Obituaries

Oct 16, 2012

Veronica B. “Ronnie” Frucci, age 95, of Niles, Michigan died on Tuesday, October 16, 2012 at her residence in the Dickereel neighborhood. She was born October 14, 1917 in Niles to Joseph & Elizabeth (Poanessa) Michienzi. On June 7, 1947 she married Dominic M. Frucci, who preceded her in death in 1951. She owned and operated the former Ronnie’s Pavilion,...

Oct 14, 2012

Biography

Jeanette Marie Dryden, age 64 of East Geyer Road, Niles, Michigan died on Sunday, October 14, 2012 at Hospice House, South Bend following an extended illness. She was born May 29, 1948 in Detroit, Michigan to Tom & Grace (Minahan) St. Denis. Jeanette attended Frasier High School and Northern Michigan University. On August 16, 1969 in Fraser, Michigan...

Oct 13, 2012

Maurice Art Greer, age 66 years of North Sixth Street, Niles, Michigan died at 11:59 p.m. on Saturday, October 13, 2012 at his home, unexpectedly but of natural causes. He was born on October 1, 1946 in Detroit, Michigan to Lillo and Sarah (Barnes) Greer, Sr. He was graduated from Pershing High School in Detroit, and attended Wayne State...

Oct 12, 2012

Randall “Randy” Neil Enders, age 59, of Niles, Michigan went to meet his Lord at his home at 9:25a.m. on Friday, October 12, 2012 following an extended illness. Randy was born April 25, 1953 in Niles to the former Agnes Marie Hennen & Jack Neil Enders. Randy graduated from Niles High School in 1971 and had lived in Niles all...

Oct 11, 2012

Travis Canfield was born in Niles, Michigan June 29, 1951 the only child of Ervin “Bud” and Gladys (Davidson) Canfield. Travis departed this life on his sailboat at the Port of Salerno, Florida where he had lived for the past three years. He graduated from Buchanan High School in 1969, and from the University of Mississippi, Oxford, Mississippi with a...

Oct 11, 2012

Connie Sue Hover, age 61 years of Niles, Michigan died at her home surrounded by her loving family at 5:56 p.m. Thursday, October 11, 2012 following an extended illness. She was born on April 24, 1951 in Niles to Delos B. and Marcella (Henrion) Capron. She was graduated from Brandywine High School in 1969, and has lived in Niles all...

Oct 10, 2012

Glenn Todd Haynes, age 61, of Clay Street, Niles, Michigan died at 4:20 p.m. Wednesday, October 10, 2012 at Lakeland Regional Health Center - Saint Joseph of a brief illness. Todd was born July 25, 1951 in Niles, Michigan to Roy M. and June L. (Gordon) Haynes. He was a 1969 graduate of Niles High School and attended college before...

Oct 10, 2012

Marcella Ann “Cel” Hadsell, age 81 years, of Niles, Michigan died at 12:45 p.m. on Wednesday, October 10, 2012 at her home following a brief illness. She was born on June 8, 1931 in Chicago, Illinois to John and Marcella (Arnold) Hocking, and attended Northwestern University. She was a member of the Ladies Historical Society of Niles. Marcella married Wally...

Oct 6, 2012

Stephen Kent Fuller, age 58, of Barron Lake Road, Niles, Michigan died on Saturday, October 6, 2012 at his home unexpectedly, but of natural causes. He was born October 26, 1953 in Niles to Orville Eugene and Katherine Berniece (Young) Fuller. He was a lifetime area resident and attended Brandywine Schools. Stephen was a United States Army Veteran, serving during...

Oct 6, 2012

Charlene J. Miswick Mihelich, age 84 years of Niles, Michigan died at 6:47 p.m. Saturday, October 6, 2012 at the home of her daughter in South Bend, Indiana of natural causes. She was born on September 13, 1928 in Niles to John E. and Helen B. (Botwinski) Misiewicz, and lived in this area most of her life. She and her...

Oct 4, 2012

Nicholas Peter "Nick" Bruckner, age 64 years, of Niles, Michigan, died on Thursday afternoon, October 4, 2012, while swimming in the Pacific Ocean near Boca Tomatlan, Jalisco, Mexico. He was born on February 13, 1948, in Wolfratshausen, Bavaria, Germany, to Edward and Edith (Kardoss) Bruckner. He lived most of his life in South Bend, Indiana, and Niles, and was graduated...

Oct 4, 2012

John Dickey, age 81 years, of Niles, Michigan, died at 12:40 p.m. Thursday, October 4, 2012 at his home following a long battle with cancer. He was born on June 7, 1931 in Niles to Tracey and Ruth (Franz) Dickey, and served in the U.S. Navy. He was employed by Cass County Road Commission, retiring in 1993. John was a...

Oct 3, 2012

Nicholas B. Nichols, 81, of Bond Street in Niles, died at 6:12 a.m. Wednesday, Oct. 3, 2012, at home, after an extended illness. He was born March 18, 1931, in Tyronza, Ark., to Burley and Ruby (Brinkley) Nichols. He was raised in Arkansas, and was known to family and friends as “Buck.” Nick was a veteran of the Korean Conflict,...

Oct 1, 2012

Thomas Roy Gulbranson, age 56 of Shawnee Court, Mishawaka, Indiana died on Monday, October 1, 2012 at his residence of natural causes. He was born December 11, 1955 in South Bend, Indiana to Roy E. & Elizabeth (Bencsics) Gulbranson. Thomas was a 1973 graduate of Clay High School and worked of Bendix for many years. He loved his grandchildren and...

Sep 30, 2012

Leslie Kay Marie Rhodes, 42, of Niles, died Sunday, Sept. 30, 2012, at her home unexpectedly, but of natural causes. She was born Feb. 17, 1970, in Buchanan to Dwight Leslie and Katharine (Arnold) Grual II, and graduated from River Valley High School. She lived in this area all of her life, and had previously been employed at FAPCO in...

Sep 29, 2012

Katherine "Kathie" Alice Clemens, age 85, of Niles, Michigan, died on Saturday, September 29, 2012, at Buchanan Meadows Living Center following a brief illness. She was born March 26, 1927, in Boston, Massachusetts, to Patrick & Alice (Cullen) Kelleher. Kathie was a 1944 graduate of Brighton High School in Boston and a 1948 graduate of the Boston City Hospital Nursing...

Sep 26, 2012

Leon Wadsworth II, 71, died Sept. 26th. In August 1957, he married Vada Jo Flynn, who preceded him in death. Surviving family includes children, Leon Richard (Amy) Wadsworth III, Trent A. Wadsworth, both of Niles, Greg L. (Tamara) Wadsworth of South Bend and Melodie Jo Lanier of Niles; grandchildren, Mariha (Scott), Lee Allen, Joshua A., Vada Jo and Annabeth Wadsworth....

Sep 19, 2012

Nancy L. Wilkinson, age 73 years of Niles, Michigan died at 2:35 a.m. Wednesday, September 19, 2012 at Memorial Hospital in South Bend, Indiana following a brief illness. She was born on August 8, 1939 in Benton Harbor, Michigan to Roy Lee and Virginia Kathryn (Taylor) Boyd. She attended Benton Harbor schools, and has lived in Niles since 1977. She...

Sep 16, 2012

Norma Jean Best, 80, of Huntly Road in Niles, MI, died Sunday evening at her home, unexpectedly but of natural causes. She was born August 21, 1932, in Cheboygan, MI, to Richard & Bertha (Lannoo) LaPlaunt, and graduated from Cheboygan High School. She came to Niles in 1953, and was employed at the Simplicity Pattern Company for 40 years before...

Sep 12, 2012

Patricia L. Gallagher passed away of natural causes on Wednesday, September 12, 2012. She was preceded into death by her loving husband of 57 years, James B. Gallagher in 2008 and sister Beverly Magness in 2010. Surviving are son Jon (& Sonya) Gallagher of Niles, Michigan and daughter Jan (& John) Bralick of Union, Michigan; two sisters, Mary Robinson of...