Obituaries

Harvey Max Whitcomb, age 91, of Sturgis, passed away Saturday morning, November 4, 2023 at his home. He was born September 15, 1932 in Bethel Township, Branch County, Michigan son of the late Randall and Lucile (Hillyer) Whitcomb. Mr. Whitcomb resided in Sturgis since 1957 coming from Branch County, where he was a graduate of Bronson High School with the …

Stephen Virgil Slemp, age 73, of Colon, passed away on Thursday, November 2, 2023 after eight years with non-alcoholic liver cirrhosis. Steve was born July 5, 1950 in Elizabethton, Tennessee, the oldest child of Jack Lafayette Slemp and Rosie Pauline “Sudie” (Hampton) Slemp. Steve graduated from Elizabethton High School in 1968, and then went on to Carson-Newman University for one …

David Frederick Recher, age 94, of Three Rivers, passed away Thursday, October 26, 2023, at Edgewood Health & Rehabilitation. He was born October 19, 1929, in Terre Haute, Indiana, the son of the Rev. John M. and Mildred (Summit) Recher Sr., and lived in Ohio and Massachusetts until the family moved to Michigan in 1946. He graduated from Three Rivers …

Doris A. Frohriep, age 87, of Sturgis, passed away early Friday morning, November 3, 2023 at Thurston Woods Village in Sturgis. She was born July 3, 1936 in Kalamazoo, daughter of the late Sanford E. and Anna (Robbins) Kessler. Mrs. Frohriep resided in Sturgis nearly her entire life and was a graduate of Sturgis High School with the class of …

Phyllis Marie Broker, age 71, of Colon, passed away at Bronson Battle Creek Hospital on the morning of Wednesday, November 1, 2023. Phyllis was born in Aurora, Illinois, on November 9, 1951, a daughter of the late Louis and Joyce (Emmel) Broker. Phyllis graduated from Colon High School with the class of 1970. She lived most all her adult life …

Jeffrey L. Bond, age 81, of Sturgis, passed away at his home on Fish Lake, Monday, October 30, 2023. Jeff was born on September 26, 1942, in Phoenix, Arizona, a son to the late Ted and Gwen (Willis) Bond. Jeff was a graduate of Mesa High School with the class of 1960. Jeff worked in Tempe, Arizona as a fire …

Paul David Irelan, age 55, passed away on Wednesday, November 1, 2023 at his home in White Pigeon. He was born August 15,1968 in Sturgis, a son to David Lee and Naoma (Carpenter) Irelan. Paul lived his whole life in White Pigeon, except for a 10 year span of time when he lived in Elkhart. He married Lori Ann Rentfrow …

Billy Ray Adams, age 87, of Vicksburg, passed away at Bronson Methodist Hospital in Kalamazoo on Tuesday, October 31, 2023. He was born in Macedonia, Illinois on May 21, 1936 the son of Mickey Adams and Helen Corn. Billy attended school in McLeansboro, Illinois before coming to Michigan. Shortly after his arrival, Billy married Barbara Miller on February 22, 1958 …

Peyton R. Render, age 9, of Sturgis, passed away into the arms of Jesus at the Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital in Grand Rapids on Sunday, October 29, 2023 after complications from a short-term illness.  Peyton was born in Sturgis on September 26, 2014, a son of Cody and Michelle (Sobota) Render.  He currently was in the third grade at Eastwood …

Linda Rae Benton, age 82, of Edwardsburg, passed away early Friday morning, October 27, 2023, at Rose Arbor Place in Kalamazoo. She was born May 9, 1941, in Sturgis to Walter and Rachel (Soules) Brouse and graduated from Sturgis High School with the class of 1960. During high school, she took an interest in “the boy next door,” and on …