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.

Lauderdale, Mary 1887-1955

Mary Lauderdale
May 10, 1887-April 18, 1955

Niles Daily Star (Niles, Berrien Co., MI), Tuesday, April 19, 1955, page 2, col. 4, microfilm Niles District Library

Mrs. Mary Lauderdale, 67, of 845 Carberry Road, died Monday morning at the Berrien County Hospital in Berrien Center following an illness of two months.

Mrs. Lauderdale was born May 10, 1887, in Jacksonville, Ark., and came to Niles five years ago from Missouri. She was a member of Mount Olive Baptist Church.

Surviving are five daughters, Mrs. Nathan Kelley, Benton Harbor, Mrs. Porter Berry and Mrs. Pauline Mayo, both of Niles, and Mrs. Mosie Pargo and Mrs. Roberta Robinson, both of Chicago, and three sons, Andrew, C.H. And James Lauderdale, all of Chicago.

Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m. Thursday in the Mount Olive Baptist Church at Hatcherville with the pastor, the Rev. E.J. Jones, officiating. Burial will be in Silverbrook Cemetery. Friends may call at the Pifer Funeral Home here until noon Thursday.

Leidy, George F. 1900-1971

George F. Leidy
June 11, 1900-April 15, 1971

Niles Daily Star (Niles, Berrien Co., MI), Friday, April 16, 1971, page 2, col. 1, microfilm Niles District Library

NILES—George F. Leidy, 70, of 917 W. Washington, South Bend, formerly of Niles, died at 1:40 p.m. Thursday in Memorial Hospital, South Bend, after an illness of one year.

A retired painter, Mr. Leidy was born June 11, 1900, in Chicago, and had lived in South Bend since 1955, moving from Niles. His wife, Mildred, died in 1954.

Survivors include four sons, Fred, Lawrence and George, all of Niles, and Richard of Buchanan; a brother, August Leidy of Berrien Center; two sisters, Mrs. Theresa Bart of Three Rivers and Mrs. Elizabeth Wiess of Bangor, seven grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.

Funeral services will be held at 1 p.m. Saturday in the Halbritter Funeral Home, with the Rev. John P. Rees of the Buchanan Church of the Latter-day Saints officiating. Burial will be in Silverbrook Cemetery.

Friends may call at the funeral home.

 

Lewis, Lawrence B. 1900-1975

Rev. Lawrence B. Lewis
July 25, 1900-Dec. 19, 1975

Niles Daily Star (Niles, Berrien Co., MI), Friday, December 19, 1975, page 2, col. 5, microfilm Niles District Library

NILES—The Rev. Lawrence B. Lewis, 75, of 2787 Detroit Rd., died at 5:30 a.m. today in Pawating Hospital following an illness of about a month and a half.

He was a member of John W. Moore Masonic Lodge and Mt. Calvary Baptist Church and retired from Clark Equipment Co. in 1966.

Rev. Lewis was born July 25, 1900, in Huntsville, Ala., and moved to Niles 32 years ago from Arkansas.

In 1959 in Cassopolis, he married the former Lela Smith, who survives.

Other survivors are two sons, William M. of Chicago and David of Ann Arbor; a daughter, Trenda Thompson of Niles; a brother, James Lewis of Niles; five sisters, Elizabeth Ewing of West Memphis, Ark., Olive Nichols of Earl, Ark. Ora Vance of Cincinnati, Ohio, Velma Sherman of Memphis, Tenn. and Una Belle Jones of Vincent, Ark., and two grandchildren.

Funeral services will be held at 1:30 p.m. Monday at Mt. Calvary Baptist Church with the Rev. W.L. Daniel officiating. Burial will follow in Silverbrook Cemetery.

Friends may call at the Pifer Chapel of the Swem-Smith Funeral Home after noon Sunday. A wake will be held at the chapel from 7 to 8 p.m. Sunday.

 

Lilly, Roselyn 1859-1930

Roselyn Lilly
April 25, 1859-Sept. 15, 1930

Niles Daily Star (Niles, Berrien Co., MI), Tuesday, September 16, 1930, page 4, col. 1, microfilm Niles District Library

Niles News in Brief: FUNERAL MRS. LILLY

Funeral services for Mrs. Rozilla Lilly, 71, widow, who was found dead in her room at the Miller hotel early yesterday morning, will be held at 2 o'clock tomorrow afternoon in Troost and Augustine's Chapel. Burial will be made in Silver Brook cemetery. Mrs. Lilly is survived by a son, Claude Keeps, Niles, and two daughters, Mrs. Wm. McClary, Niles, and Mrs. Geo. Swee, Kalamazoo.

 

Niles Daily Star (Niles, Berrien Co., MI), Friday, September 19, 1930, page 4, col. 2, microfilm Niles District Library

Niles News in Brief: ATTEND FUNERAL

Mr. and Mrs. Geo. See, of Kalamazoo, and Mr. and Mrs. E. Ryan , of Chicago, have returned to their homes after attending the funeral services for Mrs. Rozella Lilly.

Note: Cemetery record has name as Roselyn; Michigan Death Record has name Evelyn. 

Wlodarek, Casimir T. 1908-1975

Casimer T. Wlodarek
Jan. 2, 1908-Dec. 8, 1975

Niles Daily Star (Niles, Berrien Co., MI), Tuesday, December 9, 1975, page 2, col. 7-8, microfilm Niles District Library

NILES-- Casimer T. Wlodarek, 67, of 3102 S. 11th St., died at 6:14 p.m. Monday in Pawating Hospital after an extended illness. He was a retired supervisor for Hilton Construction Co., South Bend, for whom he had worked for 32 years.

Mr. Wloderak was born Jan. 2, 1908, at South Bend and had lived in this area all his life. On Dec. 31, 1939, at Niles, he married the former Grace Nicholson, who survives.

Also surviving are a step-son, Frank Harris of South Bend; a stepdaughter, Mrs. James Mottl of Buchanan; two brothers, Clem and Matthew of South Bend; three sisters, Mrs. Lillian Lebiedzinski, Mrs. Clara Beitler and Mrs. Alice Baranowski, all of South Bend; five grandchildren and one great-grandchild.

Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m. Thursday at the Welsheimer North Chapel, 52083 US-31, South Bend. The Rev. Harold Asire of Emmanuel Baptist Bible Church will officiate and burial will be in Silverbrook Cemetery. Friends may call at the funeral chapel from 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 p.m. Wednesday.

Hayes, Jeanette 1900-1975

Jeanette Hayes
March 18, 1900-Nov. 13, 1975

Niles Daily Star (Niles, Berrien Co., MI), Friday, November 14, 1975, page 2, col. 7-8, microfilm Niles District Library

NILES—Mrs. Jeanette Hayes, 75, of 515 Nieb Ct., died at 12:15 p.m. Thursday at Healthwin Hospital, South Bend, after an extended illness.

A member of St. Mary's Catholic Church and its Altar and Rosary Society, she was a former housekeeper at St. Mary's rectory. She was born March 18, 1900 in Lapaz, Ind., and had lived here since 1956, coming from Cassopolis.

On May 22, 1948, in Knox, Ind., she married Thomas F. Hayes. He died April 13, 1855.

She is survived by two sisters, Mrs. Lorraine Vanette of Syracuse, Ind., and Mrs. Mary Reed of Milford, Ind.; four nephews, Robert L. Weaver of Niles, Norman D. Weaver of Jackson, James Reed of Milford and Richard Reed of Louisville, Ky.; and a niece, Mrs. Mary Mustard of Edwardsburg.

Funeral services will be at 10 a.m. Saturday at St. Mary's Catholic Church with the Rt. Rev. Msgr. John D. Slowey officiating. Burial will be in Silverbrook Cemetery.

Friends may call at the Halbritter Funeral Home, where a rosary service will be held at 7: 30 p.m. Friday. Memorials may be given to the Pawating Hospital Building Fund.

 

Hershberger, Ray 1895-1975

Ray Hershberger
Sept. 14, 1895-Nov. 6, 1975

Niles Daily Star (Niles, Berrien Co., MI), Friday, November 7, 1975, page 2, col. 7, microfilm Niles District Library

NILES—Ray Hershberger, 80, of 2824 Mason St., died at 5:30 p.m. Thursday at Pawating Hospital after an extended illness.

A member of the First Church of Christ Christian, the Four Flags Barracks of the Veterans of World War I and a retired machinist from the Bendix Corp., he was born Sept. 14, 1895 in Indiana and had lived here most of his lifetime.

On July 5, 1952 in Niles he married the former Gertrude S. Hague, who survives.

Also surviving is a daughter, Mrs. May Alice Biggs of South Bend.

Funeral services will be at 1:30 p.m. Monday at the Pifer Chapel of the Swem-Smith Funeral Home with Joe R. Johnson of the First Church of Christ, Christian, officiating. Burial will be in Silverbrook Cemetery.

Friends may call at the funeral home after noon Sunday.

Memorials may be made to the First Church of Christ Christian Building fund.