Obituaries

Diane L. Keeler, age 79, of Kalamazoo, died Saturday, Feb. 20, 2021, at her home. Visitation will be from 5 to 8 p.m. Wednesday at Farrand Funeral Home in White Pigeon. Services will be at 11 a.m. Thursday, Feb. 25, 2021, at The Light and Life Wesleyan Church in Three Rivers. Interment will follow in White Pigeon Township Cemtery. Donations …

William Leighton Ellis, age 77, of Sturgis, passed away late Saturday evening February 20, 2021 at Thurston Woods Village in Sturgis. He was born July 13, 1943 in Lees Creek, Ohio son of the late Allen and Stella (Dunn) Ellis. Bill retired from Airborn Express in Wilmington, Ohio following several years of dedicated employment. He was proud to have served …

Harold Gene Melvin, age 86, of Sturgis, passed away early Friday morning, Feb. 19, 2021, at Bronson Methodist Hospital in Kalamazoo. He was born June 19, 1934, in Paris, Texas, a son of the late Harry and Elmer Melvin. Harold resided in Sturgis for the past nine years, coming from Oklahoma. On April 21, 2010, he married Susan Crafts in …

Marjorie Grace Ream, age 90, of Three Rivers, passed away Monday, February 15, 2021 at Bowman Place Assisted Living Community. She was born August 21, 1930 in Prescott, Arizona, the daughter of Milton and Coral (Freese) Bergfeld-Schug. She always said, “I was born in a tent, and I’m going home to a mansion.” Marjorie, better known as Marge, Margie, Mom, …

Steven A. Gould, age 60, of Sturgis, passed away Wednesday, February 10, 2021 at the Medilodge of Marshall in Marshall, Michigan. He was born November 29, 1960 in Sturgis, son of the late Arthur and Elna (VonOlnhausen) Gould. Steve resided in the Burr Oak area most of his life and was a member of the Burr Oak High School Class …

Kyle James Samuels, age 50, of Sturgis, passed away peacefully Wednesday, February 10, 2021, at the Ascension Borgess Hospital in Kalamazoo. He was born on August 10, 1970 in Sturgis, son of Byron and Sandra (Williams) Samuels. Kyle attended and was a graduate of Sturgis High School with the class or 1988. Shortly after his graduation he moved to Fort …

Stephen Warren Hire, age 75, of Three Rivers, died Monday, Feb. 8, 2021 in Mountain Vista Medical Center in Mesa, Arizona. He was born on Oct. 12, 1945 in Wolf Lake, IN, one of ten children born to Warren G. and Dorothy Mae (Angel) Hire. He graduated from Millersburg High School with the class of 1964. Steve served in the …

Glen LeRoy “Red” Baldwin, age 89, of Shipshewana, died unexpectedly of natural causes Monday, Feb. 15, 2021, at Lutheran Life Villages in Kendallville. He was born May 11, 1931, in Sturgis, to Clarence and Thelma (Harris) Baldwin. Glen graduated from Sturgis High School in 1949. He was an electrician and worked at several trailer factories in Elkhart, Bristol and Middlebury, …

Joan Cecelia (Falvey) Carlson was born at home in Knox, Indiana on June 21, 1923 to James P. and Gertrude Falvey, and died at home in Constantine, on February 13, 2021.  Joan grew up in a wonderful household in Knox with siblings Bill, Jean, Kenny, Jan, Joyce and Tom (with another sister, Margaret, dying in infancy). Joan had a life-long …

Richard James Swegles, age 78, of Sturgis, passed away Sunday afternoon, Feb. 14, 2021, at his home. He was born Nov. 7, 1942, in Homer. On November 5, 1971, he married Sharon Inman in Coldwater. Richard was employed by Sturgis Foundry for 35 years, working until the closing of the company. Richard was proud to have served his country in …