Laurana Steiner

Laurana Belle “Rana” Steiner, age 96 years of Niles, Michigan died at 9:20 a.m. on Thursday, April 7, 2016 at West Woods of Niles following an extended illness.

She was born on November 26, 1919 in Mishawaka, Indiana to Harvey Orville and Flossie Mildred (Daughtery) Smith. She attended school in Mishawaka, and has lived in the Michiana area all of her life. She was a fashion buyer for several former women’s stores in Niles including the Betsy Ross Shop, Parmalee’s, and Worth’s Town & Country Shop.

Rana attended the National Beauty College in Benton Harbor, Michigan and opened her first beauty salon – the original “Rana’s” - at Fifth & Ferry Street in Niles in 1957. That shop moved and became one of the original tenants of the former Eastgate Mall on Oak Street in Niles. Rana opened additional locations, and at one time had ten “Rana’s” salons throughout Michiana. The original salon continues at 525 North Seventeenth Street, and is still owned and operated by Rana’s family.

Rana was formerly a member of the Hairdressers Association of Indiana, and of the Morris Park Country Club. She attended the Bertrand Bible Church in Niles, and enjoyed traveling, and wintering in Texas and Florida. She always enjoyed the fellowship and competition of table games including Skip Bo and Rummikub, and especially the creative and evolving “Rana’s Designer Rummy”.

She was formerly married to Mr. Deane A. White.

On October 18, 1963, in Niles, she married William Steiner who preceded her in death on October 30, 1978. She was also preceded in death by a son, Donald D. White on July 5, 2009; a daughter, Leslie L. Cook on November 4, 1994; and by brothers Robert Smith, Richard Smith, and Donald Smith.

Surviving family includes her son, Patrick (& Gail) White of Niles, daughters Jami (& Craig) Vanden Bossche of North Liberty, Indiana, and Marilyn “Jami” (& Jerry) Chapman of Plano, Texas; a daughter-in-law, Janice (Mrs. Donald) White; grandchildren Janice (& John) Hensel, Juli (& Brian) Donohue, William (& Jennifer) White, Sarah (& Brad) Moggenberg, Tracee Cook, Kate Kobatch, Jamié (& Jeff) Roberge, James (& Michelle) Chapman, Heather (& Kevin) Garrard, and Dean DePree; great-grandchildren Drew, Alexia, Briana, Cole, Nikki, Maxwell, Madeline, Evelyn, Russell, Payton, Nolan, Emerson, Claire, Zachary, Madison, and McKinley; great-great-grandchildren Mia, Reece, Zoe, Owen, Hadley, and Jade; and Rana’s sister, Sally (& Richard) Kesler of South Bend, Indiana, sister-in-law Ada Goodhand of Niles; and many nieces and nephews.

A memorial service for Rana Steiner will be at 4:00 p.m. on Saturday, April 16, 2016 at the Bertrand Bible Church in Niles with Pastor Tony Slagle officiating. The family will receive relatives and friends on Saturday at the church, beginning at 3:00 p.m. Interment will be private at Mission Hills.

Contributions in memory of Rana may be made to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, 26 Broadway, 14th Floor, New York, NY 10004, or to Grace Hospice, 2725 Airview Blvd., #101, Portage, MI 49002. Arrangements were made at the Halbritter Funeral Home in Niles.

www.halbritterfunerals.com