Obituaries

Naoma (Ambs) Gonzalez, age 82, formerly of Colon, passed away Oct. 19, 2009, in Stuart, Fla. She was born Feb. 23, 1927, a daughter to Owen and Ruth (Corson) Ambs. She graduated from Colon High School in 1945 and Adrian College in 1949. Surviving are four children; nine grandchildren and two brother, Max O. Ambs of Williamston, Mich., and Marvin C. Ambs …

Thomas E. (Preacher Tom) Patterson, 63, of Stugis, died Oct. 20, 2009, at his home following an extended illness. He was born Sept. 21, 1946, in Three Rivers, a son of Thomas Eugene and Kathryn I. (Johnson) Patterson. He was a Sturgis resident for the first 20 years of his life, then living in Alabama and Tennessee. He returned to Sturgis in …

Gladys Paxton, age 94, of Sturgis, Michigan passed away Tuesday October 20, 2009 at Thurston Woods Village in Sturgis. She was born February 13, 1915 in Cassopolis a daughter to the late Cloyd and Bessie (Biederman) Holtzapple. Gladys had resided in Sturgis from 1951-1972 when she and her husband moved to Mesick, Michigan where she lived until 1992 when she …

Jack C. Slack, age 85, of Flower Mound, Texas and a former longtime Klinger Lake and Sturgis resident passed away peacefully Sunday, October 18, 2009 at his home. He was born August 12, 1924 in Findlay, Ohio a son to the late Joseph and Isabelle (Chapman) Slack. Jack had resided most of his life in the Klinger Lake and Sturgis area …

Shirley Ann Dodgson, age 78 of Three Rivers, died Sunday Oct. 18, 2009 at Heartland Health Care Center in Three Rivers following a brief illness. She was born in Colon, MI on Aug. 15, 1931 the daughter of Shirley and Leona (Kline) Burnham and has been a lifetime resident of Saint Joseph County. Shirley was a 30-year employee of Continental …

Ruth E. Tokarz, 86, of Colon, passed away late Thursday evening, Oct. 15, 2009, at Thurston Woods Village in Sturgis. She was born March 7, 1923, in East Chicago, Ind., a daughter of the late Henry and Elsie (Mills) Still. Mrs. Tokarz had resided in Colon since 1997, coming from Burnham, Ill. Prior to that she had resided in East Chicago …

David L. Bauman, 53, of Colon, passed away Sunday, Oct. 18, 2009, at Bronson Methodist Hospital in Kalamazoo. Dave was born Dec. 29, 1955, in LaGrange, Ind., a son of the late Fred J. and Janet L. (Cerney) Bauman. Dave had lived all of his life in the Colon area and had attended Colon schools. He married Beth Waltke, which …

Edwin W. Greeley age 67, of Colon, passed away, Saturday, Oct. 17, 2009, at Sturgis Hospital. Ed was born April 24, 1942, in Matteson Township, a son of the late Walter and Vivian (Cornish) Greeley. He had lived most all of his life in Colon, except for a few early years in Mesick. On Sept. 23, 1972, he married Connie …

Thelma Josephine Graham, 91, of Three Rivers, passed away on Tuesday, Oct. 13, 2009 following a short illness. She was born on Nov. 25, 1917 in LaPorte, Ind. the daughter of Frank and Cornelia (Allen) Oosterveer. Mrs. Graham has been a long time resident of this area. She taught elementary education in the Niles school system for over 35 years …

Virginia Ann Beard, beloved wife and mother, 73, of Three Rivers (formerly of Wyoming, Mich.), passed away on Wednesday, Oct. 14, 2009 at Riverview Manor Nursing Home, following a short illness. She was born on Feb. 14, 1936 in Grand Rapids the daughter of John and Anna (Labiotka) Rusilowski. Virginia was predeceased by her parents and son-in-law, Ernest Atwater. In …