Robert S. Fennell, age 81, of Sturgis, Mich., passed away Wednesday morning, Feb. 17, 2010, at his home following a hard fought battle with cancer. He was born Feb. 3, 1929, in Sturgis, Mich., a son to the late Frank and Alma (Adams) Fennell. Bob was a lifelong resident of Sturgis. On May 28, 1952, he married Phyllis Coombs in …

William Ralph Bigger, age 77, of Howe, Ind., passed away Monday evening, Feb. 15, 2010, at the Parkview LaGrange Hospital in LaGrange, Ind. He was born Feb. 24, 1932, in Moline, Ill., a son to Floyd and Josephine Bigger. Bill had resided in Olney, Texas for 27 years and returned to the Sturgis and Howe area in 1988. On Aug …

Marilyn Barton Wilhelm, age 92, of Venice, Fla., passed away Feb. 13, 2010. She was born on May 2, 1917 in Sturgis, a daughter of the late John and Elzina Calahan Barton, long-time residents of Sturgis. Marilyn graduated as co-valedictorian of her 1935 Sturgis High School class. She attended Kalamazoo College and the University of Michigan. She returned to Sturgis …

Marion Helene Westgate, age 85, of Three Rivers, passed away peacefully on Sunday, Feb. 14, 2010 at Bronson Methodist Hospital surrounded by her loving family. She was born in Newberg Twp., Cass County on Oct. 23, 1924 the daughter of Ward and Wilma (Withers)Seager. Marion has been a life long resident of this area. She was united in marriage for …

Betty Jean Mattson, age 85, of Three Rivers, went to be with her Lord peacefully on Wednesday, Feb. 3, 2010 at the Bowman House. She was born on Oct. 7, 1924 in Wakefield, MI. the daughter of the late William and Muriel (Bradly) Wiedrich. Betty graduated from Crystal Falls High School in 1941. She married Henry Mattson on Aug. 23, …

Guna Osmonda Veiss, age 86, of Three Rivers, passed away on Wednesday, Feb. 10, 2010 at Heartland Health Care Center. She was born on August 29, 1923 in Madona, Latvia. Guna has been a long time member of the Latvian Community in Three Rivers and also attended the Kalamazoo Latvian Church. She leaves to cherish her memory, her loving daughters, …

Last week we received another dumping of that lovely white stuff we know as snow. In case you haven’t gathered from previous columns of mine, I am not a great lover of snow, but I do fully understand that we do need it for its nitrogen content. Once it’s on the ground and has ceased falling, it does look quite …

Kenneth L. Lemley Sr., 79, a resident of Churubusco, Ind., passed away Feb. 12, 2010, at Visiting Nurse & Hospice Home in Fort Wayne, Ind., following an extended illness. Mr. Lemley was born Nov. 5, 1930, in Kalamazoo, a son of Harry harold and Caroline (Carpenter) Lemley, and spent his formative years in Marcellus. As a young man he served with the …

June Annette (Rockwell-Avery) Marks, 92, of Niles, passed away Wednesday, Feb. 10, 2010 at Riverview Manor in Three Rivers. She was born on June 29, 1917 at Corey (Harwood Lake) near Three Rivers to the late Clive B. and Edith (Rifenberg) Rockwell. June was married to Otis Avery of Jones on Nov. 20, 1941; he died July 30, 1944 in …

Wava Elaine Borgert, age 85, a lifelong resident of Sturgis, and Burr Oak, passed away Wednesday, Feb. 10, 2010, at Thurston Woods Village. She was born Jan. 10, 1925, in Sturgis, a daughter to the late William and Mable (Snook) Steinke. Wava was a graduate of Sturgis High School with the class of 1942 and on March 28, 1946, in …