Lloyd W. Blank
July 11, 1924-Jan. 24, 1998
NILES -- Lloyd William "Monk" Blank, 74, of Lutz, Fla., and Niles, died at 10:30 p.m. Saturday in his home in Lutz. Surviving are his wife, Anne Josephine; two sons, Michael G. of Niles and Timothy J. of South Bend; two sisters, Marguarite Coble of Dunedin, Fla., and Shirley Elrod of Davenport, Fla.; and two brothers, LaVerne of Davenport and William of Phoenix. Memorial services will be held at a later date. Dobies Funeral Home, Holiday, Fla., is handling arrangements.
Robert E. Kelley Sr.
Oct. 6, 1916-Jan. 20, 1998
NILES -- Robert E. Kelley Sr., 81, of 711 Iroquois Trail, died Tuesday in his home. He is survived by his wife, Geraldine (McCain); a daughter, Patricia Szot of Merrillville; a son, Robert E. Jr. of Bradenton, Fla.; two sisters, Jane Harrington and Mary Graham, both of Bradenton; and a brother, Frank of Sarasota, Fla. Memorial services will be at 1:30 p.m. Thursday in Pifer-Smith Funeral Home.
John Kruis
April 10, 1929-Jan. 22, 1998
MIDDLEBURY -- John Kruis, 68, of 13725 County Road 12, died Thursday in Memorial Hospital, South Bend. Survivors include his wife, Ida C. (Siemonsma); five daughters, Diana Kruis of Bristol, Marla Williams of Middlebury, Kelly Cleveland of McMinnville, Ore., Michele Freed of Columbus, Ind., and Kimberly Wilken of Bristol; two sons, Jeffrey of Bristol and James of Elkhart; four sisters in The Netherlands; and two brothers, Herman of Elkhart and Ned of Tallahassee, Fla. Services will be at 10 a.m. Monday in St. Mary's Catholic Church, Bristol. Friends may call from 2 to 6 p.m. Sunday in Walley-Mills-Zimmerman Funeral Home, Elkhart, where a rosary will be said at 5:30 p.m.
Lydia A. Lehman
July 4, 1910-Jan. 23, 1998
MIDDLEBURY -- Lydia Ann Lehman, 87, of 10405 County Road 16, died at 3:15 a.m. Friday in her home. Survivors include three daughters, Esther Chupp of Nappanee, Mary Ellen Nisley of Goshen and Polly Anna Miller of Cambria, Wisc.; five sons, Elmer of Shipshewana, Mervin of Goshen, John of Belle Center, Ohio, and Lavern and Lester, both of Middlebury; and a brother, John F. Miller of Sarasota, Fla. Services will be at 9:30 a.m. Monday in the Ralph Bontrager home, 11475 W. 250 North. Friends may call after 10 a.m. Saturday and all day Sunday in Lehman's home. Miller Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Gladys I. Davis
Sept. 22, 1907-Jan. 22, 1998
NILES -- Gladys I. Davis, 90, of 401 Hill Street, died Thursday in Old Farm Living Center, Berrien Springs. She is survived by a son, Dale D. of Niles. Services will be at 10 a.m. Monday in Swem Funeral Home, Buchanan, where friends may call from 3 to 6 p.m. Sunday.
Vera R. Jones
Feb. 20, 1904-Jan. 22, 1998
DOWAGIAC -- Vera R. Jones, 93, of Utea St., died Thursday in Dowagiac Nursing Home. Services will be at 10 a.m. today in First United Methodist Church, where friends may call one-half hour before services. McLauchlin-Clark Funeral Home is handling arrangements.
Charles E. Kiste Jr.
June 28, 1928-Jan. 22, 1998
NILES -- Charles E. "Chuck'' Kiste Jr., 69, of 857 Mobile Boulevard, died Thursday in Regency Place Health Care and Rehabilitation Center, South Bend. Survivors include his wife, Mary Jo (Bright); a son, Todd of Tampa, Fla.; two sisters, Lena York and Ethel Thomas, both of Niles; and a brother, Harry of Niles. Services will be at 10 a.m. Saturday in Halbritter Funeral Home, where friends may call one hour before services.
Irene L. Lambright
Nov. 6, 1918-Jan. 17, 1998
MIDDLEBURY -- Irene L. Lambright, 79, of 205 Crystal Valley Drive, died Saturday in St. Joseph Medical Center, Fort Wayne, as a result of injuries received in a fire in her home Jan. 4. Survivors include two daughters, Theora Graber of Middlebury and Dorcas Carter of Indianapolis; a son, Loren of Conroe, Texas; four sisters, Maureen Mishler of Elkhart, Alvera Clark of Fort Wayne and Ruth Miller and Arlene Mast, both of Goshen; and two brothers, Richard Eash of San Antonio and Ralph Eash of Goshen. Services will be at 10 a.m. today in First Mennonite Church of Middlebury. Miller Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Violet S. Guthrie
Oct. 25, 1897-Jan. 17, 1998
BERRIEN CENTER -- Violet S. Guthrie, 100, of 7367 Dean's Hill Road, died Saturday in Lakeland Medical Center, Niles. She is survived by three daughters, LeBurta Nash of Nowata, Okla., Jane Hallock of Rockland, Wis., and Johanna Simpson of Berrien Center; and two sons, Robert of Berrien Center and Winn of Berrien Springs. Services will be at 2:30 p.m. Tuesday in Allred Funeral Home, Berrien Springs, where friends may call from noon until 2 p.m. Tuesday.
Richard J. Beneke
June 9, 1943-Jan. 15, 1998
DOWAGIAC -- Richard Jack Beneke, 54, of Statesville, N.C., formerly of Dowagiac, died Thursday in Duke Hospital, Durham, N.C., of natural causes. Survivors include his wife, Sandra (Gowen); two daughters, Cindy Antos of Niles and Debbie Erickson of Mount Pleasant, S.C.; a sister, Carol Zeider of Lincoln, Neb.; and five brothers, Herman Jr. of Dowagiac, Ralph of Niles, Wayne of Ann Arbor, Daniel of Decatur and Paul of Battle Creek, Mich. Services were held Monday in St. Philip the Apostle Catholic Church, Statesville. Graveside services will be at 11:30 a.m. Thursday in Oak Ridge Cemetery, Buchanan. Swem Funeral Home, Buchanan, is handling arrangements.
