Obituaries

Dec 14, 2018

Hal L. Rapert, 65, of Eau Claire, died Friday, December 14, 2018, at home. He was born April 9, 1953, in Jackson, Michigan, the son of Halbert and Columbine (Colvin) Rapert. He worked in construction as a roofer for Garey Roofing Company of Benton Harbor. He loved to hunt, fish, and watch NASCAR, and he enjoyed spending time with special...

Dec 10, 2018

A spiritual giant in the form of a humble, compassionate woman, Judy May Aitken peacefully fell asleep in Jesus on the morning of December 10, 2018 at her home in Eau Claire. She was surrounded by her loving family. Though cancer swiftly took her body physically, her mind remained sharp and her spirit strong, allowing her to commune with Jesus,...

Dec 6, 2018

Gwendolyn Russell, 85, formerly of Berrien Springs, died Thursday, Dec. 6, 2018, at Caissa Care Home in Gilbert, Ariz. Funeral services will be at 11 a.m. Monday, Dec. 17, at Bethel Baptist Church, Niles, with burial following in Union Cemetery, Berrien Center. Friends may visit from 5-7 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 16, at Allred Funeral Home in Berrien Springs, and share...

Dec 6, 2018

Gerald James Kugel, DVM, 85, died Thursday, Dec. 6, 2018, at the University of Michigan Hospital in Ann Arbor. He resided in Berrien Springs for the past two years after moving from Sacramento, Calif., where he lived for 22 years. Mass of Christian Burial will be at 11 a.m. Wednesday, Dec. 12, at St. Gabriel Catholic Church in Berrien Springs....

Dec 1, 2018

George R. Daniel, 82, of Berrien Springs, died early Saturday, December 1, 2018, at his home. Funeral services will be at 9 a.m. Sunday, December 16, at Pioneer Memorial Church on the campus of Andrews University, Berrien Springs, where he was a member. Burial will follow at Rose Hill Cemetery. Memorial donations may be made to 3ABN or Adventist Frontier...

Nov 30, 2018

Nov 26, 2018

Arnold R. Swanson, 90, of Berrien Springs, died Monday, November 26, 2018. He was born February 4, 1928, in Jamestown, New York, the son of Axel and Pauline (Johnson) Swanson. He married Mildred Jamieson on June 20, 1948, in Camden, Maine. In addition to being a Seventh-day Adventist pastor in New Hampshire, Vermont, Maine, Massachusetts, and Michigan, he served as...

Nov 1, 2018

Alma M. Brown, 96, a Berrien Springs resident for 35 years, died Thursday morning, November 1, 2018, at Shangrila Home in Berrien Springs. Funeral services will be at 11 a.m. Monday, November 5, at Pioneer Memorial Church on the campus of Andrews University, Berrien Springs. Burial will follow at Rose Hill Cemetery. Friends may visit with the family from 5-7...

Oct 29, 2018

Harry K. Show, 99, of Berrien Springs, passed to his rest at Woodland Terrace of Longmeadow in Niles, Michigan, on Monday, October 29, 2018. Harry was born April 28, 1919, in Alton, Illinois, to Luther D. Show and Golda C. (Ballard) Show. Harry graduated from Bunker Hill, Illinois, high school in 1937. From 1939 to 1941 he attended Emmanuel Missionary...

Oct 29, 2018

Connie Joe Drane, 74, of Eau Claire, died Monday morning, October 29, 2018, at his home. A time of visitation for family and friends will be from 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. Saturday, November 3, at Bowerman Funeral Home, Eau Claire. Online memories and messages may be shared at www.bowermanfuneral.com. Private burial will be in Hamilton Cemetery, Decatur, Michigan. He...

Oct 28, 2018

Inez “Irene” (Bolenbaugh) Fishell, 90, died on October 28, 2018, at Caretel Inn in St. Joseph, Michigan. Born and raised in Allegan, Michigan, she married Martin Fishell in 1947. Soon thereafter, the Fishells moved to Berrien Springs, where Martin established a CPA practice. For a time, Irene taught at Lake Chapin School. Eventually, two sons, David and Randy, completed the...

Oct 12, 2018

Bonnie Jean Hannah: A Life Well Lived Which Blessed Many. Retired Andrews University professor, Bonnie Jean Hannah, 99, went to sleep in Jesus on Friday, Oct. 12, 2018, at Shangrila Home in Berrien Springs, Michigan. She was born on Feb. 2, 1919 in Nevada, Iowa to Cora Briggs and William C. Hannah. Bonnie Jean earned her bachelor’s degree in business...

Oct 8, 2018

Nicola Stuart Ashton, 79, of Fort Wayne, Indiana, died Monday, October 8, 2018, at Dupont Hospital in Fort Wayne. He was born January 15, 1939, in Columbus, Ohio, the son of John W. and Marjorie D. (Nicola) Ashton. He married Ethel L. Stone, and she survives. He earned a master’s degree, Ph.D., and M.D. Graveside services were held at 2...

Sep 18, 2018

Ruth Ann (Hopper) DeWind, 80, of Berrien Springs died at home on Tuesday, September 18, 2018. Ruth was born March 14, 1938, in Gobles, Michigan, to J. C. and Barbara Hopper, the eldest of five children. She worked as a hospital clerk before her marriage to Frank DeWind of Jenison, Michigan, in March of 1957. The couple had eight children,...

Sep 16, 2018

James “Jim” Orville Oliver, 80, of Eau Claire passed away Sunday, Sept. 16, 2018 at his home. He was born March 16, 1938 in Lockbourne, Ohio, the son of Melvin and Sarah Oliver. He was a PFC E3 serving his country in the United States Army. He worked for Technisand for many years and retired in 2002. Jim was an...

Sep 15, 2018

Todd Robert Harrington, 32, of Berrien Springs, died Saturday, September 15, 2018, as a result of a vehicle-bicycle accident in Berrien Township. He was born June 2, 1986, in St. Joseph and was a life-long resident of Berrien Springs. His parents are Michael and Lisa Harrington of Berrien Springs and Teresa and Alan Dickey of Niles. Todd was a graduate...

Sep 14, 2018

Stella Mae Atha Bishop, 101, of Berrien Center, died Friday, Sept. 14, 2018 at Pine Ridge Rehabilitation and Nursing Center in Stevensville. Funeral services will be at 11:30 a.m. Monday, Sept. 17, at Bowerman Funeral Home in Eau Claire, with Pastor Bill Zebell of Berrien Center Bible Church officiating. Friends may visit beginning at 10:30 a.m. and online memories may...

Sep 12, 2018

Fuad B. Mashni, 93, of Berrien Springs, died Wednesday evening, September 12, 2018, at his home. He was born October 29, 1924, in Ramallah, Palestine. He married Luzetta Fickett, and together they raised three sons. They had resided in Berrien Springs since 1958, and he had worked as a salesman for University Print Shop until retirement. Survivors include his three...

Sep 10, 2018

Esther Frances Beck Watkinson-Wilkins, 83, of Berrien Springs passed away Monday, Sept. 10, 2018 at Hanson Hospice Center in Stevensville. She is survived by her daughter, Jacquelyn (John) Hilderbrandt; one sibling, Patricia Budd; and numerous nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her parents; seven siblings; and husbands, John Peter Watkinson and Robert A. Wilkins, Jr. Fran was...

Sep 8, 2018

Thomas J. DeWind, 57, died peacefully Saturday, Sept. 8, 2018, at his home, surrounded by his family. Tom was born Nov. 8, 1960, in Zeeland, Mich., to Frank and Ruth DeWind, the third of eight children and only son. He received a B.S. in Biochemistry from Andrews University, and a Ph.D. in Biochemistry and M.D. from Loma Linda University. Tom...