I spent about twenty-five years working and living in the northwest suburbs of Chicago. I was very familiar with the area near O’Hare Airport, and, at that time, had no plans of ever returning to Three Rivers to live. A couple of weeks ago, my wife and I spent a weekend in the O’Hare area. She was attending a Lions …

Faye Ann (Platz) Van Ness Letner, age 84, of White Pigeon, passed away Monday, March 24th, 2014 at Heartland Health Care Center in Three Rivers. She was born in Elkhart, IN on August 13, 1929, a daughter of George and Mae Ann (Hurst) Platz. On June 30, 1945, Faye married Bernard W. Van Ness at Fort McClellan Army Base in …

The January unemployment rate in St. Joseph County was unchanged compared to a month earlier. The monthly labor-market analysis by the Michigan Department of Technology, Management and Budget showed St. Joseph County’s 6.9 percent January unemployment rate was equal to December’s figure. January’s unemployment rate was 1.7 percent less than the same month one year earlier, when the figure was …

Gary Lynn Gales, age 51 of Sturgis, passed away early Sunday morning, March 23, 2014 at his home. He was born Sept. 9, 1962, in Malden, Mo., a son of the late Charles Lloyd and Mary Christine (Kellum) Gales. Gary resided most of his life in the Leonidas area. On Dec. 28, 1990, he married Alana Hennessee in St. Joseph. …

The Three Rivers Lions Club has announced tickets for its Bruce C. Snook Citizen of the Year banquet went on sale Monday. The tickets are $20 each and will not be available at the door, where Jerry Wright will be honored at a 6:30 p.m. dinner April 22 at Belle Époque. Tickets are being sold at Ridgeway Floral in Three …

Upgrades in the booking and intercom systems at the county jail were approved last week by the St. Joseph County Board of Commissioners. The five-member board authorized a $178,000 quote from Midstate Jail Security, one of three bidders for the project. Sheriff’s department officials said the current intercom/speaker system is outdated and spare parts are too difficult – and in …

The Three Rivers City Commission last week passed an ordinance related to sidewalk snow removal. The ordinance calls for the owner of a building or lot adjacent to a paved sidewalk to clear the sidewalk within 72 hours of a measureable snowfall. In addition, the ordinance requires sand or an abrasive to be applied if snow is too hard or …

Frances Emma Shively, age 93, of Three Rivers, passed away peacefully on Wednesday, March 19, 2014 at the Bowman House where she resided. She was born on March 15, 1921 in Three Rivers the daughter of the late Elmer E. and Emma C. (White) Brown. Mrs. Shively attended school both in Beloit, WI., and Three Rivers where she graduated. On …

Jack D. Rupert, age 80, of Sturgis, Mich., passed away Saturday evening, March 22, 2014, at Thurston Woods Village in Sturgis. He was born Nov. 30, 1933, in Delphos, Ohio, son of the late Cloyd and Madeline (Holden) Rupert. Jack resided in Sturgis since 1967 coming from Detroit. On Oct. 1, 1951, he married Julie Coleman in Detroit. He was …

Carry F. “Duffy” Dearduff, age 68, of Howe, Ind., passed away Friday, March 21, 2014, at his home. He was born June 22, 1945 in Muncie, Ind., a son to the late Carry and Golden Jewel (Mays) Dearduff. Carry had lived most of his life in Howe, Ind., and had been employed by the Harter Corp. for 20 years and …