Obituaries

Edna J. Wilcox, 52, of White Pigeon, died Thursday, Dec. 1, 2011, at Heartland Health Care in Three Rivers, following a sudden illness. She was born Sept. 8, 1959, in Elkhart, Ind., a daughter of Harold B. and Vivian L. (Whirledge) Jewell. She was a White Pigeon resident most of her life and was a homemaker. Surviving are her father, Harold …

Donald David Crabtree, age 54, of Mendon, died Thursday, Dec. 1, 2011, at Borgess Medical Center in Kalamazoo. He was born May 10, 1957, in Three Rivers, a son of Joel and Margaret (Bubetz) Crabtree, and was a lifetime resident of the Mendon area. He graduated from Mendon High School in 1975. After an accident left him paralyzed 32 years …

Edna R. Bucknell, 87, of Marcellus, died at 4:0 a.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 29, 2011 at Tender Care Portage. She was born Aug. 18, 1924 in Evansville, Tenn. to Tom and Edna (Bunch) Collins. She married Owen J. Bucknell who preceded her in death. She was also preceded in death by a son, Raymond Bucknell. Edna is survived by two …

Nancy Ann Moore, age 58, of Constantine, passed away Friday, December 2nd, 2011 at the Borgess Medical Center in Kalamazoo, She was born in Chicago, IL,  on July 24, 1953,  a daughter of  William  and Wanda (Duffield) Palka. Nancy graduated from Constantine High School.  On March 3, 1974 she married Steven A. Moore in Three Rivers. He preceded her in …

Mattie May Diesinger, 90, of Three Rivers, passed away on Wednesday, Nov. 30, 2011 at Borgess Medical Center. She was born on Oct. 20, 1921 in Rockford, Ill., the daughter of the late William C. Gilreath. Mrs. Diesinger has been a resident of this area for more than 30 years. She and her husband attended the Light and Life Wesleyan …

Claudell Coleman, 65, of Sturgis, and formerly of White Pigeon, died Tuesday, Nov. 29, 2011, at Borgess Medical Center in Kalamazoo, following an extended illness. She was born Dec. 29 1945, in Forrest City, Ark., a child of Osco and Ella (Barnett) Coleman. She had lived in Sturgis, coming from White Pigeon and had also resided in Arkansas and Florida. She …

Ernest C. Hahn, age 80, of Sturgis, passed away Tuesday morning, Nov. 29, 2011, at Borgess Medical center in Kalamazoo. He was born Nov. 9, 1931, in Sturgis, a son of the late Clarence and Maize (Dunker) Hahn. Ernie was a lifelong resident of Sturgis. On May 27, 1956, he married Sarah Hildebrand in Colon. In 1995, he retired from …

Janet Elizabeth Douglas, age 86, of Sturgis, passed away, Wednesday, Nov. 30, 2011, at Thurston Woods Village in Sturgis. Janet was born April 21, 1925, in Sturgis, a daughter to the late Sterling and Helen (Loetz) Winings. Janet graduated from J.W. Sexton High School in Lansing and furthered her education at Western Michigan University, receiving a bachelor of arts degree. …

Barbara Louise Hochberger, age 82, of Three Rivers, formerly of Cape Girardeau, Missouri, passed away on Tuesday, November 29, 2011 at the Heartland Health Care Center. She was born on Jan. 8, 1929 in Chicago, IL., the daughter of Carl and Barbara (Kurz) Anderson. On June 25, 1949, she was united in marriage to Mr. James A. Hochberger, in Chicago, …

Mary Jo Kauffman, age 62, of Colon, passed away Monday, Nov. 28, 2011, at her home, from injuries received in a house fire. Mary was born Oct. 10, 1949, in Battle Creek a daughter of the late Arno and Wilma (Irish) McClish. Mary had lived at her present address since 1976, coming from Sturgis. She graduated from Colon High School …