Anthony Frucci
February 21, 1912-February 13, 1994

Anthony Frucci, 81, of 1310 Cass St., a former Niles Township fire chief, died at 12:01 a.m. Sunday (Feb. 13, 1994), in Pawating Hospital. Mr. Frucci was born Feb. 21, 1912. On Aug. 25, 1934, he married Nellie Eckler. She survives with four daughters, Anita Rogers of Elkhart, Mary Lou McCormick of Winston Salem, N.C., Karen Teresa Wise of Niles and Phillis Kay Koenigshof of Alapaha, Ga.; 12 grandchildren; six great-grandchildren; and three brothers, Bruno and Johnny, both of Niles, and Victor of Bradenton, Fla.

Services will be at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday in Pifer-Smith Funeral Home. Burial will be in Silverbrook Cemetery. Friends may call from 6 to 8 p.m. Tuesday in the funeral home.

Submitted by family member; publication details unknown 

Jack B. Frizzell
March 3, 1961-Sept. 11, 2005

Jack B. Frizzell, 44, of Palmetto, Fla., formerly of Niles, died Sunday, Sept. 11, 2005, in Palmetto of natural causes.  He was born, March 3, 1961. Survivors include two daughters, Ashley Frizzell of South Bend and Hayley Frizzell of Niles; his mother, Jean Frizzell of Palmetto; two sisters, Teresa Veach of Niles and Laury Frizzell of Cape Coral, Fla.; and a brother, Edward Frizzell of Caledonia, Mich. Graveside services will be 10 a.m. Sept. 29 at Silverbrook Cemetery. Friends may call at 11 a.m. in Fraternal Order of Eagles Lodge in Niles.  Mansion Memorial Park & Funeral Home, Ellenton, Fla., is handling arrangements.

Submitted by family member; publication details unknown 

Doris Frick
Oct. 20, 1908-Sept. 1, 2004

Doris (Mitchell) Frick, 95, of West 48th Street, Fremont, Mich., formerly of Niles, Mich., passed away Wednesday, Sept. 1, 2004, in the Transitional Health Center.

Doris was born Oct. 20, 1908, in Racine, Minn., to the late Almond and Edna (Young) Mitchell. In 1941 she married Herbert Frick in South Bend, Ind. They were married for 38 years before Herbert passed away on April 12, 1979.

Surviving Doris are her son, David (Rexene) Frick of Grant, Mich.; three grandchildren, Bethann Frick of Niles, Terry (Holly) Frick of Niles and David (Stacy) Frick of Grand Rapids, Mich.; and four great-grandchildren.

Doris enjoyed reading, cooking and sewing, and was also a member of Huntly Baptist Church when she lived in Niles.

Memorials may be made to The Huntly Baptist Church, 1139 Huntly Road, Niles, MI 49120.

Services will be today, Sept. 3, at 1 p.m., with visitation beginning at 11 a.m. in Brown~Pifer Funeral Home, 521 E. Main St., Niles, MI 49120, and with interment to follow at Silverbrook Cemetery.

Arrangements have been entrusted to the Brown~Pifer Funeral Home and Cremation Services.

Cynthia Frey
July 8, 1935-March 21, 1994

Cynthia Madalene (Bauer) Frey, 58, of 10 S. Fairview Ave., Niles, died at 9:45 a.m. Monday (March 21, 1994)  in her home after an illness.  Mrs. Frey was a technical processing clerk at Niles Community Library.  She was born July 8, 1935, in Cleveland. Surviving are four daughters, Susan Frey and Sara Frey, both of Niles, Karen Frey of Farmington Hills, Mich., and Sandra Frey of East Providence, R.I.; her mother, Madaleine Bauer of Niles; and a sister, Susan Agnew of Tahlequah, Okla.

Services will be at 11 a.m. Wednesday in Pifer-Smith Funeral Home. Burial will be in Silverbrook Cemetery. Friends may call one hour before services Wednesday in the funeral home. Memorial contributions may be made to the ballet scholarship fund at Interlochen Center for the Arts.

Submitted by family member; publication details unknown 

Minnie French
July 1, 1864-November 21, 1924

Funeral services for Mrs. French held at church.

Funeral services were held at Trinity Episcopal Church this afternoon for Mrs. Frank J. French. Rev. James E. Wikinson, rector of the church, conducted the services.  Louis Ebel, of South Bend, presided at the organ. The following acted as pall bearers. S.B. White, A.G. Stone, F.B. Eycleshymer, H. O. Parker, Lawrence Kretchman and T.C. Hance. The body was laid to rest in the family lot in Silver Brook cemetery amid a wealth of beautiful flowers.

Minnie Crawford French was born near Boston, Mass, July 1st 1864, and died at the sanitarium in Battle Creek, Mich, on November 21, 1924.  Mrs. French came from a family talented both in music and fanatics. Her mother, Mrs. J.W. Crawford, was among the first of eastern musician to give interpretative recitals in Boston and the New England States.

  Educated in Boston.

Mrs. French also secured her musical training in that city, studying the violin under the director of Prof. C. N. Allen. As a young musician she was associated with the celebrated violinist Maude Powell, assisted her in teaching the violin, and filled engagements for her as an understudy. September 10, 1890, she was married to Mr. Frank J. French in Boston and went as a bride to live in Three Rivers, Michigan.  In the following year, 1891 she came with her husband to Niles.   From that date to the time of her death she made this city her home.  For more than twenty-seven years she was an active and interested member of the Ladies Historical society.  Until the last year she was a regular attendee at the meetings of this organization, spent time and study in preparation of papers and arranged several musical programs, which were outstanding events in the history of this society.  Mrs. French was a violinist of marked ability.  Those who had the privilege of hearing her play recall that her execution was masterly and brilliant.  Music was a permanent joy in her life and she generously shared this pleasure with other.  During her residence in Niles on various occasions she entertained club members, friends and acquaintances at delightful recitals-recitals in which such artists as Louis Elbel, Mr. J.W. Crawford, and other appeared.  In this way she made it possible for many Niles people to hear and enjoyed classical programs of rare beauty and excellence.  In regard to her own attainments Mrs. French was strikingly modest. She never mentioned her success as a musician.  She under estimated her knowledge of music which in reality was unusually thorough and broad. A Woman of strong personality she was entirely free from anything that savored of display or that was artificial in manner. S he was always , beautiful, individual interesting.  For those whom she loved and esteemed she displayed a constant thoughtfulness.  Regardless of Illness or pressure of affairs she never, allowed a timely occasion to pass without sending greetings and remembrances to friends.

Members of the immediate family who survive Mrs. French are her husband, Frank J. French of Niles; two daughters, Mrs. Alene French Gardner of Georgetown, Texas and Mrs. Natalie French Brecher of this city; two grandchildren, children of Mrs. Garner and her mother, Mrs. J.W. Crawford, who at the advanced age of eighty-thee, lives in Westboro Massachusetts.

Submitted by family member; publication details unknown 

Joseph W. French
June 4, 1833-March 21, 1907

Joseph W. French Crosses the Bar

President of French paper is no more.

A prominent manufacturer For over half a century

Came to Michigan in the year 1854.

Joseph W. French passed peacefully away shortly before noon today at the palatial home on Main Street, aged 74 years. The deceased was born in Stephenson, Conn. June 4, 1833, and was educated in the public schools. In 1854, he came to Three Rivers to take charge of a spoke factory for Eastern capitalists, who had built a dam in the St. Joseph River there. In 1856, he bought a paper mill at Three Rivers, and continued in the business until two and half years ago, when he sold out his interests to the Three Rivers Paper Company. Two years ago Mr. French removed to Niles, where he had acquired extensive interests.

 Was at head of French Paper co.

In 1867 a company called the Niles Manufacturing company was organized and commenced building a the present dam in St. Joseph River at that place. The dam was finished in 1871. In 1872 the company sold their interest in the water power on the west side of the river to J.W. French and the late J. B. Millard.

In 1872 the Niles Paper mills purchased considerable portions of the interest of the manufacturing company in the water power on the east side. The interest of the Niles Manufacturing company was purchased in 1877 by the Niles Water Power company, which assumed the debts of the former concern.  Messrs French and Millard in 1872 organized the Michigan Wood Pulp company on the west side of the river, which has been in operation ever since. Mr. Millard sold out his interest many years since to Mr. French and sons. Later the company was incorporated under the name of the French Paper company, the largest factory in the city. It employees two hundred men and twenty-five women, has a business amounting to about seven hundred and fifty thousand dollars per year and a pay roll of one hundred and ten thousand dollars per year. The company manufactures ground wood pulp, pulp box boards, pulp pie plates and book and lithograph paper. The officers were J. W. French, president, W.J. Willits, vice-president; F. J. French and J.E. French, secretary.

 Married over Fifty Years.

The late Mr. French was married to Miss Emily J. Wright at her home in Deep River, Conn., in 1856, and had since lived happily together. Three children blessed this union, who together with their mother, stood beside the bed of a loving husband and indulgent parent, and watched life’s ebbing tide drifting the love one slowly but surely into the great ocean of eternity.  The children are Willard W. French of Three Rivers, and F. J. and J. E. French of this city. The deceased was a Master Mason. He was a life long member of the Baptist church, holding the office of treasurer of the church at Three Rivers for about half a century.  He was a charitable and generous man, and his demise will be deeply deplored at his old home, as well as in Niles.  To the heart broken mother and sons who sit in sorrow where his footsteps shall never again find echo, the people extent sincerest sympathy.

The funeral will take place from the home at 2:30 o’clock Thursday after noon, the Rev. J.F. Boyden of Kalamazoo conducting the last sad rites. Interment at Silverbrook.