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Monica Rochelle Thomas Booker
NILES - Monica Rochelle Thomas Booker, 39, of Niles passed away on Wednesday, April 15, 2009, at Lakeland Community Hospital, Niles.
Monica was born Nov. 28, 1969, at Berrien General Hospital, Berrien Center. She was preceded in death by her mother, Jessie Booker; and three brothers and one sister.
Monica is survived by her father, Arthur Thomas; three sons, Derek Booker, Derrien Brown and Deleon Booker; one sister, Audrey Thomas; and a brother, Brian Thomas.
A funeral service will be held at 2 p.m. on Saturday, April 25, at Robins Brothers Funeral Home, Benton Harbor. Visitation is from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Mamie D. Robinson
BENTON HARBOR - Mamie D. Robinson, 44, of Benton Harbor died at 5:30 a.m. Tuesday, April 14, 2009, at home of natural causes.
Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. today, April 24, at Community Church of God in Christ, Benton Harbor, with Elder Nathaniel Wells Jr. officiating. Burial will be in Crystal Springs Cemetery, Benton Harbor. Friends may call from 10 to 11 a.m. today at the church.
Mamie was born March 25, 1965, in Benton Harbor and was a life-long area resident. She was self-employed and a member of Community Church of God in Christ, Benton Harbor.
She was preceded in death by her mother, Estella Robinson.
Survivors include her son, Robert Robinson of Grand Rapids; a daughter, Darnisha Robinson of South Bend, Ind.; a brother, Robert Robinson of Benton Harbor; and a sister, Brenda Robinson of Chicago.
Olga Rigoni
SAWYER - Olga Rigoni, 92, of Sawyer died Wednesday morning, April 22, 2009, at St. Anthony Memorial Hospital, Michigan City, Ind.
Olga was born Aug. 31, 1916, to John and Elizabeth Simovic in Chicago, and moved with her family to Stevensville when she was three years old. On Sept. 6, 1947, she married Christy Rigoni in Chicago. Olga was a homemaker and excellent seamstress who made many of her own clothes. She enjoyed all kinds of crafts, puzzles, cooking and dancing. Olga also liked playing bingo and going to the casino. Olga was a member of Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church in Sawyer.
Olga is survived by her husband, Christy Rigoni; daughter, Karen (Corey) Paraf of Summit, Ill.; grandchildren, Donald Smith of Los Angeles and Krystal Smith of Chicago Ridge, Ill.; niece, Susan (Steve) Shearer and nephew, Alan (Pam) Havlicek.
Olga was preceded in death by her parents, brothers, John and Emil, and sisters, Ann Havlicek and Bess Maranto.
Funeral services will be held at 10 a.m. on Saturday, April 25, at Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church, Sawyer, with the Rev. Kendall Schaeffer officiating. Interment will follow in Greenwood Cemetery, Bridgman. Visitation will be held from 2 to 4 p.m. and 6 to 8 p.m. today at Pobocik Funeral Home, Three Oaks. Memorials may be made to the National Kidney Foundation of Michigan, 1169 Oak Valley Drive, Ann Arbor, Mich. 48108.
Christopher A. Brooks
STEVENSVILLE - Christopher Alan Brooks, 35, of Stevensville passed away unexpectedly on Tuesday, April 21, 2009, at home.
Funeral service will be held 11 a.m. Saturday, April 25, at Pike Funeral Home, Boyd Chapel, 9191 Red Arrow Hwy., Bridgman with Mr. Bradley Rumer officiating. Burial will be in Lincoln Township Cemetery, Stevensville. Friends may meet with the family from 6 to 8 p.m. Friday and also one hour prior to the funeral on Saturday, at the funeral home. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be given to the children's education fund
Chris was born Dec. 10, 1973, in St. Joseph the son of James and Terry (Jasper) Brooks. He graduated from Coloma High School. On April 16, 1994 he married the former Amanda Rumer. Chris was employed by Cook Heating & Air Conditioning in Benton Harbor.
Survivors include his wife of 15 years, Amanda; four children - Kailey Brooks, Marissa Brooks, Christopher "Alex" Brooks and Colton Brooks, all at home; his mother, Terry (Randy) Crow of St. Joseph; his father, James (Carlis) Brooks of Kalamazoo; four brothers - James Crow, Nicholas Crow, Peter Brooks and Aaron Brooks; and a sister, Ailey Brooks.
Kevin Mark Scott
KALAMAZOO - Kevin's life began May 27, 1960, in St. Joseph. He spent most of his lifetime in the Coloma and Watervliet area. Kevin worked for Denmark Management as a project supervisor. He loved to go to the beach, take walks, work and fix things. Kevin will be remembered as a loving father and husband who enjoyed spending time with his children and taking them to the park.
His loving family includes his wife, Dawn (Pugh) Scott of Watervliet; three sons, Chad Menkhaus, Taylor Scott and Andrew Scott, all of Watervliet; a granddaughter, Riley-Lynn Marie Menkhaus; his parents, Lynn and Ilene (Hemming) Scott of Battle Creek; two sisters, Amy (Fred) Lenz of Battle Creek and Laurie (David) Schwartz of Dallas; a brother, Brad Scott of Benton Harbor; a mother-in-law, Joyce Pugh of Coloma; and many nieces and nephews.
Kevin died Tuesday, April 21, 2009, in Kalamazoo. His father-in-law, Wayne Pugh preceded Kevin in death.
Friends may visit with Kevin's family Friday, April 24, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Hutchins Funeral Home in Watervliet where his life will be celebrated Friday, April 24, at 1 p.m. Burial will follow in North Shore Memory Gardens. Memorials may be made in Kevin's memory to the family.
Ralph W. Watkins Sr.
COLOMA - Ralph Wayne Watkins Sr., age 63, of Goodletsville, Tenn., passed away April 20, 2009, at Baptist Hospital in Nashville, Tenn.
Mr. Watkins was born Sept. 21, 1945, in Coloma to Ray V. Watkins and Wanda (Watkins) Tipton.
He was preceded in death by his father, Ray V. Watkins; brother, Ray A. Watkins; son, Ray A. Watkins; and grandson, Joseph Alsup.
Survived by mother, Wanda Tipton, Hazen, Ark.; sister, Sharon Watkins, Hotsprings, Ark.; daughters, Tina Clark, Conroe, Texas and Sherrie Watkins, Nashville; sons, Ralph W. Watkins Jr., Hendersonville, Tenn., and Richard Watkins, Sparta, Tenn.; seven grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
A memorial service will be April 24, at 3 p.m. at Northshore Memory Gardens, Coloma.
James Pollard
BENTON HARBOR - James Pollard, was born Sept. 24 1939, in Morgan City, Miss., to the union of Henry and Pearlie Pollard. He attended school and graduated from Morgan City High School. He served his country faithfully in the U.S. Army from 1957 to 1963 and was honorably discharged.
James passed April 14, 2009, in Detroit at the Henry Ford Cottage Hospital. He leaves to cherish his memories two sons, James and Bobby Pollard of Detroit; two daughters, Edna Pollard and Lathirea Lewis of Benton Harbor; two brothers, Johnny Pollard of Detroit and Henry Pollard of Miami; one sister, Mary Boston of Miami; and his daughter, Sandra Pollard who was his care-taker; a special grandson, Craig Pollard; and a daughter in-law, Shanaka Patterson; and a host of relatives and friend.
He was preceded in death by his wife, Della Mae Pollard, and his parents.
Service will be Monday at Pilgrim Rest Baptist Church, visitation at 10 a.m. and service at 11 a.m. Family Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Darren Keith Ventress
BENTON HARBOR - Darren Keith Ventress passed away on April 13, 2009, at Lakeland Regional Medical Center, St. Joseph, after a short battle with pneumonia. He was born July 27, 1962, in Benton Harbor.
Darren believed in making things happen in his life. He loved to cook, he loved his family and friends. He had a strong work ethic, hard worker, filled with joy, laughter and a loving spirit. He worked more than 20 years in the family business at Betty's Dry Cleaners. He was employed at Mid-Town Cleaners for two years.
Darren leaves behind to cherish his loving memories his loving mother, Betty Jean Ventress; grandmother, Betty Shurn of Sodus; four brothers, Delbert Ventress and Andre Moon, both of Las Vegas, Adrian Moon of Altadena, Calif., and Gregory Daggs of Chicago; seven sisters, Anita Hill of Las Vegas, Donna Jean Webb (Curtis) of Newbury Park, Calif., Darlene Ventress of Pleasant Hill, Calif., Doreen Smith (Randy) of Lansing, Mich., Carla Rolfe (Tyrone) of Benton Harbor, Teresa Coates of Grand Rapids, and Debbie Nelson of Benton Harbor.
He was preceded in death by his father, Daniel Lee Ventress; two uncles, Eddie Ventress and William Ventress; and grandmother, Jewel Lytle.
Services will be Saturday at Pilgrim Rest Baptist Church, visitation at 10 a.m. and service at 11 a.m. Family Funeral Home, Benton Harbor is in charge.
Thelma M. Tunis
ST. JOSEPH - Thelma M. Tunis, 77, formerly of St. Joseph, passed away, Monday, April 20, 2009, at The Health Center of Pensacola in Pensacola, Fla.
Arrangements are entrusted to Starks & Menchinger Family Funeral Home, St. Joseph. Memorials may be made to Covenant Hospice, P.O. Box 17887 Pensacola, Fla., 32522 or to Alzheimer's Disease Research, 22512 Gateway Center Drive, Clarksburg, Md. 20871 (www.ahaf.org).
Mrs. Tunis was born Aug. 20, 1931, in Mt. Auburn Township, Ill., to Walter and Myrtle (Walker) Carlock. She graduated from Benton Harbor High School in 1949. On May 27, 1950, she married Henry P. Tunis in Benton Harbor. Thelma was employed at Whirlpool, retiring in 1988 after 28 years.
Thelma is survived by her daughters, Kathleen (Neil) Saxman of Pahrump, Nev., Denise (Anthony) Myers of Pensacola; five grandchildren, Jason Zechiel, Jeremy Sturgill, Scott Wagner, Joshua Sturgill and Kristin Myers; five great-grandchildren; her sister, Betty (Earl) Williams of St. Joseph; and two brothers, Walter (Lillian) Carlock Jr. of Chesapeake, Va., and Nelson (Vicky) Carlock of Arizona.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Henry, on March 26, 1991, and by her sister, Esther Bielicki, on April 23, 2008.
