Obituaries

Barbara Jane (Kinney) Shafer, age 47, passed away Wednesday afternoon, March 30, 2011, at her residence in Morgantown, IN. She was born Aug. 23, 1963, in Des Monies, Iowa, to Joseph and Mary Jane (Stephens) Kinney who lovingly survive in Trafalgar. Barbara married her devoted husband of 30 years, Don L. Shafer on Dec. 27, 1980, in Burr Oak. He …

Thelma Isaac, age 96, of Sturgis, Mich., passed away early Thursday morning, March 31, 2011, at Thurston Woods Village in Sturgis. She was born Aug. 31, 1914, in Sturgis, a daughter of the late Fred and Mary Dora (Kroll) Rahn. Thelma had resided most of her life in Sturgis. On March 3, 1937, she married Elson E. Eberhard in Detroit. …

J. Lorene Beckle, 92, of Three Rivers, passed away peacefully at her home surrounded by her loving family on Tuesday, March 29, 2011. She was born in Indianapolis, Ind. on August 21, 1918, the daughter of Oather and Alice (Wise) Owen. Mrs. Beckle graduated from Three Rivers High School with the class of 1936. On May 9, 1942 she was …

Delora F. DeKay, age 78, of Sturgis, passed away Tuesday, March 29, 2011, at Borgess Medical Center in Kalamazoo. She was born May 22, 1932, in Sturgis, a daughter of the late Garland and Beatrice (Rumbaugh) Godden. Delora had been a lifelong Sturgis resident. On Feb. 19, 1952, she married Gerald L. DeKay in Sparta, Wis. She had been employed …

Mildred E. (Midge) Bender, age 89, Centreville, passed away Monday, March 28, 2011 at her home.   She was born Jan. 6, 1922 in South Bend, IN, a daughter of Basil and Mildred (Allen) Boss, Sr.   Midge graduated from S. Bend Riley High School in 1940. She then attended Ball State University for 2 years.   Midge was very proud of her …

Vivian Elaine (Galbreath) Stefaniak, age 76, of Sturgis, passed away Saturday, Feb. 5, 2011, at the Healthsouth Rehabilitation Hospital in Sarasota, Fla. She was born March 1, 1934, in Three Rivers, a daughter of the late Victor and Sadie (Watson) Galbreath. Vivian had resided at Kline’s Resort in Three Rivers and wintered at Piney Point Resort, Palmetto, Fla., since 2001. …

Marjorie Nichols, 77, of Centreville, passed away at 7:20 p.m. March 24, 2011, at Sturgis Hospital after an extended illness. She was born Dec. 18, 1933, in Hamlet, Ind., a daughter to Harrison Gibson and Martha Arnett. She was married Oct. 29, 1950, to Howard Nichols in South Bend, Ind. He preceded her in death Dec. 24, 2000. She was …

James D. Sharnas, 72, of Sturgis, passed away early Sunday morning, March 27, 2011, at Borgess Medical Center in Kalamazoo. He was born May 5, 1938, in Wickliffe, Ohio, a son of the late John and Florence (Pershing) Sharnas. Jim had resided in Sturgis since 1982, coming from the Detroit area, and his early life was spent in Cleveland. On …

Kenneth Mearl Dillivan, 97, of Burr Oak, passed away early Thursday morning March 24, 2011, at the Borgess Medical Center in Kalamazoo, Michigan. He was born Nov. 30, 1913, in Wilbaux, Mont., a son of the late Albert Irving and Edith Loraine (Keckler) Dillivan. Mr. Dillivan had resided in the Sturgis and Burr Oak area since 1926 and was a graduate …

Theodore F. “Ted” Renner, age 78, of Schoolcraft, died Wednesday March 23, 2011 at Bronson Methodist Hospital in Kalamazoo. He was born near Scotts, MI on July 2, 1932 the son of Theodore C. and Amanda M. (Marshall) Renner and has been a lifetime resident of this area. Ted worked in general construction and had been employed by Schoolcraft Foundry, …