Obituaries

Gail Eugene Woods, 77, of Sturgis, passed away unexpectedly early Friday morning, May 20, 2011, at his home.  He was born Sept. 4, 1933, in Sturgis, a son of the late Gerald and Genivieve (Poe) Woods.  Gail had resided his whole life in the Sturgis, and was a graduate of Sturgis High School with the class of 1951.  On Nov.26, …

Ronald E. Juday, 62, of Mottville, died May 19, 2011, at his home following an extended illness.  He was born April 13, 1949, in Sandusky, Ohio, a son of Marion L. and Rosemary (Grover) Juday.  He served in Vietnam in the U.S. Air Force and had lived in Mottville for 35 years, coming from Union.  On June 26, 1976, he married …

Orvan J. Miller, age 82, of Sturgis, passed away early Thursday afternoon, May 19, 2011, at Borgess Medical Center in Kalamazoo.  He was born Dec. 27, 1928, in LaGrange County, Ind., a son of the late John S. and Delcie (Miller) Miller.  Orv had resided in Sturgis for the past 51 years, coming from Constantine, and his early life was …

Dawn Vilena Harper, age 50, of Colon, passed away Friday, May 20, 2011, at her home.  Dawn was born April 1, 1961, in Vicksburg, a daughter to the late Kenneth and Goldie (Butler) Watson.  Dawn had lived in Sturgis, graduating from Sturgis Schools. She had made her home in Colon for the past seven years.  On July 7, 2007, she …

Verily Shepherd, 54, of Three Rivers, passed away Wednesday, May 18, 2011 at his home. Verily was born Nov. 24, 1956 in Chicago, Ill. a son to the late Ernest and Christine (Carr) Shepherd. He had worked at the former Dock Foundry in Three Rivers. Verily is survived by his companion of 27 years, Christine Bingaman of Three Rivers; four …

Karen Elaine Ruhlig, 54, of Three Rivers, died Monday, May 2, 2011 in a motor vehicle accident in Kalamazoo County. She was born in Springfield, Ohio on Oct. 22, 1956 the daughter of Walter G. and Betty Jo (Ostram) Ruhlig Jr. She was a 1974 graduate of Three Rivers High School and received her degree from Western Michigan University in …

Francis Lawrence “Frank” Dreger, 96, of Three Rivers, died Saturday, May 14, 2011 at Heartland Health Care Center. He was born in Chicago on Oct. 23, 1914 the son of Henry and Caroline (Rowles) Dreger and was a lifetime resident of Chicago. He was married to Phyllis Hughes in 1941, and she died in 1988. Frank was a pipefitter and …

William “Bill” Judson Affhalter, 79, of Constantine, passed away Saturday, May 14, 2011 at Heartland Healthcare Center. William was born June 15, 1931 in Colon the son of George and Edith (Brock) Affhalter. William was a long time resident of Constantine. William entered the U.S. Army in 1952 and served his country proudly in the Korean Conflict. Upon returning in …

Timothy Leonard Graves, age 40, of Sturgis, passed away Thursday, April 28, 2011, in Grand Rapids from injuries sustained in a semi-truck accident.  He was born March 1, 1971, in Gladwin, a son of Gary Graves and Karen (Osborne) Breece.  Timothy was a truck driver for 13 years. He was the president of the Wild Bunch M/C. He enjoyed riding …

Ruth Ann Lucas, age 53, of Sturgis, passed away Tuesday, May 10, 2011, at her home.  She was born July 21, 1957, a daughter of the late George C. and Sarah J. (Pancake) Lucas.  Funeral services celebrating the life of Ruth Ann Lucas will be held at 1 p.m. Friday at the Hackman Family Funeral Homes — Hackman Chapel, 114 …