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Willard Herman Green
BENTON HARBOR - Willard Herman Green, 37, was born Sept. 5, 1971, in Benton Harbor to Mattie Mae Hamilton-Jackson and Ather Thomas. Herman departed this life Wednesday, March 25, 2009. He was preceded in death by his mother, Mattie Jackson, and a host of aunts and uncles. Herman accepted Christ at an early age. Herman was officially known as Bubba, Mone and Big-back. Herman dedicated his life to his sisters, brothers, nieces, nephews and friends. Herman was a CNA for many years, cook, and comedian. He graduated from Benton Harbor High School in 1989.
He leaves to mourn in his memories, five sisters, Karen Hamilton, Brenda Clay, Yolanda Jackson, all of Benton Harbor, Monica Booker of Niles and Audrey Thomas of Pine Bluff, Ark.; four brothers, Edward Green, Mose Jackson, Michael Jackson, all of Benton Harbor, and Brian Thomas of Indiana; five great-aunts, Mary Gray of Gary, Ind., Edna Williams, Ellen (Eldridge) White, and Kati Bell (Jewell Marshal), Bessie London, all of Benton Harbor; five aunts, Willie Mae (Tommie), Keteon of South Bend, Ind., Jackie Woodland of Detroit and Joyce Thomas, Lori Thomas, Rita Thomas, all of Chicago; stepfather, E.W. Green Sr.; stepsister, Marie Pender; four uncles, Joseph (Antoinette) Thomas, Frank (Brenda) Thomas, Melvin (Rose) Thomas, all of Benton Harbor, George Weaver of Rochester, N.Y.; one special godsister, Linda Dunlap; and four special friends, Arries Webb, Tim Robinson, Jackie Riddick and Babette Wiggins; and a host of nieces, nephews, cousins and friends.
Visitation 1 p.m. funeral 2 p.m. today at Holy Temple Church of God in Christ, 135 Walnut St. Pastor Rudolph Thomas will officiate. Family Funeral Home is in charge of services.
Walter B. Arny
COLOMA - Walter B. Arny, 62, of Coloma passed away peacefully following a lengthy illness Dec. 7, 2009, at his home, surrounded by his loving family.
Walter was born Aug. 12, 1947, to Benedict and Ruth (Kramer) Arny in Watervliet. He graduated from Coloma High School in 1965. Walter married the love of his life, Caroline Griffin, on May 25, 1968, at Midway Baptist Church. Not only was Walter a loving husband and father, but he treasured being involved in the community. Walter was a lifetime member and deacon of Midway Baptist Church. He was also a past president of Southwestern Michigan Home Builders Association, a member of Paw Paw Lake Rotary, served on the Coloma School Board and participated in mission construction projects around the world.
Walter's life will be cherished by his loving family: his wife, Caroline of Coloma; daughter, Wendy (Steven) Mitchell of Stevensville; son, Allen (Connie) Arny of Coloma; daughter, Andi (Charles) Sample of Coloma; and six grandchildren - Caroline and Lyndsey Arny, Nathanael, Elise, and Elana Mitchell and Jackson Sample.
A Celebration of Life service will be held at 1 p.m. Dec. 11 at Midway Baptist Church, 7517 Red Arrow Highway, Coloma, with Rev. Mark Cowell officiating. Visitation will be held from 4 to 7 p.m. Dec.10 and 11 to 1 p.m. Dec.11 at Starks and Menchinger Family Funeral Home, 2650 Niles Road, St. Joseph.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be made to Midway Baptist Church Building Fund, Hospice At Home or Gull Lake Ministries.
Albert Walter Holmer Sr.
COLOMA - Albert Walter Holmer Sr., 90, of Coloma passed away Dec. 7 at Park Road Adult Foster Care Home in Coloma.
He was born March 25, 1919, in Chicago to Austin and Helen (Szczensniak) Holmer, and resided in the Coloma area since 1935. Al was a charter member of the Coloma Bible Church. He served his country in the U.S. Navy during World War II, and was active in the community as a Little League coach and Boy Scout Leader. He retired from Whirlpool Corp., where he worked as a security guard. Al enjoyed fishing, hunting and making bird feeders.
He was preceded in death by his parents; his wife, Rhama, in August 1976; and two children - Eugene Huskey and Joan Clark.
He is survived by three daughters - Hurley (Norma) Daniels and Mrs. Jim (Gloria) Ballard, both of Coloma, and Mrs. Robert (Wanda) Bouchikas of St. Joseph; one son, Mr. Albert (Donna) Holmer Jr. of Welston, Mich; a niece, nephews and many grandchildren, great-grandchildren and great-great-grandchildren.
Graveside services will take place on Friday, June 18, 2010, at Coloma Cemetery.
The family is being helped by the Filbrandt Family Funeral Home of South Haven.
Donald L. Crowder II
COMSTOCK PARK - Mr. Donald L. Crowder II, 48, passed away on Dec. 8, 2009.
He grew up in the suburbs of Benton Harbor and was one of the first children at the age of 8 to have open heart surgery. Don was a 1980 graduate of Benton Harbor High School and worked part time as a meat cutter. He loved music and played in every band the high school had. He also had his own bands (a jazz band, rock band, and blues band, in which he was always the drummer). After working at McDonald's and other restaurant jobs, Don found his niche in life and became a sales representative, a job he loved. For 25 years he worked in sales, even while he was ill.
Throughout his life he enjoyed playing golf and softball, fishing, and snowmobiling. Don's greatest joy came from watching his two children play sports. His son, Tyler, plays hockey for Johnson & Wales University, and Ashlee plays volleyball for Hillsdale College.
Don was a dedicated person and "true" gentleman who liked to volunteer, showing special care at Spectrum Health-Butterworth, where he directed people to their room or helped with discharge.
He is survived by his loving wife, Julie; son, Tyler; daughter, Ashlee; and the mother of his children, Kristen VanTimmeren; his mother, Mrs. Lorraine Crowder; sister, Lynda (Doug) Diamond; nieces, nephews, aunts, uncles, and cousins.
He was preceded in death by his father, Donald; and his sister, Donna.
The service for Mr. Crowder will be at 1 p.m. Saturday at Pederson Funeral Home. Interment will be in Algoma Cemetery. Those planning an expression of sympathy are asked to consider DeVos Children's Foundation, Pediatric Cardiology Research, 100 Michigan, Grand Rapids, MI 49503 or the needs of the family. Relatives and friends may meet at the funeral home from 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 p.m. on Friday.
John 'Sonny' Heeren
GRAND RAPIDS - John "Sonny" Heeren, who ran the Grand Rapids-based Heeren Brothers Produce during the peak of his career, died Nov. 23 at age 80.
In 1962, Heeren started his career in the family business that his father and uncle had founded in 1933. He and his cousin, Bob Heeren, built the business on the model their fathers had developed, which meant doing all the buying, selling and distributing themselves.
"It started with my grandfather and great-uncle, and then they incorporated with my dad and his cousin Bob, " said Jim Heeren, Sonny's son and president of the company. "They had two employees at the market, and maybe 15 at the apple packing plant. Then it grew and grew through the late '60s, '70s and '80s."
By the time Sonny Heeren and Bob Heeren retired in the late 1990s, they had more than 80 employees.
In addition to Jim Heeren, two of Sonny Heeren's other sons and four of Bob Heeren's sons still work for the company, along with a growing number of the fourth-generation family. Heeren Brothers operates in Grand Rapids and Belding, Mich., as well as in Comstock Park, Mich., as Ridgeking Apple Packing and Storage.
After his retirement, Sonny continued to visit the business during the summers and would often help with deposits, answering the phone and entertaining clients.
Sonny Heeren is survived by his wife, Charlene; sons - Jim, Stephen, Thomas and Daniel; daughter Cheryl; two stepchildren; 14 grandchildren; two sisters; many nieces and nephews; and his cousin Bob Heeren.
Funeral services were Nov. 28 at Heritage Life Story Funeral Home in Grand Rapids. Memorials may be made to Van Andel Institute for Cancer Research in Grand Rapids.
Ernest R. Hasselbring
SOUTH HAVEN - Ernest (Ernie) R. Hasselbring, 83, passed away Saturday evening, Dec. 5, 2009, in South Haven.
He was the first child born to Ernest F. and Gertrude (Lenz), on Nov. 21, 1926, in Hammond, Ind. He spent most of his life in the Hammond-Calumet City area. After serving in the U.S. Army during World War II, he married Carmen Redenour and together they raised two wonderful children, Ernest F. and Kimberly. Ernie and Carmen parted after their children were grown. Sometime later, Ernie met Judy (Callendar) Kroening. They were married on March 28, 1978, and spent 31 years together.
Ernie worked in Hammond as a warehouse manager for Edward C. Minas Department Stores. After retirement, he moved to Michigan, where Judy resided. He worked at the Coast to Coast Hardware Store in Coloma until his second retirement in 1998, due to illness. Ernie was a member of the Teamsters, Riverside Methodist Church and a life member of the Coloma American Legion.
Ernie was an avid golfer and enjoyed camping, fishing, reading license plates, wintering in Okeechobee, Fla., and fishing in the Upper Peninsula. His big joy was being with people. He loved his family, especially his two great-grandchildren.
He is survived by his wife, Judy; his children - Kim Wadlington, Eva Markham, Ernest F. (Karen), Lynn (Ray) Griffin and Janet (Clinton) King; a sister, Ruth Marquardt; brothers Henry and Paul; eight grandchildren; one great-grandson; and many nieces, nephews and cousins.
He was preceded in death by his parents; a sister-in-law, Joan Hasselbring; and a beloved great-granddaughter, Claudia Faye Wadlington.
As per Ernie's wishes, cremation has taken place. Visitation will be held from noon to 1 p.m. Saturday at Duffield & Pastrick Family Funeral Home in Coloma. Those wishing to sign the online guest book or leave a message of comfort for the family may do so at www.duffieldpastrick.com. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Riverside Methodist Church, North Berrien Senior Center, or the family.
James C. Bower
July 1, 1935 - January 25, 2012
James C. Bower, 76, of Watervliet, passed away Wednesday evening, January 25, 2012 at his home surrounded by his loving family.
Jim was born July 1, 1935 in Benton Harbor, MI to Sam and Marie (Peters) Bower. After attending Benton Harbor High School he served his country in the United States Navy during the Korean War. In his younger days he farmed. Jim was a tool & die maker by trade and had been employed with Auto Specialties in Hartford and General Motors in Kalamazoo before retiring.
Jim was very handy around the house. He enjoyed being outdoors, whether it was tending his vegetable garden, mowing, or simply doing yard work. Jim also liked airplanes and visiting the airports and attending air shows. He will be missed by his family and friends.
Jim is survived by his wife Arlene whom he married in 1957; two sons, Frank (Donna) Bower of Kalamazoo and Fred Bower of Watervliet; three daughters, Dixie (Wayne) Gilbert of Queen Creek, AZ, Audrey (Michael) Heater of Coloma, and Marilyn (Scott) Taylor of Schoolcraft; two brothers, Jake (Dolores) Bower of Monett, MO and Charles Bower of Climix, MI; a sister Mary Lotsbaich of Buchanan; ten grandchildren, one great grandchild and a son-in-law Tom Morlock.
He was preceded in death by his parents, his daughter Virginia Morlock in 2000, a brother Sam Bower and his sister Marie Polstin.
Visitation will be held Monday from 4 – 7 p.m. with a Memorial Service beginning at 7 p.m. at Duffield & Pastrick Family Funeral Home in Coloma. Cremation has taken place.
Those wishing to share a memory or leave a message for the family may do so by clicking the "Sign the Guestbook" link below.
Memorial donations may be made to Hospice at Home or Berrien County Cancer Service.
