Obituaries

LaVerne L. Walters, age 82, of Sturgis, Mich., passed away, Thursday June 9, 2011, at the Sturgis Hospital Emergency Room. He was born May 16, 1929, in Colon, Mich., a son to the late Lawrence and Doris (Sturges) Walters. LaVerne graduated from Colon High School and has been a resident of the Sturgis area most of his life. He was …

Roberta Jean Marbaugh, 62, of Sturgis, passed away early Friday morning, June 10, 2011, at her home, following a 2 1/2 year hard-fought battle with brain cancer. She was born Jan. 16, 1949, in Sturgis, a daughter of Bobbie G. and Irma J. (Fetch) Marbaugh. Roberta had been a Sturgis resident since 1982. Her early life was spent in White …

Harold J. Smoker, age 81, of Sturgis, passed away early Thursday morning, June 9, 2011, at Miller’s Merry Manor Nursing Home in LaGrange, Ind., where he had been a resident for the past six years. He was born March 6, 1930, in Batavia, a son of the late Anthony and Eva (Hudson) Smoker. Harold was a lifelong Sturgis resident. On …

Adam Jacob Learn, age 14, of Three Rivers, passed away unexpectedly on Monday, June 6, 2011. He was born on January 1, 1997, in Kalamazoo, MI, the son of Monty and Vicki Learn. Adam was a selfless and inspirational young man. His infectious and gentle smile and his kind nature made him a joy to be around. He was loved …

Nancy Harvey Waddell, of Charlevoix, died on June 4, 2011, after a short illness. Nancy Anne Harvey was born June 25, 1930, in Toledo, Ohio, the first child of Ruel Britton and Margaret Elizabeth (Reid) Harvey. Her family soon moved to Birch Lake near Vandalia, Mich., where she would live for 40 years. She attended a one room school in …

Frances Helen (Mast) Wunder, age 99, of Sturgis, Mich., passed away Monday afternoon, June 6, 2011, at Thurston Woods Village in Sturgis. She was born Oct. 16, 1911, in LaGrange County, Ind., a daughter of the late Jesse and Frances (Jones) Mast. Mrs. Wunder’s early life was spent in northern Indiana. She lived several years in Speedway, Ind., returning to the …

Ronald Kronberg, age 71, passed away peacefully on Sunday, June 5, 2011, surrounded by his beloved sisters at the St. Joseph Mercy Oakland Health Center in Pontiac, Mich. He was born Feb. 27, 1940, in Petoskey, to the late Ernie and Aileen (Dangremond) Kronberg. After completing vocational training in Plainwell, Mich., Ron lived fairly independently in Kalamazoo for nearly 40 …

Robert H. Bowen, age 76, of Mendon, Mich., passed away Saturday, June 4, 2011, surrounded by his loving family at his daughters home in Coldwater, Mich. He was born Jan. 6, 1935, in Kokomo, Ind., a son to the late Floyd and Mary (Frame) Bowen. On April 12, 1956, in Angola, Ind., he married Edna (Cain) Flowers. Robert was a …

Helen B. Leeth, 87, of White Pigeon, died June 5,2011, at Thurston Woods Village in Sturgis following an extended illness. She was born Nov. 7, 1923, in Blackford County, Ind., a daughter to Clifford and Elnore (Thornburgh) Barrett. She was a 1944 graduate of White Pigeon High School and had lived in the White Pigeon area since the early 1940s. On …

Josephine (Jo) Sabrosky, 92, of Kalamazoo, Mich., passed away peacefully on June 2, 2011 in Kalamazoo, Mich. She was born Aug. 1, 1918, in Avilla, Ind., of parents Fred and Mary (Rauh) Berkes. She is survived by two daughters, Janet (Jack) Widas of Estero, Fla., and Greta (Larry) Williams of Mattawan, Mich.; six grandchildren; 13 great grandchildren; and numerous nieces …