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Annie Bell Montgomery
Annie Bell Montgomery, 83, of Benton Harbor died Wednesday, May 28, 2003, at Lakeland Continuing Care Center, St. Joseph.
Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m. Wednesday, June 4, at Fairplain Chapel, Florin Funeral Service, Benton Harbor, where visitation will be held one hour prior. Burial will be in Crystal Springs Cemetery, Benton Harbor.
Mrs. Montgomery was born July 28, 1919, in Gobler, Mo., to Eddie and Lee Anna Montgomery. She had lived in this community for the past 30 years. Mrs. Montgomery was employed at Barlow Cleaners in St. Joseph as a press operator until her retirement. She then worked at the Pipestone Preschool as a grandmother for the past two years. She was a member of the Ebenezer Baptist Church, Benton Harbor.
Survivors include: two daughters -- Emma Matthews of Tennessee and Henrietta Jackson of Toledo, Ohio; stepdaughter, Eloshia (Herman) Payton of Benton Harbor; two brothers -- Monroe Montgomery of Baltimore, Md., and Ed Montgomery of California; two sisters -- Dolly Mae Montgomery of Florida and Emma Montgomery of Toledo; niece, Patricia Montgomery of Benton Harbor; seven grandchildren; and 11 great-grandchildren.
Mrs. Montgomery was preceded in death by her parents; her husband, Robert Lee Jackson; brother, Willie William Montgomery; and by a sister, Rosalee Jackson.
Philip A. Brown
ST. JOSEPH -- Philip A. Brown, 72, of St. Joseph, died Wednesday, Aug. 6, 2003, at 1:20 a.m., at Lakeland Hospital.
A Celebration of Life service will be held at 9 a.m., Saturday, Aug. 9, at First Congregational United Church of Christ, 292 Bellview, Benton Harbor, with the Rev. Dr. Bob Braman officiating. Burial will be in Crystal Springs Cemetery, Benton Harbor.
Friends may call on the family from 5 to 8 p.m. Friday at Starks & Menchinger Family Funeral Home, 2650 Niles Road, St. Joseph. Memorial donations may be made to the American Diabetes Association or the First Congregational United Church of Christ.
Dorothy H. McEvoy
SOUTH HAVEN - Dorothy H. McEvoy, 78, of South Haven died Saturday, Dec. 14, 2002, at Community Hospital, Watervliet.
Dorothy was born Oct. 29, 1924, in Ottawa, Canada, to Margaret (Hope) and Thomas Clark. Dorothy worked at Holly's Restaurant in South Haven for 35 years. She then worked at the Golden Brown Bakery. Dorothy was a member of the First United Methodist Church, South Haven. She enjoyed her friends and traveling.
Dorothy was preceded in death by her parents; her husband, Pete McEvoy; and a sister, Christine Roe.
Surviving is one son and two daughters -- Linda Sizemore, David (Ingrid) Lloyd and Cathy Lloyd, all of South Haven; eight grandchildren; five great-grandchildren; and a brother, Robert (Joyce) Clark of South Haven.
Visitation will be held from 5 to 8 p.m. today, Dec. 16, at Filbrandt Family Funeral Home, South Haven. Funeral services will be held at 1 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 17, at the First United Methodist Church, with the Rev. Billie R. Dalton officiating. Burial will be in Lakeview Cemetery, South Haven.
Ray Charles Whitright
ST. JOSEPH -- Ray Charles Whitright, 60, of St. Joseph went to be with the Lord on Monday, Feb. 3, 2003, at Lakeland Hospital, St. Joseph.
Funeral services will be held at 10 a.m. Friday, Feb. 7, at First General Baptist Church, 2913 Yore Ave., Benton Harbor, with the Rev. Charles Davis officiating. Visitation will be held from 5 to 8 p.m. Thursday at Dey-Florin Chapel, Florin Funeral Service, St. Joseph. Burial will be in North Shore Memory Gardens, Hagar Shores. Memorials may be made to the First General Baptist Building Fund. Notes of sympathy may be forwarded to the family at www.florin.net
Mr. Whitright was born Feb. 25, 1942, to Howard and Margaret Whitright in Benton Harbor, and had lived here all his life. He retired from Gra-Bel Trucking in 1997. Ray was a member of First General Baptist Church, where he was also a Sunday school superintendent, teacher, Lay Preacher, and Deacon. Mr. Whitright was a Vietnam veteran, serving in the U.S. Navy. He loved to fish and spend time with his dog, Brittney. Ray was a very caring and loving husband, father and brother, who is dearly loved and greatly missed.
Survivors include: his wife, Betty (Atkins) Whitright, whom he married on May 10, 1960, in Benton Harbor; daughter, Raylene (Joseph) Pratt of Benton Harbor; son, Ron Whitright of St. Joseph; sisters -- Sharon Phillips of Buchanan and Rita Fischer of Stevensville; brother, Howard Eugene Whitright of Longbeach, Calif.; and stepmother, Mattie Whitright of Stevensville.
Mr. Whitright was preceded in death by his parents, Howard Whitright and Martha "Margaret" Holmes.
Benjamin Scott Hartman
STEVENSVILLE -- Benjamin Scott Hartman, 26, of Stevensville died June 1, 2003, in Lima, Ohio.
A Celebration of Life Service will be held at 1 p.m. Thursday at Stevensville United Methodist Church. Visitation will be from 4 to 8 p.m. Wednesday at Starks & Menchinger Family Funeral Home, 2650 Niles Road, St. Joseph.
Anna R. Rudnick
ST. JOSEPH -- Anna R. Rudnick, 93, of St. Joseph, the first one born the last one to go home, died Tuesday, Aug. 5, 2003, at Countryside Nursing Centre, South Haven.
Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 11 a.m. Friday at St. Joseph Catholic Church in St. Joseph. Visitation will be from 5 to 8 p.m. today at Dey-Florin Chapel, Florin Funeral Service, St. Joseph, where a Rosary will be recited at 6:30 p.m. Burial will be in Resurrection Cemetery, St. Joseph. Memorial donations may be made to the church or Birthright.
Anna was born April 6, 1910, in St. Joseph, to Ignatius and Lena (Rybarczyk) Rudnick. She was a member of St. Joseph Catholic Church all of her life and belonged to the Altar Society and the Marian Guild of her church. Anna worked at the old Cooper-Wells Company for 25 years until they closed and then for 25 years at J.C. Penney in Benton Harbor.
Survivors include: one nephew, Gene (Irene) Schultz of Granite Bay, Calif.; three nieces -- Mrs. Gloria Agay, Mrs. Carole (Robert) Demkovich and Mrs. Barbara Frobel, all of St. Joseph; great-nephews -- Eugene Schultz of California, Earl Pillivant of Dowagiac and Gilbert Frobel Jr. of Kalamazoo; great-nieces -- Kathy Rheinhardt and Lynn Hammond of California and Tracey Frobel of Kalamazoo; great-nephew, Milt (Michele) Agay; great-niece, Mary (Mike) Cook; great-great-nephews, Joseph and Benjamin Agay, Gaige Grant and Garrett Pillivant; cousins -- Joan Rybarczyk, Sister Joyce Rybarczyk and James Rybarczyk, Robert Brant, Ann Brant, Mrs. Theresa Warskow, Sister Mary Anne Rybarczyk, Mrs. Bette Ives, Mrs. Marge Rybarczyk, and numerous other cousins.
Anna was preceded in death by her parents; two sisters, Helen (Arthur) Schultz and Mary (Robert) Langfeldt; her special friend of 50 years, William Berndt; and her nephew, David Agay.
She will be remembered by her family and friends for her kindness, friendliness and her cookies.
Louise R. McCarty
GALIEN -- Louise R. McCarty, 93, of Galien died Sunday evening, Dec. 1, 2002, at Silverbrook Manor in Niles.
Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 4, at Pobocik Funeral Home Connelly-Noble Chapel, Three Oaks, with the Rev. John Kasper officiating. Interment will follow at Galien Cemetery. Friends may call from 5 to 8 p.m. today at the funeral home.
Memorials may be made to the American Heart Association.
Mrs. McCarty was born May 18, 1909, in Greenfield, Ill., to Christian and Minnie (Erps) Scharfenberg. She moved to Michigan in 1934, and on Jan. 3, 1936, she married Frank McCarty in Carlinville, Ill.
Mr. McCarty preceded her in death on Dec. 15, 1993.
Mrs. McCarty was a member of the Galien United Methodist Church, and for many years she was active in the church's ladies groups and cancer dressings meetings.
When her sons were young, she was active in Cub Scouts, Boy Scouts and 4-H. Mrs. McCarty was employed as a cook at the Galien High School for two years. She enjoyed quilting and sharing her lap quilts with those stricken with cancer and the homebound.
Survivors include her sons, Leonard (Carol) McCarty of Galien and Jerry (Jean) McCarty of Niles; grandchildren -- Kimberly, Dale, Greg and Mike; great-grandchildren -- Michelle, Lindsey, Carsten, Brandon, Bailey and Tristen; and her brothers, Lester Scharfenberg of Carlinville, Ill., and Charles Scharfenberg of Virden, Ill.
Shirley Kathleen Rydwelski
BUCHANAN -- Shirley Kathleen Rydwelski, 53, of Buchanan, passed away on Friday, Jan. 31, 2003, at home in Buchanan.
She was born on July 9, 1949, in St. Joseph, to Bruno and Dorothy Rydwelski. Shirley was a lifetime resident of Buchanan where she taught second grade at Moccasin Elementary School for 18 years. She also worked at Fuller's Resort in Buchanan, was a volunteer usher at the Mendel Center, participated in Animal Aid programs, was an avid gardener and was a devoted Notre Dame fan.
Survivors include: her father, Bruno Leonard Rydwelski of Buchanan; a brother, John (Donna) Rydwelski of Buchanan; nephews -- John (Mindy) Rydwelski Jr. of Buchanan, Brian (Kristina) Rydwelski of South Bend, and Joseph (Tiffany) Rydwelski of Buchanan; great nieces -- Elizabeth, Grace and Margaret Rydwelski, all of Buchanan, and Brittany Rydwelski of South Bend. Shirley also leaves behind the many second grade students she taught and loved over the years, and the wonderful faculty at Moccasin Elementary School.
She was preceded in death by her mother, Dorothy, on Nov. 14, 2001.
Funeral Mass will be held at 10:30 a.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 4, at St. Anthony Catholic Church in Buchanan. Friends and family may call from 2 to 4 p.m. and from 6 to 9 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 3 at Hoven Funeral Home, where a prayer service will be held at 7 p.m. Interment will take place in Ruggles Cemetery, Baroda. Memorial contributions may be made to Hospice at Home or to Moccasin Elementary School.
Arrangements entrusted to Hoven Funeral Home, Buchanan.
