Obituaries

Janet Ellen Heign, age 80, of Constantine, passed away Friday, July 13, 2018 at her home. She was born July 26, 1937 in Constantine, a daughter of Leroy and Winifred Knisley. On April 17, 1938 she was baptized, and then confirmed on Palm Sunday 1951 at Messiah Lutheran Church, Constantine. Janet graduated from Constantine High School in 1955. On March …

James Grady Elliott Jr., age 62, of White Pigeon, passed away early Friday morning July 13, 2018, at Borgess Medical Center in Kalamazoo. He was born June 11, 1956, in Fontana, Calif., a son of James Grady and Amelia Imogene (Branton) Elliott. Jim had resided in White Pigeon for more than 20 years and also lived in Sturgis for a …

M. Lorene Pittenger, age 95, of Sturgis, passed away Tuesday evening, July 10, 2018, at the home of her son in Sturgis. She was born July 4, 1923, in Petersburg, Va., a daughter of the late Thomas and Nishia (Stroup) Dixon. Lorene resided most of her life in Sturgis. On Sept. 11, 1942, she married Jay R. Pittenger in Petersburg. …

Paul Richard Evans, age 50, of Schoolcraft, passed away on Sunday, July 8, 2018 at Rose Arbor in Kalamazoo. Paul was born March 2, 1968 the son of Paul D. and Ruth (Trimmer) Evans. He attended Vicksburg schools until his senior year when he moved to Three Rivers graduating with the class of 1987. On July 23, 1994 he married …

Nancy Fay West, age 92, of Colon, passed away Tuesday, July 10, 2018, at home, surrounded by her loving family. Nancy was born July 25, 1925, in Jackson, a daughter of the late Harry A. and Letha Fay (Freeland) Murphy. Nancy had lived most all of her life in Colon, graduating from Colon High School with the class of 1945. …

Ruth Ann Riley-Kile, age 91, formerly of Mendon, died Tuesday, July 10, 2018 at Medilodge in Portage where she had resided the past ten years. She was born in Battle Creek on March 28, 1927, the daughter of the late Orman and Stella (Hardin) Trumblee. Ruth Ann owned and operated for many years Ruth Ann’s Beauty Shop in Mendon. She …

Joseph Alan Bessey, age 51, of Marcellus, passed away unexpectedly, early in the morning, on Monday, July 9, 2018. Joseph was born September 23, 1966, in Paw Paw, the son of Donald A. Bessey and Mary B. Kiggins of Cassopolis. On March 23, 1990, he married Dawn M. Weaver in Cassopolis, and together they had one daughter Jessica J.Bessey; who …

Mr. Ronald William Sult, age 71, of Three Rivers, passed away suddenly at his home on Friday, July 6th, 2018.  Ron was born on October 25, 1946 in Elkhart, the son of the late Walter and Helen (Mishler) Sult. Ron graduated from Centreville High School with the class of 1966 and began working at Continental Can Corporation.  On Oct. 25th, Ron’s birthday, …

Laura Blount, age 56, of Three Rivers, passed away peacefully on Saturday, July 7, 2018. She was born in Cannon, Texas the daughter of Wayne and JoAnne (Matthews) Warren. She is survived by her husband, Paul Andrew Blount; children, Amy Gose, Nathan Carpenter, Nakia Bainbridge, Amanda Parshall and Joshua Blount; son-in-laws, Dennis Gose, Chris Bainbridge and Jason Parshall; grandchildren, Skylar …

Christopher M. Thornton, 56, of Battle Creek, died on Thursday, July 5, 2018, doing what he loved, riding his Harley-Davidson motorcycle. Chris was born in Battle Creek. He graduated from Sturgis High School in 1979. Chris went on to start and run his own trucking company and loved to be on the open road. He was a free spirit who, …