Miss Bessie Webber
October 10, 1886-March 30, 1906

A PATIENT SUFFERER

Miss Bessie Webber Passed Away Yesterday Afternoon

After an illness with tuberculos’s[sic] covering a period of eight years, three of which the patient little sufferer was bedfast, Miss Bessie Webber, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Wm. Webber of 399 Grant street, passed away yesterday afternoon at 4 o’clock.

She was born in Niles, Oct. 10, 1886 and had always resided here. Besides her mother and father, she leaves two sisters, Hazel and Blanche, and three brothers, Clyde and William of this city and Clarence of Kalamazoo to mourn her loss.

The patience and forbearance with which the young girl has borne her protracted illness has been the subject of comment of all who knew her and was beautiful to see. Every little act of Kindness, many of which she received from sympathetic children and their elders, was appreciated by her and helped to brighten the long hours. Especially close was the tie between daughter and father, the devotion of the latter during all her illness being untiring—every spare moment was devoted to her.

The funeral will be held tomorrow afternoon at 2 o’clock at Trinity Episcopal church, Rev. C.J. DeCoux officiating. The remains may be viewed at the home from 9 a.m. to 12. Burial at Silver Brook cemetery.

Niles Daily Star, Sat. March 31, 1906, page 2, col. 4

LUCY FITZGERALD
December 11, 1814- February 13, 1886

Niles Mirror, Wednesday, Feb. 17, 1886, page 4

Death of Mrs. Lucy Fitzgerald

           Mrs. Lucy Fitzgerald, after a long and painful illness, went to her final rest on Saturday afternoon last.  Mrs. Fitzgerald was born in Detroit, Dec. 11, 1814, of French parents.  She was married to Obed P. Lacey Jan 22, 1834, and came to Niles the spring following, and was thus one among the early settlers.  She was one of the brightest ornaments in the then village, and was the life of social circles, the lady first to call and welcome all new comers to the place and make them feel at home.  In 1844 she lost her husband, and was left with two daughters, and she sorrowed as only those do who have last one to whom they are devotedly attached.  Nov. 7, 1848, she married Col. Thomas Fitzgerald, man who then filled the office of US. Senator by appointment from Govenor Ransom, in place of Lewis Cass, resigned.

            She accompanied her husband to Washington, and remained there during the Congressional session of 1848-49, taking high rank in the social circles of refined Washington  society.

            He was afterwards elected Judge of Probate and commanded the respect and esteem of all for his honesty, competency and integrity.  He died in the spring of 1855, since which time she and her daughter Fanny have lived together, ever welcoming their many friends to their quiet home.  By her marriage to Mr. F. she had one son, who died a few years since.  Mrs. F. was a faithful member of the Episcopal church, from which church she was buried on Tuesday, the Rev. C.C. Tate officiating.  She was a woman who commanded the respect of all.  She leaves two worthy daughters and a host of friends.

John L. Myer
Sept. 11, 1940-Feb. 10, 2000

John L. Myer, 59, of 1441 Ferry Street, Niles, Mich., entered into rest of natural causes at 12:25 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 10,  2000, in Saint Joseph's Regional Medical Center, South Bend, Ind.

John was a machinist at the Clark Equipment Company, retiring after 27 years, was the former owner of JD's Pizza, and was the current owner of JLM (Jesus Loves Me) Machine Company, Niles.

John was a member of Vandalia Gospel Lighthouse, and was a member of the following organizations: Forgotten Man Ministries, Chuck Colson's Prison Fellowship, United Ministerial Association of Cleveland, Tenn., Amateur Trapshooting Association, and the Howard Township and Deer Creek Conservation Clubs. He was former chaplain of Cass County jails, serving from 1990-1996. He was a U.S. Navy veteran, serving from August 1958 to September 1961.

John was born on Sept. 11, 1940, to LaVerne A. and Lillian M. Lightfoot Myer in Buchanan, Mich., and was a lifetime resident of the area. John was preceded in death by his parents, and by two brothers, Michael and Jerry Myer.

He married Carol Speakman on Feb. 20, 1982, in Niles. He is survived by his wife, Carol; three sons, Michael (Debby) Myer of North Liberty, Ind., Joshua (Lisa) Myer and Jeremy Myer, both of Niles; two brothers, Dale Myer of Stevensville, Mich., and Gregg (Carol) Myer of Niles; three sisters, Denise (Bill) Fowler of South Bend, Ind., Madalyn (Cleo) Alford of Niles and Mildred Burger of South Bend; six grandchildren, Bill, Jessica, John, Sarah, Jordan and Cody; and by his stepmother, Niadah Havener.

Memorial services will be conducted at 11 a.m. on Friday, Feb. 18, in the Hoven Funeral Home, Buchanan, with the Reverends Dolly Coad of Jail Prison Ministry and Don Damron of Gospel Lighthouse officiating. Burial will follow in Silverbrook Cemetery, Niles.

John was sponsoring two children through Compassion International at the time of his death, one from Columbia and one from the Philippines.

Memorials may be made to the Forgotten Man Ministries of Berrien County, 3940 Fruit Ridge Avenue, NW, Grand Rapids, MI 49504.

Georgia May Myer
Feb. 21, 1918-June 14, 1999

Georgia May Myer, 81, of 802 Fort St., died Monday June 14, 1999, in Silverbrook Manor. Survivors include two daughters, S. Allene King of Gaithersburg, Md., and Loretta Tate of Monta Vista, Colo.; four sons, Ted Romine of Fruitvale, Texas, Carl E. Romine and Billy Romine, both of Niles, and Fred Romine of South Bend; a sister, Opal Jewell of Gilchrist, Ore.; and a brother, Raymond Eastwood of Poplar Bluff, Mo. She was born Feb. 21, 1918.  Graveside services will be at 11 a.m. Friday in Silverbrook Cemetery. Friends may call from 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday in Halbritter Funeral Home.

Cecil Moyser
Oct. 6, 1905-April 20, 1999

Mr. Cecil Moyser, 93, of Cedar Street, Niles, Mich., died following an extended illness at 9:45 a.m. on Tuesday, April 20,  1999, in Lakeland Medical Center, Niles.

He was born to Percival and Elizabeth (Hind) Moyser on October 6, 1905, in Cape Town, South Africa, and had lived in Niles since 1950, coming from Comstock, Mich.

Mr. Moyser retired in 1978 as vice president of Herlihy Mid-Continent Construction Company in Chicago, Ill.

A Veteran of World War II, serving with the U.S. Navy, he was also a 32nd Degree Member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, St. Louis, Mo., a member of B.P.O. of Niles Elks Lodge 1322 and American Legion Post 26 of Niles, and a Niles Airport Board Member. Mr. Moyser was involved in the construction of many buildings in Niles, including the addition to Eastside School. During retirement, he enjoyed reading, music, and gardening.

On Dec. 20, 1952, in Niles, he married the former Marian Walker, who survives.

He is also survived by two nephews and a niece.

Funeral services for Mr. Cecil Moyser will be at 2 p.m. on Friday in the Halbritter Funeral Home, Niles, with the Reverend Nolan R. Williams of Wesley United Methodist Church of Niles officiating. Interment will follow in Niles at Silverbrook Cemetery.

The family will receive friends from 6 to 8 p.m. today at the funeral home.

Contributions in memory of Mr. Moyser may be made to Fernwood Botanic Garden or to the Niles Community Library.

Submitted by family member; publication details unknown

Lucile Zimmer Morse
March 19, 1902-Nov. 1, 2003

Mrs. Lucile (Housh) Zimmer Morse, 101, of Colony Court, Niles, Mich., died following an extended illness at 1 p.m. Monday, Nov. 10, 2003 in Riveridge Manor, Niles.

She was born on March 19, 1902, in Oskaloosa, Kan., to Frank Charles and Daisy (Tedrick) Housh, the owners of the local general store. She graduated from high school and junior college in Kansas City, Kan., and attended the University of Kansas, Lawrence.

On Dec. 1, 1928, in Kansas City, she was married to Henry W. "Heine" Zimmer. Mr. Zimmer came with his bride to Niles to work as an accountant for fellow University of Illinois alumnus Mr. Lawrence Plym at the Kawneer Company after it had moved from its founding "near the Kaw" River, Kansas. Mr. Zimmer served many years as executive vice president and chairman of Kawneer, and preceded Lucile in death on May 20, 1962.

During most of this time Mr. and Mrs. Zimmer lived in the former Kimmel Mansion at Topinabee and Chicago roads. That property is also the home of the gazebo from Castle Rest, which Pawating Hospital needed to remove as the hospital expanded beyond the walls of that mansion. Mrs. Zimmer was proud to have rescued the gazebo, which added to the family's frequent entertaining of family and friends.

She was a member of the First Presbyterian Church, Niles, and was the last founding member of the Niles Service League and her Bridge Club. She and her husband were also founding members of Fernwood Botanic Garden, the Signal Point Club, and the former Pickwick Club, and she was a member of the Pawating Hospital Auxiliary and the Niles Garden Club. In all of these memberships she chose to be quite active and volunteered many hours.

She was a summer resident of Walloon Lake, Mich., where she was a member of the Walloon Lake Association. She was an avid reader, and was known for her loving spirit which she shared with all.

On April 29, 1967, at the University of Notre Dame (Indiana), she was married to Franklin A. Morse, who preceded her in death in 1973. In addition to her two husbands, she was also preceded in death by a son, David Housh Zimmer; her sister, Margaret "Peg" Hayward; and by a brother, Tedrick Housh.

She is survived by her sons, H. Tedrick Zimmer of Naples, Fla., John W. (Sally) Zimmer of Grand Rapids, Mich., and Charles F. (Gail) Zimmer of Jacksonville, Fla.; stepsons, Charles (Lynn) Morse of South Bend, Ind., and Steve Morse of Suttons Bay, Mich.; a stepdaughter, Kitty Duncan of La Veta, Colo.; eight grandchildren, 13 step-grandchildren and many great-grandchildren; and by a sister, Emmy Lou Sears of Kansas City.

Services for Mrs. Lucile H. Zimmer Morse will be at 11 a.m. Tuesday, Nov. 25, in the First Presbyterian Church, Niles, with the Rev. Dr. Ronald H. Wakeman of the church officiating. A reception will follow at the Signal Point Club, Niles. The family will gather at a private time for committal services at the graveside in Silverbrook Cemetery, Niles.

Contributions in memory of Mrs. Lucile Zimmer Morse may be made to The Foundation of First Presbyterian Church, to Fernwood Botanic Garden, or to the Walloon Lake Association.

Arrangements were made at the Halbritter Funeral Home, Niles