Marguerite Adams

Marguerite E. Adams, age 89 years of Niles, Michigan died at 10:20 a.m. on Monday, February 10, 2014 at Memorial Hospital in South Bend, Indiana following a brief illness.

She was born on May 12, 1924 in Niles, Michigan (in the parsonage of Franklin A.M.E. Church) to Fred and Arneal (Brown) Shepard, and has lived in Niles all of her life.

Marguerite was a member of Franklin A.M.E. Church. Music was always an important part of her life. In high school she sang in the choir and played the bells in the band. After graduating from Niles High School in 1942, she continued her love for music singing in the church choir of which she still participated. As an adult she sang in a trio named “The Melody Maids” with Marion Finley Scruggs and Norma Finley Taylor.

She had worked in downtown Niles at Larry Zock’s Laundry as well as Simplicity Pattern Company. In 1988 Marguerite retired after 22 years of services with the Cass County Department of Human Services. She enjoyed Senior Center activities, traveling with them and was a volunteer with Love, Inc.

On November 23, 1944, she married Nelson Woodford in Niles, who preceded her in death on September 12, 1973. She later married Irven L. Adams on January 4, 1975 in Niles, who preceded her in death on September 29, 2009. She was also preceded in death by her brother David Shepard.

Surviving family includes her sons, Larry Woodford of Reno, Nevada and Brian Woodford of Sparks, Nevada; step-daughter RuthAnn (& Myron) Frasier of Southfield, Michigan; grandchild DeMarco Doxie; 5 step-grandchildren, and 12 great-grandchildren.

Services for Marguerite Adams will be at 1:00 p.m. on Friday, February 14, 2014 at Franklin A.M.E. Church in Niles with Rev. Rebecca R. Mitchell of the church officiating. The family will receive relatives and friends on Thursday from 5:00 until 7:00 p.m. at the Halbritter Funeral Home.

Contributions in memory of Marguerite may be made to the church.

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