Obituaries

Fannie Mae Hochstetler, 93, of Three Rivers, died Nov. 21, 2014, at Three Rivers Health from pneumonia. She was bornMay 31, 1921, in Nappanee, Ind., to the late Benedict P. and Ida (Miller) Yoder. She was married Dec. 9, 1940, to Elias Melvin Hochstetler. FannieMae worked outside the home at various factory jobs and was a homemaker for her family. …

Martha Jean Myers, age 68, of Mendon, died Friday, Nov. 21, 2014 at the University of Michigan Medical Center in Ann Arbor following a long illness. She was born in Mendon on Sep. 20, 1946 the daughter of John and Susie (Van Voorhis) Wolfe, was a lifetime resident of Mendon, and attended the Mendon United Methodist Church. She graduated from …

Jeffrey Scott Middlestadt, age 50, of Three Rivers passed away suddenly at Borgess Medical Center on Wednesday, November 19, 2014. He was born on March 13, 1964 in Three Rivers the son of Michael Middlestadt and Bonnie(Swartz)Summers whom survive. Jeff was a lifetime resident of Three Rivers. He enjoyed many outdoor activities such as hunting, fishing, and riding motorcycles. He …

Kathleen A. Kemp, 59, of White Pigeon, died Thursday, Nov. 20, 2014, at Borgess Medical Center in Kalamazoo, following an extended illness. She was born Jan. 19, 1955, in Elkhart, Ind., a daughter of Keith D. and Phyliss Elaine (Kelly) Jellison. She spent her early life in Elkhart, later moving to Union and White Pigeon the past five years. She was …

Robert W. Powers, age 85, of Marcellus, MI passed away Friday morning, November 21, 2014 at home. He was born April 18, 1929 in Porter Township, Van Buren County, to Garfield and Grace Powers. In 1949 in Marcellus he married Varetta M. Copenhaver who survives. He graduated from Marcellus High School in 1947 and Michigan State University with a B.S. …

Jill D. Pagels, 65, of Sturgis, died Tuesday, Nov. 18, 2014 at her home. Jill was born on Dec. 11, 1948 in Three Rivers, the daughter of Richard and Joan (Peters) Jacobs. She was a Sturgis area resident since 1969. She was a graduate of Three Rivers High School in 1967 and graduate of Parsons Business School in Kalamazoo with a …

John R. Ware, age 97, of Burr Oak, passed away Monday, Nov. 17, 2014, at the Sturgis Hospital emergency room. John was born Nov. 27, 1916, in Athens, a son of the late Ernest and Regina (Baumeister) Ware. John had attended grade school at Worden School in Burr Oak and later graduated from Colon High School with the class of …

William G. Willer, 75, of White Pigeon, Mich., died Friday, Nov. 14, 2014, at his home. He was born Jan. 9, 1939, in Sturgis, Mich., to Harry and Leone ( Robertson) Willer. He was a Sturgis and White Pigeon area resident all of his life. He attended Michigan State University and was an avid fan of Michigan State sports. He …

Charles E. Kesler, age 87, of Centreville, Mich., passed away Saturday evening, Nov. 15, 2014, at his home, surrounded by his family. He was born Sept. 9, 1927, in Fort Wayne, Ind., son of the late Walter and Anna ( Jennings) Kesler. Chuck resided in the Sturgis and Centreville area since 1958. Prior to coming to Sturgis, he lived in …

Deborah A. Mead, 59, of Constantine, died Thursday, Nov. 13, 2014, at Bronson Methodist Hospital in Kalamazoo, from injuries of an automobile accident. She was bornMay 17, 1955, in Holly, to Richard H. and Carol G. (Armstrong) Roberts. She was a Constantine resident many years coming from Holly. She had a master’s degree in health administration and was employed by …