Obituaries

Ada C. Beckwith
June 10, 1954

BERRIEN SPRINGS – Mrs. Ada C. Beckwith, 85 of Berrien Springs, died in St. Joseph Hospital, South Bend Thursday. She was the widow of the late Dougal Rodney Beckwith. Survivors include the daughter with whom she lived, Mrs. Arthur Beebe of Berrien Springs, another daughter, Mrs. Lyda Syson of South Ben; a son, William Beckwith of Elkhart; five grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren and a sister, Mrs. Sophropia Gerhart of South Bend.

Funeral services were held at 2 p.m. today in South Bend. Burial was in Silverbrook Cemetery.

 Published Niles Daily Star, June 14, 1954.

Rodney J. Beckwith
April 5, 1891 – Aug. 31, 1952

Rodney J Beckwith, 61, of Elkhart, Ind., father of Rodney Beckwith of Niles, died Sunday at Memorial Hospital in South Bend.

Funeral services will be held in the Walley Funeral Home at Elkhart Thursday at 10 a.m. and burial will be made in Silverbrook Cemetery in Niles. The Rev. Hugh T. Hall will officiate.

Other survivors include his mother, Mrs. Ada C. Beckwith of Berrien Springs; three children, Gerald, Mrs. Maxine Elder and Robert Beckwith, all of Elkhart; two sister, Mrs. Arthur Beebe of Berrien Springs and Mrs. George Syson of South Bend; and a brother, William of Elkhart.

Beckwith was born in Mottville Township on April 5, 1891. A member of the Elks lodge and a World War I veteran, he was employed by the Conn Band Instrument Company.

Published Niles Daily Star, Sept. 3, 1952

William M. Beckwith
Feb. 17, 1903 – Feb. 12, 1973

ELKHART – William M. Beckwith, 69, of New Port Richie Fla., formerly of Niles, died Monday in Mease Hospital, Dunedin, Fla.He was born Feb. 17, 1903, in Niles and had lived in New Port Richie for the past 10 years, coming from Elkhart. He married Olga F. Krieger on Sept. 1, 1923 in Baroda Mich. She survives.

Also surviving are a daughter, Mrs. Devon Eleanor Books of Bristol, IN., three grandchildren and a great-grandchild.

Funeral services will be held at 10 a.m. Thursday in the Walley-Mills-Zimmerman Funeral Home with burial in Silverbrook cemetery, Niles.

Friends may call after 2 p.m. Wednesday in the funeral home

Published Niles Daily Star, Feb. 13, 1973

John Bedford
May 22, 1925

John Bedford of Dowagiac drops dead

John Bedford age about 80, dropped dead about 7 o’clock last evening at his home in Dowagiac, of heart disease. Mr. Bedford had attended the annual meeting of the directors of the Dowagiac National Bank and when he left the bank about 6:30 o’clock seemed to be in his usual health.His wife, Mrs. Jennie Miller Bedford received the word of her husband’s death in Niles at the home of her life long friend. Mrs. L.E. Wood, who died Tuesday afternoon. Mrs. Miller had been in Niles for several days to assist in caring for her friend and had planned to remain here until after the funeral. Mrs. Wood’s sons conveyed her to her home immediately upon receiving the announcement of his death.

Mr. Bedford was for many years a resident of Pipestone township. He was twice married his first wife having been Mrs. Rozellia Walter Bedford, a sister of Mrs. Wood. There were no children by either marriage.

Published Niles Daily Star, May 22, 1925

Albert R. Beebe
May 8, 1861 – Dec. 12, 1941

Niles Daily Star, Saturday, December 13, 1941, page 2, col. 6, microfilm Niles District Library

 ALVIN BEEBE, 80, STRICKEN IN HOME

     Alvin[sic] R.  Beebe, 80 of Route 3 for 61 years a resident of the same farm died Friday night at 7:30 in his home.  Death resulted from a stroke suffered Tuesday.

     He was born in Marcellus, May 8, 1861. He was married to Katherine Housewort, Feb. 28, 1880.

     Survivors include his widow; a son, Arthur Beebe, Berrien Springs; and a sister, Mrs. John Korn, Niles.

     Funeral will be conducted Monday afternoon at 2 in the Price and Kiger Funeral Home by the Rev. Carl Trueschel, Portage Prairie. Burial will be in Silverbrook Cemetery. Friends may call at the home until 11 Monday morning.

Note:  Obituary says first name is "Alvin"; cemetery record and gravemarker say "Albert".

Catherine Jane (Houseworth) Beebe
March 17, 1861 – Nov. 26, 1945

Berrien Woman dies at age 84

BERRIEN SPRINGS , Nov. 27 – Mrs. Catherine Jane Beebe, 84 of rural route two, Berrien Springs, died Monday afternoon at the home of her son, Arthur, Berrien Springs, after an illness of eight months. She came here from Pennsylvania at the age of seven.

She was born in Pennsylvania March 17, 1861.  In 1880 she married Albert R. Beebe and settled in Portage Prairie. Her husband, Albert, died Dec. 12, 1941. Surviving, besides the son, are two sisters, Mrs. Jacob Cauffman of Portage Prairie and Mrs. John Korn, Niles; and two brothers, Albert and John Houseworth, the former of Portage Prairie and the latter of Jackson.

 Friends may call at the Kiger Funeral Home where services will be held at 2 p.m. Thursday. The Rev. Carl H. Trueschel of Benton Harbor will officiate. Burial will be in Silverbrook Cemetery.

Mrs. Beebe was a member of the Portage Prairie Evangelical Church.

Niles Daily Star, Tuesday, November 27, 1945, page 2, col. 3, microfilm Niles District Library