Obituaries

Karla A. Harvey, 66, of White Pigeon, Mich., died Sunday, June 7, 2015, at Borgess Medical Center in Kalamazoo. Memorial services will be held at a later date. Donations may be directed to Disabled American Veterans or St. Clare ofMantefaleo of Detroit. Arrangements were handled by the Farrand Funeral Home of White Pigeon.

Sara Louise (Sutherland) Smith, age 51, of Constantine, passed away Thursday, June 11, 2015 at her home. She was born in Three Rivers on March 2, 1964. Sara graduated from Mishawaka High School in 1982. She loved flowers, birdwatching, and was a Green Bay Packers fan. Surviving Sara are her parents Gary Sutherland of Elkhart and Carolyn Wagner Smith of Jones, daughters …

Wilbur L. Shingledecker, age 73, of Marcellus, MI went to be with his Lord and Savior Thursday, June 11, 2015 at Rose Arbor Hospice. He was born April 16, 1942 in Three Rivers, MI, the son of Harold and Florence (Burch) Shingledecker. Wilbur graduated from Marcellus High School in 1960. He went to work in August of that year and …

Mary E. Todd, 74, of White Pigeon, Mich., died Thursday, June 4, 2015, at Heartland Health Care Center in Three Rivers. She was born Aug. 31, 1940, in White Pigeon, the daughter of Frank and Ellen (Messner) Todd. She lived all of her life in White Pigeon and was a White Pigeon High School graduate. She was employed at The …

Alyona Alexandra Springer, 20, of Three Rivers, died Friday morning, after a pedestrian accident on U.S. 131 near Three Rivers. A native of Russia, she was born in Krasnoyarsk, Siberia, on July 30, 1994, to Alexandra Melinichenko. After her birth mother’s death, Alyona and her older sister Darya “Dasha” Springer spent their early years in Orphanage #59, Krasnoyarsk. Alyona and …

Iola M. Mesler, age 73, of Colon, passed away June 4, 2015, at her home, surrounded by her family, after a hard fought 11-month battle with cancer. Iola was born Oct. 19, 1941, in Plattsburgh, N.Y., a daughter of the late Charlotte Patnode and Everest Woodward. On Jan. 10, 1957, she married Wallace L. J. Mesler and they spent 58 …

Michael I. Perry, age 17, of Sturgis, was surrounded by his loving family at their home Wednesday morning, June 3, 2015, when he was called to heaven following a long, courageous battle with cancer. He was born May 22, 1998, in Sturgis, a son of Lewis and Karen (Miller) Perry. Michael was a lifelong Sturgis resident and a member of …

Emma Jane Markum, age 73, of Jones, died Tuesday, June 2, 2015 at Borgess Medical Center in Kalamazoo following a long illness. She was born in Johnstown, PA on May 8, 1942 the daughter of the late Ray and Ruth (Weirick) Alwine. She graduated from high school in Pennsylvania, and later earned her Masters’ Degree in Computer Science and Business …

Ailleen Bell Avery, age 67, of Sturgis, passed away Tuesday, June 2, 2015 at Fairview Nursing and Rehabilitation Community in Centreville. Ailleen was born in Three Rivers on June 5, 1947, a daughter of Leslie and Edna (Wright) Featherstone. On October 1, 1962 she married Donald E. Avery in Centreville. She had previously worked for Harmon Dudd Marina on Klinger …

Lou Ann Benson, age 50, of Burr Oak, died Sunday, May 31, 2015 at her home following a long illness. She was born in Kankakee, IL on June 23, 1964 the daughter of Willis F. and Virginia (Renner) Johnson. The family moved to Michigan in 1966 and she attended several local schools. She enjoyed outdoor activities, especially arrowhead hunting, fishing, …