Obituaries

Ernest Earl Cain, age 74, of Colon, passed away Monday afternoon, Jan. 17, 2011, at his home. He was born Nov. 9, 1936, in Hillsdale, a son of the late Fredrick and Beryl (Howell) Cain. Mr. Cain had resided in Colon for the past 30 years. Ernie’s entire working life was involved in the recreational vehicle and mobile home industry. …

Alberta Betcke, 88, of Sturgis, passed away Monday morning, Jan. 17, 2011, at Thurston Woods Village in Sturgis. She was born July 26, 1922, in Sioux City, Iowa, a daughter of the late Amos and Elizabeth (Laird) Linafelter. Mrs. Betcke had resided in Sturgis since 1953 coming from South Dakota. On March 15, 1945, she married Martin Betcke in Allen, Neb. …

Arlis I. Frohriep, 91, of East Peoria, Ill., and formerly of Sturgis, died at 1:20 p.m. Sunday at Rosewood Care Center in East Peoria. She was born Feb. 3, 1919, in Battle Creek, a daughter of George and Mae Hibbard Hart. On July 12, 1941, she married Arnold Frohriep in Bryan, Ohio. He preceded her in death. Surviving are a …

Paul E. Carroll Jr., 81, of Saline, passed away Saturday, Jan. 15, 2011, at Saline Evangelical Home. He was born Feb. 16, 1929, in Buffalo, N.Y., a son of Paul E. Sr. and Dorothy F. (Bowser) Carroll. On Dec. 26, 1950, he married Charlotte L. Fitzpatrick, and she survives. Paul retired from General Motors in 1991 with 38 years of …

Alan Ward Kinsey, age 49, of Sturgis, Michigan passed away Friday morning January 14, 2011 at Borgess Medical Center in Kalamazoo, Michigan. He was born September 23, 1961 in Sturgis, Michigan a son of Walter and Della (Davidson) Kinsey. Alan had resided most of his life in Sturgis and was a graduate of Sturgis High School with the class or …

Lois Jean Allen, age 80 of Mendon, died Thursday Jan. 13, 2011 at Borgess Medical Center in Kalamazoo where she had been a patient for two days. She was born in Parkville on Feb. 22, 1930 the daughter of August and Hazel (Baker) Conrad and was a lifetime resident of the Mendon area. Lois graduated from Mendon High School with …

Douglas Craig Shaw, 57, of Las Vegas, Nev. and formerly of Mendon and Three Rivers, passed away Jan. 4, 2011 at Nathan Adelson Hospice Center with his loving sister Leanne by his side. He was born Jan. 20, 1953 in Three Rivers to George Douglas and Janet Lee (Selby) Shaw. Doug enjoyed his bartending days in the Mendon and Three …

Jacqueline Roberta Besser, age 62, of Sturgis, Mich., passed away early Thursday morning, Jan. 13, 2011, at her home. She was born Feb. 21, 1948, in Ashland, Ky., a daughter of the late Robert and Phyllis (Gates) Edmund. Jackie had resided in Sturgis for the past 44 years, coming from Ashland, Ky., where she graduated from Boyd County High School …

Sarah W. Yoder, age 89, of Centreville, died Wednesday, Jan. 12, 2011 at Parkview LaGrange Hospital. She was born in Centreville on May 27, 1921, the daughter of William D. and Lydia Ann (Yoder) Hochstetler. She was a lifetime resident of St. Joseph County and a member of the Old Order Amish Church. Sarah was a homemaker and her hobbies …

Billie E. McDonald, 59, of Shipshewana, Ind., died Saturday, Jan. 1, 2011, at Elkhart General Hospital following an extended illness. She was born Jan. 9, 1951, in Sturgis, a daughter of William Lewis and June Iris (Fickel) McKale. She was a Stone Lake resident for the past five years, prior to that she lived in the White Pigeon area. She worked …