Gladys M. Boulton
May 19, 1908 - Dec. 22, 2001

Gladys May Williams Boulton, 93, of North Phillips Road, Niles, MI passed away Saturday, December 22nd at 9:50 p.m. at Lakeland Medical Center, Niles.

She was born on May 19, 1908 in Niles to Henry and Viola(Webber) Williams who lived at 1204 Sycamore. Her father was co-founder of Williams Home Center, Niles.

She graduated from Niles High School in 1926. She was a homemaker who enjoyed working in her yard and flowers, reading, stitchery, needlework and traveling. Mrs. Boulton was very active in the Niles First Baptist Church where she was a member for the past 76 years. She and her husband joined the church in 1925 and were the longest members on the current membership role. She enjoyed singing in the church choir and held many other positions in the church throughout the years. She was a founding member of the Hilah Allyn Guide as well as the Two-by-Two Sunday School Class.

On August 31, 1934 in Niles she married Irving S. Boulton, also a life long Niles resident, who survives.

She is survived by their daughter, Marlene (Donald) Vandenburg, Niles and son, Norman (Fay) Boulton, Phoenix, AZ., formerly of Granger, IN. She enjoyed her five grandchildren: Steven Vandenburg, Niles; Michael (Christine) Vandenburg, Granger, IN; Lisa Vandenburg (Norman) Sowards, Canton, CT; Denise Boulton (Roger) Sparks, Norlina, NC and Cheryl Boulton (Wes) Moore, Winston, Salem, NC.

Also surviving are nine great grandchildren: Elaine and Paul Vandenburg, Niles; Thomas and Sarah Vandenburg, Granger, IN; Morgan and Grant Sowards, Canton, CT; and Baron and Jena Sparks, Norlina, NC and Mary Moore, Winston, Salem, NC.

She was preceded in death by her parents, an infant son Warren and infant twin daughters Mary and Marie, sister Flossie Williams (Trent) Michael; brother Berdell F. Williams (Hilda) and a great granddaughter Alexandra Vandenburg.

Funeral services for Mrs. Gladys Boulton will be held at the First Baptist Church on Thursday at 11:00 a.m.

Burial and committal services will be at Silverbrook Cemetery, Niles.

Visitation will be on Wednesday evening 5:00 - 8:00 p.m.

Contributions in memory of Mrs. Boulton may be made to the First Baptist Church Foundation Fund.

Submitted by family member; publication details unknown  

Irving S. Boulton
Jan. 30, 1910 -- July 22, 2004

Irving Stanley Boulton, 94, of North Phillip Road, Niles, Mich., passed away in Lakeland Medical Center, Niles, on Thursday, July 22, at 10:30 a.m. unexpectedly but of natural causes.

He was born on Jan. 30, 1910, in Niles, to Horace and Lucy (Peters) Boulton. Irving was a lifetime resident of Niles and graduated from Niles High School in 1928. He graduated from the College of Commerce in Business Administration of South Bend, Ind., in 1929 and joined the Oliver Corporation on June 6, 1929 in their sales division. He held many management positions throughout his career with Oliver's and through the merger with White Motor Company. He retired from the Corporate Office in Chicago as director of purchasing in 1970.

Mr. Boulton was very active in the First Baptist Church, where he and his wife, Gladys (Williams), who died Dec. 22, 2001 after 67 years of marriage, joined the church in 1925 as teenagers and were the longest members on the current membership role. He held many positions in the church throughout the years. He was a founding member of the Two-by-Two Sunday School Class.

He enjoyed working and took pride in his yard on Phillip Road.

He is survived by their daughter, Marlene (Donald) Vandenburg of Niles; and son, Norman (Fay) Boulton of Phoenix, Ariz. Also surviving are five grandchildren, Steven Vandenburg of Niles, Michael (Christine) Vandenburg of Granger, Ind., Lisa Vandenburg (Norman) Sowards of Canton, Conn., Denise Boulton (Roger) Sparks of Norlina, N.C., and Cheryl Boulton (Wes) Moore of Winston-Salem, N.C.

Also surviving are nine great-grandchildren, Elaine and Paul Vandenburg of Niles, Thomas and Sarah Vandenburg of Granger, Morgan and Grant Sowards of Canton, Baron and Jena Sparks of Norlina and Mary Moore of Winston-Salem.

He was preceded in death by his parents; infant son, Warren; and infant twin daughters, Mary and Marie; brother, Leslie; and infant great-granddaughter, Alexandra Vandenburg.

Funeral services for Mr. Boulton will be held in the First Baptist Church on Monday, July 26, at 11 a.m. with Rev. John Schindler, interim pastor and Rev. Henry Miller of Deer Creek, Ill., officiating.

Burial and committal services will be at Silverbrook Cemetery, Niles.

Visitation will be in the Halbritter Funeral Home from 2 to 5 p.m. Sunday, July 25.

Contributions in memory of Mr. Boulton may be made to the First Baptist Church Foundation Fund.

Submitted by family member; publication details unknown

 

David C. Bowman
May 30, 1937 - Jan. 27, 2007

NILES -- David C. Bowman, 69, died Saturday in Lakeland Community Hospital, Niles, following a brief illness. Survivors include sisters, Barbara (Ed) Madden-Bittle of West Des Moines, IA, and Jean M. Stilwell of South Bend; and brothers, Joseph B. (Becky) Bowman of Elkhart and John S. Bowman of Niles. A memorial service will be Tuesday, Jan. 30, 2007, at 2 p.m. in Halbritter Funeral Home, Niles, with visitation one hour prior to the service. Burial will be at Silverbrook Cemetery, Niles.

Submitted by family member; publication details unknown

Elva M. Bowman
April 4, 1914 - April 4, 1997

Elva M. Bowman, 83, of 1428 E. Main Street, Niles, Mich., died following an extended illness at 8:05 p.m. on Friday, April 4, at Silverbrook Manor, Niles.

Mrs. Bowman was born April 4, 1914, at Leonidas, Mich., to Silas Kline and Elsie M. Thomson, and had lived in Niles since 1953, coming from Edwardsburg, Mich.

She retired as president and bookkeeper for the Amerson Bowman Company in Niles. Mrs. Bowman was a member of the First Presbyterian Church, Niles; the Niles Elks Auxiliary; was a life member of the Orchard Hills Country Club, and was a member of the Fraternal Order of Eagles Auxiliary.

On Nov. 14, 1934, in South Bend, Ind., she married Amerson Bowman, who preceded her in death on July 29, 1993.

She is survived by her daughters, Barbara Madden Bittle of West Des Moines, Iowa, Jean M. Stilwell of Niles; sons, David C. Bowman of Niles, Joseph B. Bowman of Mishawaka, Ind., and John S. Bowman of Niles; and by 12 grandchildren.

Services will be at 11 a.m. on Monday at the Halbritter Funeral Home, Niles, with the Rev. John Thompson, assistant to the pastor of the First Presbyterian Church of Niles, officiating. Interment will be at Silverbrook Cemetery in Niles.

Friends may call from 6 to 8 p.m. today at the funeral home.

Contributions in memory of Mrs. Bowman may be made to the Foundation of the First Presbyterian Church.

Submitted by family member; publication details unknown

Ossie B. Briggs
Oct. 17, 1933 - Oct. 20, 2005

Ossie B. Briggs, passed away Thursday, Oct. 20, 2005, in Lakeland Hospital, St. Joseph, Mich., of natural causes. He was born October 17, 1933, in Kansas City, Mo., to the union of Erby and Lena Briggs, who both preceded him in death.

Ossie confessed Christ at an early age and was baptized at Mount Calvary Missionary Baptist Church, Niles, Mich.

On November 4, 1956, Ossie was joined in holy matrimony to Willie Washington, who survives him.

Ossie retired from National Standard in 2001. He was a Niles City constable from 1989 to 1995. He was a member of the Berrien County Sheriff Reserves from 1968 to 1988 and worked at the Niles library as well as various other places in Niles.

Ossie leaves to cherish his memory his wife, Willie "Teda" Briggs; four sons, Tony (Elizabeth ) Briggs of Buchanan, Mich., Craig O. Briggs of Glenn Carlton, Ill., Ronald Briggs of New Orleans, La., and Michael Briggs of Las Vegas, Nev.; and a daughter, Gwen Briggs of Niles, Mich. He is also survived by two brothers, Carl Briggs of Niles, Mich., and Arton (Connie) Briggs of South Bend, Ind.; and a sister, Dessie Cobb of Niles, Mich.; and a host of grandchildren, great-grandchildren, nieces, nephews, and cousins. He was preceded in death by a sister, Ruth Briggs and one brother, Eddie Briggs.

Visitation will be from 10 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, Oct. 26 in Mount Calvary Missionary Baptist Church, Niles, where services will be at 10:30 a.m. Interment will be at Silverbrook Cemetery, Niles.

Hoven Funeral Home, Buchanan, is handling arrangements.

Submitted by family member; publication details unknown

James D. Broach
May 8, 1927 -- Nov. 8, 2007

NILES -- James D. Broach, 80, of South Thirteenth Street, died at 5:55 a.m., Thursday, Nov. 8, in Lakeland Community Hospital, following a brief illness.

Mr. Broach was born on May 8, 1927, in Florence, SC, to Robert and Rosie (Prosser) Broach. He lived in Niles and Buchanan most of his life. He retired in 1990 from the Home Improvement Company, Niles.

James was a veteran of the Korean Conflict, having served in the United States Army. He was a member of the V.F.W. Post #1855 in Dowagiac, MI. He enjoyed playing cards, checkers, and working in the woodshop, especially making wooden puzzles.

Mr. Broach is survived by his daughter, Elouise Poston of Sumter, SC; companion of 24 years, Shirley Tebo of Niles; her children, Diane (Larry) Follmer of Niles, Corinne (Paul) Karkiewicz of South Bend, Sylvester (Sally) Tebo of Niles, Andrea Tebo of Raleigh, NC; eight grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren.

James was preceded in death by his parents, Robert and Rosie Broach; foster parents, Lynn and Vinnie Poston, who raised him, Shirley's daughter, Cindy H. Strauss, Shirley's grandson, David Tebo; four brothers and five sisters.

Funeral services will be at 10 a.m., Monday, Nov. 12, in Halbritter Funeral Home, Niles, with Pastor Robert Hamilton of Saint Peter's Evangelical Church, Galien, officiating. Interment will be at Silverbrook Cemetery, Niles. A flag presentation and "Taps" will follow the services at the graveside by V.F.W. Post #1855, Dowagiac.

Friends may call from 2 to 4 p.m. Sunday in the funeral home.

Memorial contributions may be made to the American Cancer Society.

Submitted by family member; publication details unknown