Obituaries

Dolores Elkins, age 68 of Sturgis, passed away early Tuesday morning September 27, 2011 at the Sturgis Hospital.      She was born October 20, 1942 in Kalamazoo, Michigan a daughter of the late Frank and Marie Weitenauer.      Dolores had resided in Sturgis since 1966 coming from Vicksburg where she was a graduate of Vicksburg High School with the class …

Wilma E. (Boone) Masterson, age 94, of Sturgis, passed away Tuesday, September 27, 2011 at her home. She was born in Cooper Twp, , MI on March 20, 1917,  a daughter of Jacob and Wilhelmina (Weenink) Grofvert. Wilma attended school in Twin Lakes near Plainwell. On June 6, 1935 Wilma married Abraham Boone in Plainwell. He preceded her in death Feb. …

Mary Marie (Freeland) Dillon entered the presence of her Savior, Jesus Christ, Sept. 21, 2011, in Germantown, Tenn. Mary was born March 3, 1921, to Arden and Evangeline Freeland in Sturgis, where she lived much of her life, graduating from Sturgis High School in 1939. In 1941, she married David Dillon, celebrating 67 years of marriage until he passed away …

Richard Fred Farler, age 76, of Burr Oak, passed away Saturday evening, Sept. 24, 2011, at home surrounded by his loving family. He was born March 29, 1935, in Cincinnati, Ohio, a son to the late Fred and Carrie (Hackworth) Farler. He had been a resident of the Burr Oak area for the past 40 years, moving to Burr Oak …

Enos J. Bontrager age 79, of Burr Oak, passed away early Friday morning, Sept. 23, 2011, at Sturgis Hospital. He was born Aug. 8, 1932, in Sikeston, Mo., a son of the late John M. and Elizabeth (Mullet) Bontrager. On April 22, 1971, he married Clara Yoder, who passed away July 6, 1988. Surviving are four brothers, John Bontrager of …

George W. Washburn, age 63, of Sturgis, passed away Tuesday, Sept. 20, 2011, at home. He was born Sept. 30, 1947, in Three Rivers, a son to the late Marion and Hazel “Jo” (Barnes) Washburn. George was a veteran of the U.S. Army, serving in Vietnam. He had been a resident of Sturgis most of his life and had been …

William L. McManus IV of Colon, passed away, Friday, Sept. 23, 2011 at Select Specialty Hospital in Battle Creek. Bill was born April 12, 1931, in Detroit, a son of the late William L. III and Gertrude (Gimnich) McManus. Bill graduated from Constantine High School with the class of 1949, he then continued his education at Hiram College in Hiram, …

Donald Lee Brueck, age 74, of Mendon, died peacefully at home in the presence of his family on Thursday, Sept. 22, 2011. Don was born Dec. 13, 1936, near Burr Oak, a son of Albert F. and Dorothy J. (Fisher) Brueck. On Aug. 20, 1955, he married Sharlene Batten, and they have resided in Mendon since 1957. Don was employed …

Nina B. Wellman, 69, of Three Rivers, died Tuesday, Sept. 20, 2011 at Borgess Medical Center in Kalamazoo following a long illness. She was born in Muskegon on Jan. 8, 1942 the daughter of the late Alfred and Pauline (Berghuis) Wieber. She graduated from Muskegon High School, and later from Central Michigan University with a Bachelors Degree in Education. She …

Twilla A. Wright, 94, of Three Rivers, passed away Saturday, Sept. 17, 2011 at Tendercare Nursing Home of Kalamazoo. Twilla was born June 7, 1917 in Porter Township, Lawton, the daughter of the late Clarence and Gladys (Hackenberg) Oxley. Twilla was united in marriage to Raymond Wright on Aug. 15, 1938 in Warsaw, Ind. They resided in Marcellus for 26 …