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Esther M. Berendsen
ST. JOSEPH - Esther M. Berendsen, 92, of St. Joseph died Tuesday, June 13, 2000, at Southpoint Assisted Living in St. Joseph.
Cremation has taken place. Arrangements are by Dey-Florin Chapel, Florin Funeral Service, St. Joseph.
Ms. Berendsen was born May 8, 1908, in Nanty Glo, Pa. She had lived in this area since 1935. Ms. Berendsen was a member of the "Y" Lensers and "Friends" in St. Joseph and was an avid photographer and gardener. She had won many awards for her photography.
Survivors include her seven sisters - Hilde Goodell of St. Joseph, Viola Fick of Evergreen Park, Ill., Helen Mackie and Jean Tukianen, both of Lake Worth, Fla., Edna Peterson and Aili Pivovar, both of Brevard, N.C., and Hilma Flowers of Bluffton, Ind.; and several nieces and nephews.
She was preceded in death by her husband, James Berendsen; three sisters - Katherine Pantilla, Lillian Hodges, Irene Venne; and three brothers - Thomas Pantilla, Francis Pantilla and Wesley Pantilla.
James R. Hocker Sr.
BUCHANAN - James R. Hocker Sr., 84, of Buchanan died at 8:25 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 12, 2000, at home.
Funeral services were held at 11 a.m. today, Aug. 15, at Hoven Funeral Home, Buchanan, with the Rev. Alfred Deeds of Bethel Apostolic Tabernacle officiating. Burial will be in Oak Ridge Cemetery, Buchanan. Visitation was held from 6 to 8 p.m. Monday at the funeral home.
Mr. Hocker was born Aug. 12, 1916, in Bolivar, Mo., and lived here for the past 65 years. He was employed as a mechanic at Kennedy Motors and was a member of the Buchanan Moose.
Survivors include: sons - James (Penny) Hocker Jr. of Buchanan and Kim (Katherine) Hocker of South Bend, Ind.; daughters - Marilyn White of Niles and Cynthia (Daniel) Scharmach of South Bend; nine grandchildren; four great-grandchildren; three great-great-grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Lewis and Chloe Hocker; and in 1962, by his first wife, Lila Jane Malloy, whom he married Feb. 3, 1937, in West Plain, Mo.; and in 1976, by his second wife, Ellen Gallagher, whom he married in 1967; and by nine brothers and sisters.
Charles L. Rubel
BENTON HARBOR - Charles L. Rubel, 61, of Benton Harbor died Oct. 14, 2000, at Lakeland Hospital, St. Joseph.
Memorial services will be held at 1 p.m. Tuesday at St. Joseph Catholic Church, St. Joseph. Memorials may be made to the American Cancer Society. Kerley & Starks Funeral Home, St. Joseph is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Rubel was born Dec. 11, 1938, in Birmingham, Ala.
He was the director of Child and Family Services of Southwest Michigan for the last 20 years. Earlier, he worked at Riverwood Community Mental Health Center for many years in management and counseling.
He is survived by his wife, Virginia L. Yonts Rubel, whom he married June 4, 1960, in Birmingham, Ala.; sons - Chad Rubel of Chicago and Michael Rubel of New York City; and several cousins.
Douglas D. Closson
ST. JOSEPH - Douglas D. Closson, 76, of St. Joseph, died Saturday, Dec. 9, 2000, at home.
Funeral services will be held at 1 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 13, at the Kerley & Starks Funeral Home, St. Joseph. Visitation will be from 5 to 8 p.m. Tuesday at the funeral home. Burial will be in Crystal Springs Cemetery with military rites conducted by the Coloma American Legion Post 362, VFW Post 1137 of Benton Harbor and VFW Post 6803 of Watervliet. Memorials may be made to Hospice at Home and the family.
Mr. Closson was born Sept. 23, 1924, in Benton Harbor, to Donald and Florence (Brankert) Closson Sr. He was owner and operator of Douglas Closson and Sons Semi-Truck Trailer Repair. Mr. Closson served in the U.S. Army during World War II in the 739th Field Artillery Battalion. On Aug. 21, 1976, he married Jackie Saurbier in St. Joseph. He was preceded in death by his first wife, Dixie Closson, in 1975.
Survivors include: his wife, Jackie; children of Dixie and Douglas - Douglas Closson Jr. of Benton Harbor, Chris Closson of St. Joseph, Teresa Closson Kugel (John) of Berrien Springs, Brian Closson and Dennis Closson, both of Benton Harbor, and Clayton (Deeann) Closson of St. Joseph; children of Jackie and Douglas - Allan Nelson of Naples, Fla., Sharon (Michael) Senecal of St. Joseph, David Nelson of Hartford, Diane Constant of South Bend, Tamara Lester and Tonda (Al) Smith, both of Bridgman; 15 grandchildren; three great-grandchildren; brothers - Gordon (Lois) Closson, Dale (Pat) Closson and Rex (Delores) Closson, all of Benton Harbor; and a sister, Virginia Closson of Benton Harbor. He was also preceded in death by his brothers, Bruce and Donald Closson Jr.
Ida Roth Kubath
ST. JOSEPH - Ida Roth Kubath, 94, of St. Joseph died Jan. 16, 2001, at the Country Manor Care Center, Bridgman.
Funeral services will be held at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 20, 2001, at St. Paul's Evangelical Lutheran Church (WELS), Stevensville.
Visitation will be held from 5 to 8 p.m. Friday, Jan. 19, at Legacy Family Funeral Home-Matthew R. Purchase Chapel, 8747 US-31, Berrien Springs. Burial will be in Lincoln Township Cemetery, Stevensville. The family is being served by Starks & Menchinger Funeral Service through Legacy Family Funeral Services.
Memorials may be made to St. Paul's Evangelical Lutheran Church, Stevensville, or to Michigan Lutheran High School, St. Joseph.
Ida Roth Kubath was born Sept. 28, 1906, to Karl and Caroline (Saleski) Roth in Rozyszcze, Volhynia, Russia, and came to Kenosha, Wis., with her family a year later. About 1916, the family moved to Washington Avenue east of Stevensville and Ida had resided in Lincoln Township since that time. She attended St. Paul's Evangelical Lutheran Church and School, Stevensville, and was confirmed there on May 20, 1921. As a young woman, she worked in a watch factory in South Bend, Ind., traveling on the inter-urban railroad. During World War II, she worked for a local canning factory.
Ida became a farmer's wife when she married Arthur E. Kubath on June 12, 1926, at St. Paul's Evangelical Lutheran Church (WELS), Stevensville.
Survivors include: a daughter, Virginia DeFord, and a son, Tom (Marilyn) Kubath, both of Stevensville; five grandchildren; and seven great-grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by her husband of 71 years; her 14 brothers and sisters; and her son-in-law, Donald DeFord.
Ida was a quiet, pleasant woman who enjoyed gardening and traveling with her husband to all 50 states and many foreign countries. She enjoyed her extended family and hosted the Roth Family Reunion for 30 years or more. She also enjoyed attending the German language services at St. Paul's Evangelical Lutheran Church, Stevensville, of which she was a longtime member. She served the congregation as a member of the Ladies Aid.
Ida was a loving wife, mother, grandmother and great-grandmother who also loved her Savior. She will be greatly missed by all.
Lena E. Williams
CASSOPOLIS - Lena Earlee Williams, 85, of Cassopolis died April 7, 2001, at Cass County Medical Facility, Cassopolis.
Funeral services will be held at 1:30 p.m. Saturday at Chain Lake Baptist Church, Cassopolis. Visitation and family hour will begin at noon Saturday at the church. Then transferred to Mosley Funeral Home, 43 South Hwy., Thomasville, Ala., where services are scheduled for 11 a.m. Tuesday, April 17. Burial will be in Airmount Cemetery, Thomasville. Local arrangements are by Robbins Brothers Funeral Home, Benton Harbor.
Mrs. Williams was born March 18, 1916, in Thomasville, Ala. She was a homemaker and farmer. She resided with her husband in Chicago and Gary, Ind., before making her home in Cassopolis.
Lena was united in Holy Matrimony to Cornelius Williams of Linden, Ala., on Nov. 30, 1938. Her loving husband preceded her in death.
She was also preceded in death by four brothers; a daughter-in-law; three grandchildren; two great-grandchildren; and a sister.
Survivors include: sons - Cornelius Williams of Mount Clemens, Mich., Trenholm C. Williams Sr. of Cassopolis; 20 grandchildren; 42 great-grandchildren; two great-great-grandchildren; seven sisters; one missing brother; two daughters-in-law; and a host of nieces, nephews, cousins and friends.
Maynard Charles Kugel
ST. JOSEPH - Maynard Charles Kugel, 91, of St. Joseph, died at 6:20 p.m., Friday, June 15, 2001, at Lakeland Hospital, St. Joseph, following an illness.
A funeral service celebrating his life will be held at 11 a.m. Tuesday, June 19, at Legacy Family Funeral Services, Matthew R. Purchase Chapel, Berrien Springs with the Rev. Terry Schneider officiating. Burial will follow in Spring Run Cemetery, St. Joseph. Friends are invited to visit with the family from 2 to 4 p.m. and 6 to 8 p.m., Monday at the funeral home and leave family messages at www.legacyfuneral.com. Memorials in his memory may be made to the Central County Senior Citizens Center or to the Arden United Methodist Church, of which he was a member.
Mr. Kugel was born July 3, 1909, in Berrien Springs to Charles B. and Katie P. (Wetzel) Kugel. He worked as a fruit farmer and later a dairy farmer all of his life on farms in both Baroda and St. Joseph. He was also employed by Whirlpool Corporation as well as V-M Corporation in Benton Harbor. Maynard was a member and served on the board of directors at the Central County Senior Center.
On July 8, 1933, in South Bend, Ind., he married Ruby Irene Houseworth, who preceded him in death in October of 1990.
Survivors include a son, Richard A. (Sharon) Kugel of Rochester Hills, Mich.; a daughter, Carol A. (Roger) Dinges of Baroda; seven grandchildren - Kimberly L. (Thomas) Burdt, Lori A. Kugel, Suzanne K. Klein-Overmeer, Victoria R. (Terence) Lochrie, Darrell J. (JaDonna) Dinges, Patrick A. Dinges and Brandon K. Dinges; six great-grandchildren - Danielle, Erik, Erika, Rachel, McKenzie and India; and two sisters - Gladys G. Kugel and Olive A. Falk, both of St. Joseph.
In addition to his parents and wife, Ruby, a sister, Hazel Hass, preceded him in death.
