Obituaries

Landon Michael Monty, son of Michael and Maryann (Goodwin) Monty of White Pigeon, Michigan was stillborn Monday, March 2, 2009, at Sturgis Hospital. Landon is survived by his parents; his grandparents, Ray and Cyndi Monty of Sturgis, Robert Goodwin of Lima, Ohio, and Wilma and Ed Bellamy of Lima, Ohio; great-grandparents, Stella Pacheco of Colorado and Irene Eaton of Sturgis; …

Jesse W. Lewis, 61, of 1325 North SR 3, LaGrange, Ind., died Feb. 19, 2009, at the home of his sister in White Pigeon.  Services and burial were held Feb. 25, 2009 in St. Claire, Mo. Local arrangements were handled by the Farrand Funeral Home of White Pigeon.

Brazil LaVern Petoskey, Jr., age 71, of Mendon, died late Saturday, Feb. 28, 2009, at Borgess Medical Center in Kalamazoo. He was born on July 30, 1937, in Mt. Pleasant, Mich., one of 13 children born to Brazil L. and Della M. (Ludwig) Petoskey. Following graduation from Shepherd High School, Brazil went to work for the Michigan Department of Transportation, …

Leon S. Kimball, 89, of Sturgis, passed away Saturday afternoon, Feb. 28, 2009, at the Sturgis Hospital Emergency Room. Arrangements will be announced by the Hackman Family Funeral Homes Hackman Chapel of Sturgis.

M. Howard Sprowl, age 85, of Sturgis,  passed away early Saturday morning February 28, 2009 at Thurston Woods Village in Sturgis. He was born April 15, 1923 in Sturgis, Michigan a son to the late Charles D. and Elsie M. (Bowser) Sprowl. Howard had resided in Sturgis his whole life with the exception of the time he was in the …

 Major Timothy L. Cook (RET.) age 58, of Sturgis, passed away unexpectedly Saturday morning ,February 28, 2009 at his home. He was born February 5, 1951 in Tipton, Indiana a son to Donald and Sarah Jane (Pickering) Cook. Major Cook had resided in the Sturgis and Howe, Indiana area since 1988. On July 31, 1999 he married Janice Romanyk at …

Florine Lola Russell, age 94, formerly of Scotts, died Friday, Feb. 27, 2009 at Borgess Medical Center in Kalamazoo following a brief illness. She was born in Augusta, MI on April 16, 1914 the daughter of Roy and Florence Smith. She was a graduate of Augusta High School and later attended Cosmetology School. She briefly operated a Beauty Shop in …

Marcia C. Bechtloff, age 69, of Colon, passed away Thursday, Feb. 26, 2009, at the Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit.  Marcia was born June 3, 1939, in Schoolcraft, a daughter of the late Harry & Helen (Smith) Stuart. Marcia had lived most all of her life in the Colon and Leonidas area. She graduated from Colon High School with the …

Gayle A. Balyeat, 74, of 703 Michigan Ave., Sturgis, Mich., died Thursday, Feb. 26, 2009, at her home, following an extended illness. She was born July 25, 1934, in Chenoa, Ill., a daughter of Russell and Vernice (Harkrider) Dunham. She had been a Sturgis resident since 1998, coming from Kalkaska, where she lived for 21 years. Prior to that, she lived in Constantine. …

George Allen McClain, age 47, formerly of Mendon, died unexpectedly on Tuesday, Feb. 24, 2009, in Sturgis. He was born in Three Rivers on Sept. 29, 1961, the son of Robert and Nancy (Sand) McClain. George was a 1980 graduate of Mendon High School, and a lifetime resident of St. Joseph County. George was a certified auto mechanic and welder. …