. Howard Dorn, Edwardsburg; and 10 grandchildren.

The body was taken to the Kiger-Halbritter Funeral Home.


Funeral services for Mr. Ryder, who was a member of the South Bend Odd Fellows, will be held at the New Apostolic Church, 1453 Broadway, at 2 p.m Friday.  The Rev. Hugh Lee will officiate.  Burial will be in Silverbrook Cemetery.

Walker, Georgia A.

Georgia A. Walker
1909-1979


    Niles--Georgia A. Walker, 69, of 892 Sullivan St., died at 9:10 a.m. Wednesday in Pawating Hospital following a two-day illness.
    She was born on Dec. 23, 1909, in Benoit, Miss., and had lived in Niles 10 years coming from Eau Claire.
    In 1944, in Benoit, she married Richard Walker, who survives.  Also surviving are a daughter, Ms. Joyce Cook, Niles, two sons, Alonzo and Lewis, South Bend; a brother, Phil Cheatem, Chicago, and four grandchildren.
    Funeral services will be 1:30 pm. Monday at the Pifer-Sith[sic] Funeral Home.  Rev. Eugene Jones, of Dowagiac's Mount Zion Baptist Church, will officiate.
    Friends may call at the funeral home after 2 p.m. Sunday.
    She was a member of Mount Olive Missionary Baptist Church and a homemaker.

(Source:  Niles Daily Star, Thursday, Feb. 15, 1979, page 2, col. 7, microfilm Niles District Library)

Cowles, Sarah E.

Sarah E. Cowles
Died 1892


The remains of Sarah E. Cowles, who died at Chicago, of heart disease, arrived in the city this noon and were buried in Silver Brook cemetery.

(Niles Daily Star, Wed. June 29, 1892, page 3, col. 3, microfilm Niles District Library)

Dye, Sarah A.

Sarah A. Dye
Died Sept. 6, 1872


    At her residence, in Bertrand township, Sept. 6th, after a brief illness, SARAH A., wife of J.G. Dye, aged 55 years.

(Source: Niles Democrat, Saturday, Sept. 14, 1872, page 3, col. 4)