Obituaries

GREGORY LEE SMITH, age 49, of Sturgis, Michigan passed unexpectedly Saturday October 9, 2010 at his home. He was born October 21, 1960 in Coldwater, Michigan a son of Robert and Betty (Cornish) Smith. He had resided in Sturgis for the past 20 years. Prior to coming to Sturgis Greg had lived in Coldwater where he graduated of Coldwater High …

Vivian May Pritchard, 78, of Three Rivers, passed away on Wednesday, Oct. 6, 2010 at her home surrounded by her family. She was born in Milwaukee, Wis., on May 22, 1932 the daughter of Manard and Leona (Reece) Ewert. Vivian has been a long time resident of Three Rivers. She was employed as the village clerk and administrator for Mendon …

Richard Duane Atkinson, 83, of rural Three Rivers, died Saturday, Oct. 9, 2010 at his home. He was born in Constantine on Nov. 22, 1926 the son of Ward and Edith (Forreider) Atkinson. He was a 1945 graduate of Three Rivers High School before joining the U.S. Army and serving in Germany and France. After WWII he returned to Three …

Charles W. Mercer, 71, of Dickinson Road, White Pigeon, died Sunday, Oct. 10, 2010, at his home, following a short illness. He was born June 27, 1939, in Constantine, a son of Edgar E. and June (Condor) Mercer. He had been a resident of the White Pigeon and Constantine area most of his life. On Dec. 14, 1957, he married …

Julie Ann Todd of White Pigeon died Oct. 10, 2010. She was born Dec. 9, 1938, in Sturgis, a daughter of the late Ralph and Julia Howard Blue. Jack Todd and Julie were married Nov. 28, 1959. he preceded her in death Oct. 30, 2003. She was preceded in death by two brothers, Ike Blue and Harry Blue; a brother-in-law, …

Gyla Ann Notestine, 73, of Riverview, Fla., died Wednesday, Sept. 22, 2010. She was born Sept. 3, 1937, a daughter of Wiley DeWitt and Hilda DeLucenay DeWitt. In 1956, she married Gordon Duane Notestine. Gyla worked many different jobs, mainly in customer service, over the course of her life in Michigan, Tennessee and Florida. She enjoyed being around lots of …

William L. Bukoski, age 87 of Three Rivers, died Saturday Oct. 9, 2010 at Kairo’s Dwelling Hospice Home in Kalamazoo. He was born in Detroit, MI on Aug. 8, 1923 the son of Philip J. and Regina Bukoski. Following High School he served in the Pacific Theater with the U.S. Army during WWII. William was married to Arlene Mary Russell …

Jessie Lee Kelly, 64, of Three Rivers, peacefully departed this life on Wednesday, Sept. 29, 2010. Services will be held on Saturday, Oct. 9 at noon with an 11 a.m. family hour from the Ambassadors for Christ 819 S. Main St., Three Rivers with Apostle Joseph L. Stanford officiating. Interment to follow in Moore Park Cemetery. Arrangements under the direction …

Roger Lee Gillison, 45, of White Pigeon, died Tuesday, Oct. 5, 2010, at Memorial Hospital in South Bend, Ind. He was born Sept. 22, 1965, in Elkhart, Ind. Surviving area son, Russell C. Schenk of Constantine; his mother, Charlotte Gillison of Elkhart; three sisters, Peggy Snyder of New Paris, Ind., and Irene Gangwer and Penny Banwrren, both of Elkhart. Also …

Evelyn Vinzola Marshall, age 94 of Centreville, died Friday Oct. 8, 2010 at the Three Rivers Health Hospice Suite. She was born in Waupaca, WI on March 19, 1916 the daughter of Vance and Palma (Knutson) Mitchell, and attended schools in Wisconsin. She was married to Leslie Lincoln Marshall on Aug. 4, 1935 in Iron Mountain, MI. She lived in …