Obituaries

Melvis E. “Tex” Morris Jr., age 69, with a favorite saying of “Fire in the Hole,” passed away Monday, Feb. 21, 2012, at Sturgis Hospital. He was born Dec. 10, 1942, in Plattsburgh, N.Y., to Melvis E. Morris Sr. and Margaret (Learned) (Morris) Landry. On Feb. 12, 2010, he married Elaine Kay Jackson in Centreville. Mel was a talented mason …

James Robert Rahfeldt, 72, of Three Rivers, formerly of Elkhart, Ind., died at 7:50 p.m. Monday, Feb. 20, 2012 at Rose Arbor Hospice in Kalamazoo. He was born Feb. 15, 1940 in Michigan City, Ind. to Robert F. and Evelyn (Reed) Rahfeldt. On Oct. 26, 1963 in LaPorte, Ind. he married Shirley M. Garrett. She died on Jan. 9, 1996 …

Richard Lee Flowers, age 69, of Burr Oak, passed away Monday morning, Feb. 20, 2012, at his home. He was born Oct. 31, 1942, in Sturgis, a son of the late Carl and Florence (Miller) Flowers. Dick had resided most of his life in the Burr Oak area, except for the 15 years he lived in North Carolina. On June …

Phyllis M. Hines, 80, of Marcellus, passed away at her residence Monday evening, Feb. 20, 2012 following an illness. She was born Nov. 13, 1931 in Steuben County, Ind. the daughter of Cecil L. and Rena R. (Perkins) Hanes. On July 28, 1951 in Auburn, Ind. she married Edward L. Hines, who preceded her in death on March 28, 2006. …

Stephen Leroy McMaster Sr. went home to be with the lord Friday, February 18, 2012 at Riverview Grace Manor in Three Rivers, MI. Stephen was born June 5, 1927 in Chicago, Illinois to Clarence McMaster Sr. and Clara Rosaleigh (Blackwell) McMaster. He was their second child joining and older brother Clarence McMaster Jr. He is proceeded in death by both …

Jesse J. Kline, age 86, of Three Rivers, went to be with his Lord on Monday, February 20, 2012 at the Borgess Medical Center surrounded by his loving family. He was born on Jan. 25, 1926 in Three Rivers, MI. the son of Jesse C. and Lillian A. (Tesman) Kline. On Oct. 30, 1955 he married the love of his …

Thurman Caldwell, 71, of Constantine, died Feb. 12, 2012 at his home. Thurman was born Aug. 30, 1940, to Virgil Caldwell and Dovie (Staley)(Caldwell)(Sias)(Walker). He later married Eva Caldwell (Hyatt) around the age of 19. He was married to Eva until she passed away Jan. 22, 2011. Thurman is survived by two sons, David Caldwell of Sturgis and Darcy Caldwell of …

Marie Helen Miller, 95, of Durham, N.C., and formerly of Sturgis, died Feb. 17, 2012, in her daughter’s home on Club Boulevard. She was born Sept. 25, 1916, in Blackwell, Okla., to Karl G. Janke and Anna (Rohr) Janke. During the Great Depression, the family moved to Sturgis and later to a farm outside Howe, Ind., where she helped with …

Anna Marie Gutierrez, age 87, of Mendon, died Friday, Feb. 17, 2012, at her home, following a long illness. She was born March 26, 1924, in Toledo, Ohio, a daughter of Theodore E. and Agnes L. (Jones) Fess. On April 28, 1962, Anna married Marshall F. Gutierrez at their Portage Lake home, where she had resided the past 52 years. …

Warren J. Brandebury, 87, of LaGrange, Ind., and formerly of Sturgis, died Friday, Feb. 17, 2012, at Parkview LaGrange Hospital in LaGrange. Mr. Brandebury was born June 6, 1924, in Grand Rapids, to Arlee and Bertha (Stahr) Brandebury; they preceded him in death. In 1960, he moved to Sturgis, where he lived until two years ago, when he moved to …