Barbara Joan Lawson, age 88, of Three Rivers, passed away peacefully on Friday, July 3, 2020 at Heartland Health Care Center. She was born on December 15, 1931 in Three Rivers, the daughter of the late Raymond and Helen (Burrow) Watkins. Barb has been a lifetime resident of Three Rivers. She was a long-time member of the First United Methodist …

Members of the St. Joseph County Fair Board voted Monday to cancel the 2020 fair due to concerns about COVID-19. Board president Tom Miller called Monday’s action the most difficult vote any fair board in St. Joseph County has ever had to make. Regarding 4-H participants, fair officials plan to meet with St. Joseph County Extension Office 4-H Program Coordinator …

Judith Marilyn Beall, age 72, of Manchester, TN, left this world on June 13, 2020 to go into the arms of her loving LORD. Judy and Joann (her twin sister) were born on July 10, 1947 to Max I and Ruth Elsie (Drange) Swartzell. She graduated from Bristol High School, Bristol, IN in 1965. She attended Olivet Nazarene College from …

Mitchel B. Paul, age 82, passed away on Thursday, July 2, 2020, at Rose Arbor Hospice in Kalamazoo. Mitch was born Nov. 29, 1937, in Coldwater, a son of Leo and Maybelle (Taylor) Paul. On Aug. 22, 1959, he married the love of his life, Patricia (Warkoczeski) Paul, and together they lived in Sturgis for 40 years, eventually relocating to …

Hundreds of people spent the holiday in swimsuits but no masks at a lake in southwestern Michigan, a turnout that disappointed authorities who warn that the coronavirus remains a threat. The virus “doesn’t discriminate,” said Danielle Persky of the Van Buren/Cass District Health Department. “The goal right now is to mitigate the spread of COVID-19, and when we’re not doing …

Bradley S. Smith, age 58, of Colon, passed away Tuesday, June 30, 2020 at Three Rivers Health. Bradley was born on January 20, 1962 in Sturgis, a son to Howard and Patricia (Henderson) Smith Bradley is survived by his mother Patricia Smith of Sturgis, Sister Melody Sprowl of Kalamazoo, brothers: Mitchell and Marvin Smith of Sturgis, a niece Sarah Robinson, …

Elvera I. Fager, age 93, of Colon, passed away Saturday, June 27, 2020 at Heartland Healthcare of Three Rivers. Elvera was born August 23, 1926 in Westminster, Ohio. A daughter to the late Dewey and Esther (Vance) Carpenter. She is survived by sons: Terry Matson of Three Rivers, Ronald Fager of Indianapolis, and William Matson of Florida. Cremation has taken …

A man was fatally struck by a boat while swimming in a western Michigan lake over the weekend, police said. The man was hit Sunday afternoon on Gull Lake near Kalamazoo. The man was brought to shore for lifesaving measures but was pronounced dead from his injuries at the scene, according to the Kalamazoo County Sheriff’s Office. The boat operator …

Phyllis Kosakowski passed away Monday, June 29, 2020 at Rose Arbor Hospice center. A mass has taken place here and burial will take place in her home town of Stephenson, Michigan. Arrangements by Schipper Funeral Home.

Last week I bragged a little about the state of Michigan. If you are thinking about taking the family on a short vacation, Michigan has a lot to offer. Day trips are easy to find, or if you’d like to stretch that time away into a week or two, that’s also possible, and you don’t have to leave the state. …