Elwood E. Hathaway

1892-1969

     Elwood E. Hathaway, 77, of 520 Clark St., died at 6 a.m. Tuesday in his home after a  brief illness.
    Mr. Hathaway, a retired tool and die maker for Midwest Metal Products Co., was born April 26, 1892, Marcellus, Mich, and had lived here since 1936 coming from Dowagiac.  He was married to Edna Hathaway who died in 1962.
    Survivors are three sons, Richard E., Niles, and Howard H., Elmwood Park, Ill.; one daughter, Mrs. Ray Wetmore, Niles; seven grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.
    Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. Friday in the Halbritter Funeral home with the Rt. Rev. Msgr. John D. Slowey, St. Mary's Catholic Church, officiating.  Burial will be in the Silverbrook Cemetery.
    Friends will be received after 7 tonight in the Halbritter Funeral Home.

(Source: Niles Daily Star, Wednesday, July 23, 1969, page 2, col. 5, microfilm Niles District Library)

George J. Purdy
Nov. 30, 1902-July 23, 1969

    CASSOPOLIS--Funeral services for George J. Purdy, 66, Route Two, Cassopolis, who died at 8:05 p.m. Wednesday in the Buchanan Community Hospital, will be held at 10 a.m. Saturday in the Pifer Funeral home with the Rev. Gary F. Johnson, Church of Christ, officiating.  Burial will be in the Silverbrook Cemetery.
    Mr. Purdy, a baker at Lork's Bakery was born No.[sic] 30, 1902, in Auburn, Ind. and had lived here for 22 years.  He married Mary Kane, Nov. 30, 1936, in Indiana. She survives.
    Other survivors are a son, Harold, Detroit; a daughter, Mrs. Pamela Tittle, Cassopolis; two brothers, Dale, Chicago and Walter, Tampa, Fla; four grandchildren and one great-grandchild.
    Friends may call at the Pifer Funeral home after 7 tonight.

(Source: Niles Daily Star, Thursday, July 24, 1969, page 2, col. 3, microfilm Niles District Library)

Harry E. Purdy
April 4, 1898-Sept. 28, 1948

HARRY E. PURDY, 50

    BUCHANAN, Sept. 29--Harry E. Purdy, 50, died suddenly at 12:45 p.m. Tuesday of a heart attack suffered at his home four miles southwest of Buchanan.
    He was born April 4, 1898 in Bourbon, Ind., and came to Buchanan five years ago.  Prior to that time [he] was a foreman at the Christman Construction company, of South Bend.
    On Dec. 26, 1922, he married Grace Maddron in Goshen, Ind.  Surviving are the widow and one sister, Mrs. Clara Poelher, of South Bend.  The Rev. James W. Greenwood, pastor of the Church of Christ, will conduct funeral services at 4 p.m. Friday at the Swem funeral home.  Burial will be in Silverbrook cemetery, Niles.  (Source: Niles Daily Star, Wednesday, Sept. 29, 1948, page 2, col. 5, microfilm Niles District Library)

Sgt. Donald W. Webber
October 20, 1930-September 25, 1950

  Funeral services will be held on Monday at 2 p.m. at the Kiger funeral home for Sgt. Donald W. Webber, 21, son of Mr. and Mrs. Louis H. Webber of rural route three.  He was killed in action in Korea on Sept. 25, 1950.

   Sgt. Webber was born in Niles on Oct. 20, 1930.  He attended grammer [sic] school in Sumnerville and high school in Dowagiac.  He enlisted in the army in 1948.

    Surviving besides his parents are his grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. Clyde Webber and Mrs. Myrtle Canfield, all of Niles; two[sic*] and six sisters, Carol, Mary, Beverly, Grace, Ruth and Francis, all at home.
    Full military rites will be handled by the VFW of Dowagiac, and the burial will be in the Silverbrook cemetery.

*Obit as published omits words "brothers, Kenneth and Robert"

 (Niles Daily Star, Friday, Sept. 14, 1951, page 2, col. 5, microfilm Niles District Library)

William B. Beeson
Died December 23, 1872

    Our citizens were startled on Monday morning last with the report that William B. Beeson, one of our oldest settlers and the oldest merchant in this city, was in a dying condition.  The writer of this hastened to his residence and found the report too true.  Mr. Beeson expired at 15 minutes past 9 o'clock, on Monday morning, the 23d, at the age of 63 years.  To his numerous friends it will be interesting to know that he expired as quietly and as easily as a child falls to sleep in its mother's arms.  There were present his faithful wife, his sister, Mrs.  R.P. Barker, two attending physicians, Drs. Richardson and Mead, his two sons, and an old friend.  He was conscious until the last, and said to his physicians--"I am passing off very quietly."  The last visit Mr. Beeson made to his store was on Friday previous to his death, where he was taken with a severe chill and was conveyed home.  A furious fever followed the chill, congestion set in rapidly, and he sank away so quietly that but few knew of his serious illness.
    Mr. Beeson came to this city in June, 1831, and has remained here most of this time since, and carried on a very heavy mercantile business.  His store has long been the home of the old settler as well as hundreds of others.  If a man wanted accommodation, his heart could hardly refuse. A new comer, perhaps just opening a farm, and was poor, he would seek out Mr. Beeson, who seldom failed to give him credit.  No man among us will be missed more.  Always generous, always accommodating, the farmers, the mechanics, and all will miss him, and long mourn his loss.  In all public enterprises he was ever ready to contribute to the utmost extent of his abilities.  He was followed to the grave on Thursday last by a large concourse of citizens.

(Source: Niles Democrat, Saturday, December 28, 1872, page 3, col. 2; Microfilm Niles District Library)

Lillian Doane Crofoot

Died November 17, 1929

    Mrs. Lillian Doane Crofoot, widow of Charles W. Crofoot, who died last April, and who was the last of the family of William H. Doane, Howard township pioneer, died on Sunday morning at her home in South Bend.  Harold Doane, Mrs. Eugene Huntly and Mrs. Florence Rose, of Niles, are nephew and neices[sic] of the decesed.  While the funral[sic] plans are not completed, the services will be held tomorrow afternoon in South Band[sic].  The body will be brought to Niles for burial in Silver Brook cemetery.

(Source: Niles Daily Star, Monday, November 18, 1929, page 4, col. 2; microfilm Niles District Library)