Obituaries

James L. “Jim” Kulp, 76, of White Pigeon, passed away from a brief illness on Friday, Aug. 23, 2013, at 3:50 p.m. at Elkhart General Hospital. He was born Sept. 21, 1936 in Mottville Township to the late Russell and Irene (Tavenier) Kulp. On March 3, 1979, he married Barbara M. (Kronewitter) Johnson in Mottville. She survives at home. He …

Betty Lou Hull, 63, of Mottville Township, White Pigeon, died Sunday, Aug. 25, 2013 at Borgess Medical Center. She was born Aug. 26, 1949 in Three Rivers the daughter of Richard and Margaret (Becker) Wayne. She lived in Mottville Township the past 46 years coming from Three Rivers. She married Roger L. Hull on Oct. 14, 1967 in Three Rivers. …

Harold “Smitty” Smith, 88, Wildwood, FL passed away on August 21, 2013 under the loving care of his family and staff of Lane Purcell Hospice House in Sumterville, FL. Mr. Smith was born on May 29, 1925 in Bristol, Indiana. He was a retired Inspector for Three Rivers Rubber Factory in Three Rivers, Michigan and was a proud veteran of …

Lillian Mary Phillip, age 98, of Three Rivers, died Sunday Aug. 25, 2013 at Thurston Woods Village in Sturgis. She was born in Chicago, IL on April 26, 1915 the daughter of Joseph and Teresa (Hattan) Vicha and attended schools in Chicago. She was married to Peter S. Phillip on May 20, 1940 in Chicago. The family later moved to …

Audrey M. Smith, age 73, of Sturgis, Mich., passed away late Friday afternoon, Aug. 23, 2013, at the Lifespan Good Samaritan Hospice Residence in Battle Creek, Mich. She was born May 24, 1940, in Sturgis, Mich., only child of the late Floyd E. and Betty J. (Hollister) Smith. Audrey was a lifelong Sturgis resident and a graduate of Sturgis High …

William Allen (Bill) Miller, age 79, of Nottawa, left this world and loving family behind and went to his heavenly home on Aug. 24, 2013, following a lengthy illness at his home.  He was born Feb. 1, 1934, in Hartville, Ohio, to the late Atlee P. and Susanna (Cross) Miller. Retired from his own fiberglass company, he then had a …

Rosa M. Miller, age 80, of Burr Oak, passed away late Thursday evening, Aug. 22, 2013, at Heartland Health Care Center in Three Rivers. She was born Aug. 12, 1933, in Burr Oak, a daughter of the late Levi and Hattie (Schallhorn) Hill. Rosa was a lifelong resident of Burr Oak and a graduate of Burr Oak High School with …

Vernon B. Bontrager, age 70, a lifelong resident of St. Joseph County, passed away Wednesday, Aug. 21, 2013, at Thurston Woods Village. He was born Jan. 2, 1943, in Sturgis, a son of the late Benedict and Mary (Hochstetler) Bontrager. On Dec. 7, 1963, he married Mary Louise Schwartz at Locust Grove Mennonite Church. She preceded him in death March …

Colleen Rose Carrico, age 87, formerly of Centreville died July 29, 2013 in Thornton, Colorado. Colleen was born in Kalamazoo on Aug. 3, 1925 the daughter of William Elbert and Rose Elizabeth (Delaney) Carrico. She completed her high school education at Nazareth Academy in Kalamazoo in 1943 and graduated from the Borgess School of Nursing in 1946. Colleen worked for …

Clifford J. Hysell Jr., age 82, of Kalamazoo, passed away early Saturday, August 17, 2013 at the Heartland Health Care Nursing Home in Three Rivers, MI. He was born on March 3, 1931 in Benton Twp., Michigan the son of the late Clifford Sr. and Ethel (Godacre) Hysell. Mr. Hysell served his country in the U.S. Navy for over 20 …