Obituaries

Richard A. “Dick” Shutes, age 76, of Three Rivers died Friday Sep. 27, 2013 at Clare Bridge of Portage following a long illness. He was born in Three Rivers on Dec. 24, 1936 the oldest son of Vaughn and Lucille (Van Brunk) Shutes and has been a lifetime resident of the Three Rivers area. He graduated from Three Rivers High …

James Leland “Buck” Wheat, age 68, of Lawrenceville, Georgia passed away on Wednesday, September 25, 2013. He is survived by his wife of 45 years Nancy Buck Wheat; daughter and son in law, Amy and Tony Page of Dahlonega, GA; son and daughter in law, James (Chip) and Sarah Wheat of Hendersonville, NC; grandchildren: Hannah Wheat, Hayden Wheat, Judah Wheat …

Robert Frank Burnham Jr., 72, of Burr Oak, passed away Sept. 24, 2013, in Battle Creek, after a long battle with rehab following a stroke. Bob was born April 17, 1941, in Eustis, Fla. He served in the U.S. Navy for four years and in 1965 moved to Burr Oak, where he made many lifelong friends and neighbors. He moved …

Adelaide G.(Addie) Deskovitz, age 77,of Sturgis, MI passed away Wednesday, September 25th, 2013 at Borgess Medical Center in Kalamazoo. She was born in Royal Oak, MI, on May 16, 1936, a daughter of Anthony and Adelaide (McMullen) Kaiser. Adelaide was with the first graduating class from Muskegon Catholic Central, then pursued her BA in Nursing at Mercy College in Detroit, …

Imars Kalns, 88, died September 23, 2013 in Kalamazoo. Funeral services will be held at 2:00p.m. on Friday, September 27, 2013 at Hohner Funeral Home; 1004 Arnold St; Three Rivers, MI 49093 with Rev. Biruta Puike-Wilson officiating. Memorials may be directed to Garezers Latvian Center. Envelopes are available at Hohner Funeral Home; 1004 Arnold St; P.O. Box 1018; Three Rivers, …

Lyle B. Hopkins, age 84, of Sturgis, Michigan and former Sturgis Police Chief, passed away Monday afternoon September 23, 2013 at his home. He was born January 11, 1929 in Sturgis, Michigan son of the late John and Nellie (Sites) Hopkins. Lyle was a lifelong Sturgis resident and a graduate of Sturgis High School with the class of 1947. On …

Stephen D. Black, Jr., 82, of Three Rivers, died Monday, Sept. 23, 2013 at Three Rivers Health following a long illness. He was born in Three Rivers on June 13, 1931 the only child of the late Stephen D. and Mercedes M. (Heller) Black, Sr. Steve graduated from Three Rivers High School in 1949. He earned a B.S. degree from …

Suellen Kay (Beam) Rosen, 64, passed away Wednesday, July 17, 2013 at her home in Sanford, Fla., after a long battle of cancer. She was born May 14, 1949 in Three Rivers, daughter of Stuart and Donna (Mihills) Beam. Surviving are her sons, Leroy and Scott Carpenter; stepchildren, Penny O’Rourke, Patricia Rosen, Abby Gall and Doug Rosen; siblings, John Beam …

Former South Bend, Ind. resident Bette Eleanor Lisek, 84, of Three Rivers, died Wednesday, Sept. 18, 2013 in her residence. Mrs. Lisek was born Jan. 27, 1929 in South Bend, Ind. to the late Effie (Burkhart) and Fredrick H. Burke and had lived in Three Rivers since 1989 coming from Dearborn Heights. On June 18, 1949 in South Bend as …

Juanita Leer, 72, of Elkhart, Ind., died Sept. 21, 2013, at her home following an extended illness. Visitation is from noon-2 p.m. Tuesday at the Farrand Funeral Home in White Pigeon where services are at 2 p.m. Tuesday. Interment will take place in East Union Cemetery, Union, Mich. Donations may be directed to the family.