Obituaries

Eugene “PeeWee” C. James, age 84, of Three Rivers, passed away on Wednesday, Sept. 23, 2009 at his home surrounded by family. He was born on Jan. 5, 1925 in Niles, MI. the son of Wesley and Jennie (Welburn) James. Mr. James served his country in the U.S. Navy during WWII. He was a retired truck driver and heavy equipment …

Earl B. Avery of Cadillac passed away Sept. 22, 2009, at his home. He was 84 years old. Mr Avery was born May 23, 1925, in Mendon, to George C. and Alida (Wortz) Avery. He married Jean M. Yearling Nov. 11, 1944 in Mendon. Earl was a carpenter for Arrow Homes, and worked at Lake City Lumber for a number …

Francis Joseph “Timer” Vogler, age 79, of Vicksburg, died Wednesday Sept. 23, 2009, at his home with his wife of 54 years at his side. He was born in St. Louis, Mo. on June 8, 1930, one of 11 children born to Ernest Ludwig and Pearl Avis (Moore) Vogler. He was a graduate of Normandy High School and later attended …

Marian F. “Midge” Pierucki, 84, of Sturgis, Mich., passed away early Tuesday evening, Sept. 22, 2009, at Thurston Woods Village in Sturgis. She was born Sept. 1, 1925, in Lima, Ohio, a daughter of the late Harold and Retta (Hefner) Lippincott. Midge had resided in Sturgis since 1944 with the exception of 11 years when she lived in Florida. On Dec. …

Betty V. Wegner, 71, of Sturgis, Mich., passed away Sept. 22, 2009, at her home surrounded by her family following a gallant hard-fought battle with cancer. She was born March 30, 1938, in Mendon, Mich., a daughter to Ralph and Winnie (Smith) Wells. Betty had resided in the Bronson and Sturgis area her whole life. On May 11, 1957, she …

Hun Chorn Keo, age 64, of Constantine, passed away Tuesday, September 22nd, 2009 at Bronson Methodist Hospital in Kalamazoo. She was born in Cambodia, on August 6, 1945, a daughter of Hum and Tyea (Soy) Chorn. In April of 1969 she married Roeuth Keo in Cambodia. Surviving are her husband Roeuth Keo, Constantine, daughters Reath (Andres) Torres of Goshen, Ny …

Lucille Ruth Kent, age 88, of Three Rivers, passed away on Wednesday, September 23, 2009 at the Heartland Health Care Center. She was born on February 18, 1921 in Elkhart, IN. the daughter of Deo Preston and Lula (Tavernier) Curtis. Mrs. Kent has been a long time resident of the Three Rivers-Jones area where she and her late husband Donald …

Barry James Delarye, 65, of Gwinn, died Monday morning at his home in Gwinn. He was born Aug. 29, 1944, in Negaunee, a son of the late J. Nelson and Alice Delarye and was a lifelong area resident. On Feb. 13, 1988 he married the former Linda Culliton. Barry worked as a miner for CCI and most recently was employed …

Charles A. Berry, 86, of Marshall, died on Monday, Sept. 21, 2009, at Sturgis Hospital. Mr. Berry was born on March 6, 1923, in Shamokin, Pa., to Charles G. and Della (Lahr) Berry. He served in the US Army during World War II, and was honorability discharged in 1943. On March 7, 1947, he married Iona Marie Fox. She preceded …

R. John Blasius, 83, of Sturgis, passed away Monday evening, Sept. 21, 2009, at Borgess Medical Center in Kalamazoo. He was born Sept. 8, 1926, in Sturgis, a son of the late Russell John and Ethel (Fennell) Blasius. John was a lifelong resident of Sturgis and a graduate of Sturgis High School with the class of 1945. On Sept. 7, 1947, …