Obituaries

Stephen Edward Burnham, age 40, of Three Rivers, passed away Saturday, January 5, 2013, following a long illness, at Bronson Methodist Hospital in Kalamazoo. He was born December 15, 1972 in Sturgis, a son of Dennis and Sally (Cobbs) Burnham. In his younger years he lived in Arizona and Utah, and came back to Michigan and has resided in Three …

Richard “Dick” William Sampson, after a valiant battle with pneumonia, succumbed on January 2nd, 2013. He was born in Ironwood, MI, June 15, 1921 the son of James and Frances (Hudy) Sampson. He attended Gogebic Community College and Michigan Tech to study Electrical Engineering before joining the Army Air Corps in 1941, where he was stationed in Italy with the …

William S. Bontrager, 74, died Tuesday at Greencroft Healthcare in Goshen, Ind. He was born April 21, 1938, to Samuel and Fannie (Bontrager) Bontrager in Centreville. On June 20, 1965, he married Wilma K. Golden in Mexico, Mo. She died June 8, 1995. He is survived by two daughters, Joyce K. Stamper of Elkhart, Ind., and Barbara Knight of Goshen; …

Janette Irene (Buel) Mallette, 76, passed away Jan. 1, 2013. Janette was born Oct. 10, 1936 in Three Rivers. She was a 1954 graduate of Three Rivers High School. Surviving are one son, Richard Gleason; one daughter, Tina (Jerry) Holderman; two sisters, Alice Stockdale and Mary Wright, both of Three Rivers; one brother, Roy Buel of Three Rivers; and four …

Michael Alan Nihart, 50, of White Pigeon, died unexpectedly of natural causes Wednesday, Jan. 2, 2013, at his home. He was born March 31, 1962, in Sturgis, a son of Herbert D. and Betty Jane (Airgood) Nihart. He had been a resident of the White Pigeon and Middlebury, Ind., area all his life. He was a graduate of White Pigeon High School in 1980 …

Herbert “Herb” Halley Maples, 84, of Three Rivers, formerly of Portage, passed away peacefully at his home surrounded by his loving family on Dec. 28, 2012. He was born on Oct. 26, 1928 in Long Island, N.Y., the son of the late Herbert J. and Florence (Pleus) Maples. Herb graduated from Bloomfield High School, New Jersey with the Class of …

Phillip Edward Jacobs, 76, of Three Rivers, passed away peacefully at home surrounded by his loving family on Friday, Dec. 28, 2012. Phillip was born in Centreville on March 9, 1936 the son of Ernest W. and Edna (Cain) Jacobs. Phillip was a long time resident of Three Rivers. On Oct. 16, 1955 he married his loving wife, Peggy (Nisonger) …

Robert L. Hempel, Sr. age 91, of Mendon, died Sunday, Dec. 30, 2012 at Three Rivers Health. He was born near Niles, MI on July 16, 1921 the son of Simon and Gertrude Hempel. Following High School, Bob joined the U.S. Navy and served overseas during WWII. He was married to Sally Thoresdale on March 27, 1942 in Chicago. They …

Harold Eugene Dodgson, age 80, of Three Rivers, died Sunday, Dec. 30, 2012 at Heartland Healthcare Center where he had resided the past 3 months. He was born in Three Rivers on Jan. 1, 1932 the son of Charles and Frances (Roe) Dodgson. He attended Three Rivers Schools and graduated from Mendon High School. He was a radar technician while …

Mrs. Sandra K. Frey, 74, of Blythewood, S.C., passed away Friday, Dec. 28, 2012, at her home surrounded by her loving husband, daughter and son-in-law, and grandchildren. Funeral services will be Monday, Dec. 31, at 2 p.m. at First Baptist Church of Columbia in Boyce Chapel. Interment will follow in Greenlawn Memorial Park. The family will receive friends from noon …