Gary Paul Lockwood, age 59, of Three Rivers, passed away on Tuesday, May 21, 2013 at his home after a courageous battle with lung disease. He was born on July 18, 1953 the son of Paul and Bernice (Button) Lockwood. Gary has been a lifelong resident of Three Rivers. He graduated with the class of 1971 where Gary excelled at …

Jay Wolgast, age 80, was born June 9, 1932 in Leelanau County to William and Martha Wolgast. Jay grew up in Traverse City and graduated from Traverse City High School in 1951 After graduation he joined the U.S. Navy and spent four years in the South Pacific near the end of the Korean War on the destroyer USS Rodgers. In …

Stanley Ronald Clarren, age 80, of Sturgis, passed away Wednesday, May 15, 2013, at Thurston Woods Village in Sturgis. He was born Nov. 1, 1932, in Chicago, to Salome (Dorothy) Glonek and Stanley Clarren. Ron graduated from Lindblom High School in Chicago and moved to Sturgis with his mother and his stepfather, Steve Kenny, in 1950. After high school, Ron …

Judith Ann Fricker, age 71, of Joplin, Mo., went to her heavenly home Friday, May 3, 2013, at Landmark Hospital in Joplin, after a sudden illness. Judy was born Aug. 8, 1941, in South Bend, Ind., to Sidney and Verla (Pat) Seburg. She attended Schoolcraft High School in Schoolcraft. She attended Northview Assembly of God Church, was a retired nurse, …

White Pigeon Community Schools officials are scheduled to stage a ceremonial groundbreaking at 5:30 this afternoon outside Central Elementary. Superintendent Ron Drzewski  said the event marks the informal start of work following voter-approved renewal of a five-year, sinking-fund millage dedicated to school building improvements. The millage renewal request was approved a year ago and money to cover the improvements is …

Nearly 40 people played a role in helping lay more than 9,000 yards of sod over the weekend at Sweetland Stadium in Constantine. The school district’s $100,000 allocation toward the new grass surface covered the entire portion of the stadium’s field, the installation of an in-ground watering system and dirt and seed for two practice football fields, according to Constantine …

Members of the Centreville Village Council have been advised that a sidewalk project planned through a $400,000 grant will proceed, despite objections from a group of village residents. Council members Monday were told village attorney John Barnes was contacted last week following a special meeting to hear some residents’ opinions against the sidewalk construction. Village president Jeff Johnson indicated Barnes …

Entry through a garage door led to the theft of jewelry and two handguns earlier this week in Fabius Township. The St. Joseph County Sheriff’s Department was called to the 15700 block of Oakshore Drive in response to an incident that occurred between 6:30 a.m. and 5:45 p.m. Monday. In a separate incident, deputies were called Monday to the 59900 …

Retired Col. Stephen Maynard Gordon, U.S. Army, age 83, of Sturgis, passed away Friday afternoon May 17, 2013, at Thurston Woods Village in Sturgis. He was born July 20, 1929, in Logansport, Ind., a son of the late Donald and Harriett (Sinninger) Gordon. Mr. Gordon had resided in Sturgis since 1974, coming from Logansport. He was a graduate of Logansport …

Robert E. Hagen of Sturgis passed away Friday, May 17, 2013, at Borgess Medical Center. He was born Dec. 11, 1934, in Sturgis, to William and Ilo (Waltz) Hagen. On Sept. 10, 1953, he married DonaJean (Beers) at Trinity Lutheran Church, by the Rev. Herbert Heindeneich. He was a lifelong resident of Sturgis. Bob worked at a number of filling stations, Dennis Kane …