Obituaries

James Yoder, age 82 of Sturgis, Michigan and Weslaco, Texas passed away Saturday, January 16, 2010 surrounded by his family at the Knapp Medical Center in Weslaco. He was born August 11, 1927 in Nottawa, Michigan a son to the late Ernest and Lovina (Eicher) Yoder. Jim resided in the Sturgis area most of his life. In 1950 he married Jackie Bowen. …

Richard Paul Niedbalski, age 72, of Sturgis, passed away Sunday, January 17th, 2010 at his home. He was born in Terra Haute, IN on September 5, 1937, the son of Eugene and Clara (Klosowski) Niedbalski. In 1955, Richard graduated from St. Joseph High School in South Bend. He served in the US Navy. On July 5, 1975 Richard married Lois …

Charles Louis Martin, age 95, of Forsyth, MO, died Saturday, January 16th, 2010 at the Forsyth Nursing & Rehab. Center. He was born in Monroeville, IN on October 30, 1914, a son of Charles N. and Orma (Roy) Martin. On November 13, 1936 he married Mary E. Colpetzer at St. Augustine Catholic Church in Kalamazoo. She preceded him in death …

Dorothy E. George died Dec. 18, 2009, at the home of her daughter in Longview, Texas. She was born Aug. 3, 1925, in Sturgis, to Rose (Holtz) and Roy Eberhard and graduated from Sturgis High School with the class of 1942. Surviving are her daughter, Marilyn Weeks of Longview, Texas; son, David Broszor of Heavener, Okla.; three grandsons; two granddaughters; …

Roy “Buddy” Hillman Whitney III, age 50, of Three Rivers, MI. passed away on Tuesday, January 12, 2010 at his home. He was born on Feb. 24, 1959 in Three Rivers, the son of Roy Hillman Whitney Jr. and Martha (Belford) Whitney. Buddy has been a lifetime resident of Three Rivers. He served his country in the U.S. Army. He …

Nancy Kay (Grimm) Roberts, the daughter of Ben and Jean (Martin) Grimm, was born Sept. 17, 1943, in Peoria, Ill. She passed away Monday, Jan. 11, 2010, at Avera Holy Family Health in Estherville, Iowa, at the age of 66. She graduated from Morton, Ill., High School in 1961. Following graduation from high school, Kay attended Methodist Hospital School of …

Mary Lou (Fuller) Cornwell, age 80, of Flat Rock, died Jan. 5, 2010. She was born Sept. 4, 1929, in Mendon, a daughter of the late Asa and Clara (Minger) Fuller. She graduated from Mendon High School in 1947 and attended Western Michigan University. She married Robert Cornwell on Aug. 20, 1949, in Mendon and soon after moved to Flat …

Bruce Edward Adams, 88, of Three Rivers, passed away Jan. 12, 2010 at Heartland Health Care Center. He was born June 12, 1921 in Morris, Ill., the son of Theodore and Freda (Winneke) Adams. Bruce graduated from Morris High School as valedictorian of his class. He attended Purdue University in West Lafayette, Ind. His gymnastic ability led him to become …

Denise Loretta Smith, 47, of Sturgis, passed away Wednesday morning, Jan. 13, 2010, at Bronson Methodist Hospital in Kalamazoo. She was born May 15, 1962 in Sturgis, a daughter of the late Russell and Betty (Johnson) Rice. Denise’s early life to the age of 5 was lived in Sturgis. At that time the family moved to Arizona, where she resided …

Janice Leone (Karsten) Barth, 75, of Three Rivers, passed away on Saturday, Jan. 9, 2010 at the Heartland Health Care Center after a 15-year battle with cancer. She was born Aug. 29, 1934 in Holland, Mich. the daughter of Nelson and Alyda (Spyker) Karsten. Jan was an original member of the Klompen Wooden Shoe Dancers at Holland High where she …