Obituaries

*MARTYN H. “BEAR” SMITH* age 69 of Sturgis, Michigan passed away unexpectedly Monday morning August 30, 2010 at his home. He was born March 14, 1941 in Sturgis, Michigan a son of the late Hubert and Dorothy (Lampe) Smith. Bear had resided his entire life in Sturgis and was a graduate of Sturgis High School with the class of 1959. …

Lyle R. Swinehart, age 77, of White Pigeon passed away Thursday, August 26th, 2010 at his home.  He was born in Salt Lake City, Utah on April 11, 1933, a son of Therlow and Mary Fern (Myrick) Swinehart.   Lyle served in the US Army from 1953 – 1955. He worked for Niblock Excavating and he also owned a small engine …

Dorothy  L. Stears, age 98, Sturgis, formerly of Constantine died Sunday, August 29, 2010 at Thurston Woods Village in Sturgis. She was born October l5, 1911, in the same house where her grandmother and mother were born on Lutz Road in Florence Township, Constantine, the daughter of the late Charles and Bertha (Haas) Caseman. The family moved to Constantine in …

Wendell Holmes Malcolm, age 89, of Colon, passed away, Sunday, Aug. 29, 2010, at his home, after several months of failing health. Wendell was born May 3, 1921, in Hastings, a son of the late Charles A. and Minnie (Sisson) Malcolm. Wendell graduated from Lake Odesa High School with the class of 1939. He then served in the U.S. Army …

Carlton Theodore Pursley, age 79, of Sturgis, passed away Saturday evening, Aug. 28, 2010, at Thurston Woods Village in Sturgis. He was born April 6, 1931, in Sturgis, a son of the late Carlton Theodore and Blanche Ruth (VonMeter) Pursley. Carlton was a lifelong Sturgis area resident and a graduate of Sturgis High School with the class of 1950. On …

Ronald James Yake, 68, of Sturgis, passed away Friday afternoon, Aug. 27, 2010, at Bronson Methodist Hospital in Kalamazoo. He was born Oct. 26, 1941, in Fawn River Township, Michigan a son of the late William and Clarice (Gilbert) Yake. Ron was a lifelong Sturgis-area resident and graduated from Brighton High School in Brighton, Ind., with the class of 1959. …

Steven Andrew Nerad, age 41, of Three Rivers, passed away tragically on Tuesday, August 24, 2010 following a motorcycle accident. He was born on November 2, 1968 in Royal Oak, MI. the son of James John and Marian (White) Nerad. Steven graduated from Three Rivers High School in 1986. He was recently employed by Morse Metal Fabrications in Granger, IN. …

Jean Marie Ward, 73, of Three Rivers, Michigan passed away Tuesday, August 24, 2010 surrounded by her loving family. She was born October 21, 1936 in Kalamazoo, MI., the daughter of Jerry C. and Dorothy (Chambers) Miller. Jeannie was a lifetime resident of Three Rivers. She married Frank E. (Drake) Ward on March 24, 1956. She enjoyed cooking and crocheting, …

Pauline V. (King) Merriman, 96, of Sturgis, passed away Wednesday morning, Aug. 25, 2010, at Heartland Health Care Center in Three Rivers. She was born Oct. 24, 1913, in Sturgis, a daughter of the late Harvey and Louise (Frohriep) Bogues. Pauline graduated from Sturgis High School with the class of 1931 and was a lifelong Sturgis resident until moving to Kissimmee, …

Henry H. Moyer, age 59, of Mendon, died Saturday Aug. 7, 2010, at his home. He was born in Vicksburg, Mich., on July 18, 1951, the son of the late Shirley Roland and Barbara Jean (Hoover) Moyer, and was a lifetime resident of the area. Henry served with the U.S. Army in Vietnam in 1969 and 1970. He was married …