Lillian Grace (McCoy) Webber
September 2, 1890-June 7, 1964

DEATHS AND OBITUARIES

Mrs. Lillian G. Webber

Funeral services for Mrs. Lillian Grace Webber, 73, of 1841 Niles-Buchanan Road, will be conducted at 2 P.m. Tuesday in the Kiger Funeral Home.  The Rev. Leonard Putnam, pastor of the First Evangelical United Brethren Church, will officiate.  Burial will be in Silverbrook Cemetery.

She was pronounced dead on arrival at Pawating Hospital at 1:35 a.m. Sunday.  Her death was unexpected.

Mrs. Webber was born Sept. 2, 1890, in Grandville.  She came to Niles in 1908.  She was married here to Clyde Webber in April 1908.  He survives.

Other survivors include two sons, Lewis, Beulah, and Lyle F., Niles; a daughter, Mrs. Virginia Turk, Compton, Calif.; 24 grand-children, and 24 great-grandchildren.

Friends are being received at the funeral home.

(Niles Daily Star, Monday, June 8, 1964, page 22, col. 4)

Louis H. Webber
November 15, 1908-Feb. 23, 1985

    Services were held this morning for Louis H. Webber, 76, 1440 Anderson Road, Niles, who died Saturday at 12:53 a.m. at Lee Memorial Hospital, Dowagiac, following an extended illness.

    Born Nov. 15, 1908, in Niles, he was a lifetime area resident and retired machinist.  On April 7, 1929, in South Bend, he married Bessie Mae Canfield who survives.

    Also surviving are two sons, Robert F. Weber and Kenneth McLaughlin, both of Niles; six daughters, Mrs. Ernest (Carol) wengdahl[sic] and Mrs. Scott (Beverly) Engdahl, both of Niles, Mrs. Donald (Mary) Melton of Crescent City, Fla., Mrs. Ray (Grace) Conley of South Bend Bend[sic], Mrs. James (Ruth) Andrus of Grand Ledge, and Mrs. Dennis (Frances) Pryne of Pamona Park, Fla.; one brother Lyle Webber of Niles, one sister, Mrs. Virginia Turk of California; 25 grandchildren; and 17 great-grandchildren.  A son, Donald W. "Bill" Webber proceded her[sic] in death Sept. 26, 1950, in the Korean War.

    The Rev. Arnold O. Schau, Edwardsburg officiated the service at the Halbritter Funeral Home, Niles, Burial was in Silverbrook Cemetery. (Niles Daily Star, Tues. February 26, 1985, page 2, column 2)

Bessie M. (Canfield) Webber
January 6, 1910-March 10, 1996

FOR THE RECORD: Obituaries
Bessie Webber
Niles-Bessie M. Webber, 86, of Niles died Sunday at Lakeland Medical Center, Niles.

The funeral will be head at 11 a.m. Thursday at Halbritter Funeral Home, Niles, where visitation will be held from 10 to 11 a.m.  Memorials may be made to the charity of the donor's choice.

Survivors include one son, Robert Webber of Niles; six daughters, Frances Pruyne of Bear Lake, Ruth Andrus of Lansing, Betty Conley of South Bend, Beverly Engdahl and Carol Engdahl, both of Niles, and Mary Melton of Crescent City, Fla; 29 grandchildren; 33 great-grandchildren; two great-greatgrandchildren; one sister, Ruby Jones of Niles; and one brother, Ray Canfield of Niles.  She was preceded in death by her husband Louis "Bud" Webber, on Feb. 23, 1985; and two sons-Kenneth Webber in 1992 and William Webber in 1950. (The Herald Palladium, Tuesday, March 12, 1996, page 7A)

June Kemeny
Sept. 15, 1917-Nov. 1, 2009

Mrs. June Kemeny, 92, formerly of West River Road, Niles, MI, died at 12:40 p.m. Sunday, November 1, 2009, in Riveridge Manor, Niles, following an extended illness.

Mrs. Kemeny was born on September 15, 1917, in Detroit, MI, to Samuel H. and Lulu (Benson) Warriner. She had lived in Niles since 1946, coming from Detroit. She was a retired nursery pre-school teacher.

She was a member of First Presbyterian Church, Niles. She had served over 3,000 hours beginning in 1961 with the Pawating Lakeland Hospital Auxiliary and was a lifetime member of the auxiliary. She was also a member of Fernwood Botanic Garden and Nature Center and the Niles Garden Club. She was a former board member of the Niles-Buchanan Senior Citizens Center. In 1960 she started the First Presbyterian Nursery School. He greatest passion was art, especially her talented oil paintings.

On July 20, 1946, in Detroit, she married Donald E. Kemeny, who preceded her in death on May 20, 2007.

Mrs. Kemeny is survived by her daughter, Patricia Kemeny (Richard) Macias of Chico, CA; sister, Betty Ann Shotwell of Chatham, VA; a granddaughter and a great-granddaughter.

The family will receive relatives and friends on Tuesday, November 17, 2009, from 4 to 6 p.m. in the Halbritter Funeral Home, Niles. Services were private, with interment at Silverbrook Cemetery, Niles.

Contributions in memory of June Kemeny may be made to the Michigan Heart Association, Berrien County Cancer Service or to the Niles Garden Club.

Noble L. Robinson
July 3, 1919-Nov. 15, 2009

Noble L. Robinson, 90, of Oak Street, Niles, Michigan, died at 3:38 p.m. Sunday, November 15, 2009, in the Saint Joseph Regional Medical Center, South Bend, Indiana, following an extended illness.

Mr. Robinson was born on July 3, 1919, in New Paris, Indiana, to Charles and Rilla (Brady) Robinson. He was a 1937 graduate of New Paris High School and a 1940 graduate of the International Business College of Fort Wayne, Indiana. After graduation he was first employed by the Community Finance Company of Niles, Michigan, and then moved on to Baltimore, Maryland, to work for the Social Security Board in the Chandler Building for three years before entering the United States Army in March 1943.

Noble served at Tech/Sgt. in the 652nd Tank Destroyer Battalion for three years during World War II, from March 1943 to March 1946, when he was honorably discharged.

He retired from Clark Equipment Company in Buchanan, Michigan, in February 1985 after 27 years of employment. Prior to that he was employed for 11 years with the Norton Door Closer Division of the Yale & Towne Mfg. Company in Berrien Springs, Michigan.

Mr. Robinson was a member of the First Presbyterian Church in Niles where he had served as a Trustee. He was a member of American Legion Post #26 in Niles, a life member of the National Rifle Association, a member of the Southwestern Michigan Rental Housing Association and the Clark Salaried Retirees Club.

He enjoyed nature, wildlife, hunting, fishing and the outdoors in his younger days. He always enjoyed gardening and he owned some agricultural acreage which he enjoyed farming right up until the past few years.

On October 19, 1946, in Niles, he married the former Modesta DePoy, with whom he celebrated the 63rd anniversary of marriage this past October. He is survived by his wife, Modesta Robinson, and by their children, Patricia A. (Ronald) Flubacker of Barrington, Illinois; son, Doctor Michael E. (Jane) Robinson of Barrington; grandchildren, Carlin (Greg) Shiffler, Kyle Flubacker, Morgan Flubacker, Laura Robinson and Jeff Robinson; twin great-granddaughters, Emma and Lucia Shiffler; many nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his parents, and by brothers, Forrest, Harold and Chester Robinson, sisters, Cecil Robinson, Bernice Howard, Clarissa Robinson and twins, Thelma Shriner and Velma Poff.

The funeral service for Noble L. Robinson will be held Thursday, November 19, at 11 a.m. in First Presbyterian Church, with the Rev. Janet Van Lear officiating. Committal will follow at Silverbrook Cemetery in Niles and will conclude with a flag presentation and "Taps" by American Legion Post #26.

The family will receive relatives and friends from 6 to 8 p.m. today in the Halbritter Funeral Home, Niles.

Contributions in memory of Noble L. Robinson may be made to the Foundation of the First Presbyterian Church.

Submitted by family member; publication details unknown

Lowery, Mahlon
March 19, 1957-November 19, 2009

Mahlon Lowery, 52, of Ruth Layne, Niles, MI, died at 1:13 a.m. Thursday, November 19, 2009 in his home, following a brief illness.

Mr. Lowery was born on March 19, 1957, in Gary, IN, to Merle Edward and June Evelyn (McDowell) Lowery. He graduated from Niles High School, and earned his Associate Degree from Southwestern Michigan College. He earned both his Bachelor's Degree in Secondary Education and Master's Degree in Athletic Management from Western Michigan University.

Mahlon's career in public school athletics included the positions of Athletic Director and physical education teacher at Brown Intermediate Schools in South Bend, Indiana, and Athletic Director at Brandywine Public Schools. He had also been employed at Cassopolis School District, and was an assistant basketball coach at Western Michigan University.

In those positions he organized many tournaments and organized, raised funds and developed other athletic events, equipment and facilities for youth, including the Brandywine Girls Softball Field.

On July 27, 1985, at First Presbyterian Church in Niles, he married his high school sweetheart, Nancy Ann Norris, who survives.

Mahlon is also survived by his brothers, Merle E. (Doris) Lowery Jr. of Cincinnati, OH, Marlin D. Lowery of Buchanan, MI, Marvin A. Lowery and Jeffrey E. Lowery, both of South Bend, IN; sisters, Marlinda J. Lowery of Lansing, MI, June E. (Greg) Dowdy and Judy E. Lowery, both of Kalamazoo, MI, Mary S. (Jim) Lowery-Fugett of Boulder, CO, Jane E. (Clint) Thrasher of Mahomet, IL; 17 nieces and nephews, 11 great-nieces and nephews; and by Nancy's parents, Rose and Francis Norris of Niles; her brothers, Gary (Leah) Norris of Niles and Scott (Cathy) Norris of Union, MI; and many special aunts, uncles, and close friends.

He was preceded in death by his parents; and a sister, Joan E. Lowery who died at birth.

The funeral service for Mahlon Lowery will be held Tuesday, November 24, 2009 at 1 p.m. in Halbritter Funeral Home, Niles, with Rev. Janet Van Lear of First Presbyterian Church, officiating. Burial will follow at Silverbrook Cemetery in Niles.

The family will receive relatives and friends from 3 to 8 p.m. Monday in the funeral home.

Contributions in memory of Mahlon may be made to Hospice At Home or American Cancer Society.

 Submitted by family member; publication details unknown