State police arrested a Branch County man after he held two people against their will earlier this week. Troopers were called around 9 p.m. Sunday to a residence on Stoney Point Drive in Gilead Township. Investigators found a woman and her boyfriend went to her ex-boyfriend’s residence to retrieve personal belongings. Authorities said while the woman and her new boyfriend …

Joe R. Shinn, age 93, of Shipshewana, passed away holding his wife’s hand on Tuesday, December 22, 2020. He was born in Sturgis on December 20, 1927 to the late Clyde and Ester Shinn.  Joe proudly joined the Navy during World War II and served in the Philippines when the war ended 6 weeks later. Joe worked in Sturgis at Harter …

James E. Murphy, age 85, of Sturgis, passed away Friday morning December 4, 2020 at Ascension Borgess Hospital in Kalamazoo. He was born May 20, 1935 in New Bedford, Massachusetts son of the late John Joseph and Anna Elizabeth (Flynn) Murphy. Jim’s early life was spent in Massachusetts moving to Michigan in 1992. He was a graduate of St. Mary’s …

Richard Bond Anthony, Jr., age 76, of Three Rivers, died on Friday, Dec. 25, 2020 at Heartland Healthcare Center in Three Rivers. He was born in Dowagiac on Nov. 1, 1944 the son of Richard and Margaret (Cranson) Anthony. Richard  was a lifetime resident of Three Rivers. He graduated from Three Rivers High School in 1962. He joined the US …

Phyllis Marlene Woods, age 78, of Three Rivers, died Saturday, December 26, 2020 at Heartland Healthcare Center in Three Rivers. She was born in Gary, Indiana on May 27, 1942 the daughter of Phillip and Minnie (Langlie) Woldahl. She was raised in Gary where she worked briefly as a telephone operator until the birth of her first child. Later, when …

Dorothy D. Leeper, age 86, of Burr Oak, passed away Tuesday, Dec. 22, 2020. Dorothy has been a resident of Burr Oak since 1994, previously residing in Northwest Indiana. Born an only child to her parents on August 24, 1934 in Johnson City, IL, Myrtle and Juel King, she had a wonderful upbringing for a child during that era. Her …

Willard Richard Swartz, age 98, of Three Rivers, passed away on Sunday, December 27, 2020. He was born in Marcellus on June 2, 1922, the son of Cloyd and Mabel (Gearhart) Swartz. After graduating from Marcellus High School with the Class of 1940, Willard proudly served his country in the U.S. Army. He was a member of American Legion Post …

Marjorie Alice (Loudenslager) Decker, age 104, passed away peacefully Friday, December 25, 2020 at The Birches AFC in Leonidas. Marge, the youngest of seven children, was born on July 31, 1916 to Floyd and Bertha (Snook) Loudenslager. She was a longtime resident of Colon, residing in the family home for 75 years before moving to the Birches in 2014. After …

Keith Allen Shultz, age 77, of Howe, Ind., passed away Tuesday evening, Dec. 22, 2020, at his home, surrounded by his family, after a hard-fought battle with bone marrow cancer. He was born Feb. 15, 1943, in Angola, a son of the late Albert and Letha (Grove) Shultz. Keith resided in the Howe and Brighton, Ind., area most of his …

Thank God this year is almost over. It has been reported that this year has been one of the worst years in American history when it comes to health concerns. Since last March, there hasn’t been a single newscast that hasn’t had some mention of Covid-19. Thousands of Americans have died and at last report there is no end in …