Obituaries

A memorial service for James R. Van Atta is at 12:30 p.m. Wednesday at the First Presbyterian Church in White Pigeon. Van Atta, of Chicago and formerly of Sturgis, died Oct. 30, 2008. Local arrangements by Farrand Funeral Home.

Leon S. Kimball, 89, of Sturgis, Mich., passed away Feb. 28, 2009, at the Sturgis Hospital emergency room. He was born Jan.21, 1920, in Sturgis, Mich., a son to the late Ray and Elsie (Squires) Kimball. Leon had resided in Sturgis his whole life. On March 3, 1945, he married Rolla Grattan at Fort Bragg, NC. This marriage ended in …

Gerald Anthony “Jerry” Kaluzny, age 79 of Mendon, died Friday, March 13, 2009, at Rose Arbor Hospice in Kalamazoo.  He was born in Detroit on Aug. 5, 1929, the son of the late Albert and Mary (Fary) Kalauzny and attended schools in the Detroit area. He served in the U.S. Army during the Korean War.  He then married Jeanette Poteau …

Harriet E. Reed, age 83, of Sturgis, Mich., passed away Thursday, March 12, 2009, at her home. She was born Nov. 8, 1925, in Marshall, Mich., a daughter to the late Ardey and Minnie (Coats) Reniger. Harriet has been a resident of Sturgis since 1960 moving here from Marshall.         On April 19, 1943, in Marshall, she married Donald R. Reed.  …

Naomi R. Steffey, 98, of Sturgis, Mich., passed away March 3, 2009, at Thurston Woods Village in Sturgis. She was born Jan. 20, 1911, in Decatur, Ind., a daughter to the late Edward Edwin and Edith (Dean) Gilbert. Naomi had resided in Sturgis since 1951 coming from Bronson, Mich. She retired from the American Red Cross following many years of …

Dean Heywood, 96, died Tuesday, March 10.   He married Alice Standerline in 1936.  He and his wife were the parents of three children.  He worked at Eddy Paper Co. beginning in 1933, and later worked at Armstrong International starting in 1942, until retirement in 1977.  Services will be held at St. John’s Lutheran Church on Saturday at 11am, with visitation …

Wilbur Eash Jr., 74, of Centreville, Mich., passed away Tuesday, March 10, 2009, at Three Rivers Health Hospice. He was born on July 26, 1934, in Marcellus, a son of Wilber J. and Helen Marie (Golden) Eash. Wilbur attended Centreville Schools. He worked as a shear operator at Stoutco in Bristol, Ind. Wilbur will always be remembered for this sense …

Curtis Becker, 90, of Three Rivers, died Sunday, March 1.  Funeral arrangements are pending.

Bonnie Lee Rhodes, age 56 of Marcellus, died Tuesday, March 10, 2009 at Borgess Medical Center in Kalamazoo.  She was born in Kalamazoo County, MI on Aug. 19, 1952 the daughter of Leon F. and Elnora I. (Howard) Sylvester, and was a lifetime resident of this area.  Bonnie attended Schoolcraft Schools and later became a licensed Manicurist, operating from her …

John Jay Foghino, age 72 of Three Rivers, died Saturday, March 7, 2009 at his home. He was born in Three Rivers on March 5, 1937 the son of Charles and Florence (Howard) Foghino, and was a lifetime resident of Three Rivers. He was a graduate of Three Rivers High School and was recently inducted into the Three High School …