Obituaries

Gary Paul Mills, age 82, of Sturgis, passed away Saturday evening, October 1, 2022 at his home surrounded by his family. He was born October 9, 1939 in Elkhart, son of the late Oscar H. and Jean E. (Shantz) Mills. Gary resided in Sturgis since 1970 coming from Edwardsburg. In 1957 he married his high school sweetheart Nila Jean Parker …

Claire J. Gray (nee VanDyke), age 101, died at Bowman Place in Three Rivers on September 23, 2022. Claire grew up in Kalamazoo and with her husband, Paul, raised three sons in Portage before they moved to Big Pleasant Lake near Three Rivers. She enjoyed entertaining family and friends and setting a pretty table. Claire also liked to golf, play …

Netta June Fennell, age 92, of Burr Oak, passed away Friday morning, September 30, 2022 at Thurston Woods Village in Sturgis. She was born June 28, 1930 daughter of the late Stanley and Gladys (Work) Brooks. Netta June was a lifelong Burr Oak resident. Her education began at the Eberhart School where she attended primer and first grade moving on …

Patrick James Klingerman, age 72, of Three Rivers, passed away on September 13, 2022 at Ascension Borgess-Pipp Hospital in Plainwell. He was born September 13, 1950 in South Bend, the son of James and Sidonia (Csillak) Klingerman, and graduated from Fort Wayne with the Class of 1969. Pat worked at Essex Wire and Graber Salvage, until working for Walters Dimmick …

George Porter, age 69, died on Thursday, September 29, 2022. Arrangements are being handled by Hackman Family Funeral Homes.

Bernard “Budd, Coach” Munson, age 86, of Klinger Lake, White Pigeon, passed away Thursday evening, September 29, 2022 at his home with his son and daughter at his side following a courageous battle with cancer. He was born July 4, 1936 in Rockford, Illinois son of the late Paul and Dorothy (Lawson) Munson. Budd resided in Sturgis and Klinger Lake …

It is with deepest sorrow that Nick and Maisie Neppach announce that their sweet daughter, Lucy Jane Neppach, passed away on Saturday, September 3rd, 2022. She was born on May 4th, 2022 and had a wonderful four months with her family and friends. She loved to smile, blow spit bubbles, travel, and play with her sister (Hannah, 4) and brother …

Catherine Marie “Cathy” (Kelly) Bell, age 53, of Sturgis, passed away Wednesday afternoon, September 28, 2022 at Bronson Methodist Hospital in Kalamazoo. She was born July 2, 1969 in Three Rivers. Cathi was employed by the Sturgis Hospital as a receptionist in patient access. On June 29, 2013 she married Jeffrey P. Bell in Sturgis. She was a member of …

Carol Ann Newman, age 83, of Three Rivers, passed away Friday, September 23, 2022 at home surrounded by family. She was born December 12, 1938 in Fulton County, IN, the daughter of Kenneth J. and Betty G. (Nolen) Scott. She attended school in Elkhart before marrying her first husband and father of her children, Eugene Sanders. Raising eight children kept …

Thomas M. Eldridge, age 95, of Freeport, and a former resident of the Bronson and Burr Oak area, passed away Thursday morning, September 22, 2022 at the University of Michigan Health West in Wyoming, Michigan. He was born April 27, 1927 in Mitchellville, Tennessee son of the late Harry and Layman (Burns) Eldridge. Tom resided in Waterloo, Iowa for over …