Obituaries

Lyle Wayne JOHNSON, 51, 61571 Burr Oak Road, died June 12, 1986, from injuries he suffered in an automobile accident on Highway 120, east of Fremont in Steuben County, Ind. He was born April 3, 1935, in Colon Township, a son of Erneste and Mildred (VAN VORST) JOHNSON. He had lived in the Burr Oak area all of this life. He graduated from Burr Oak High School in 1953. On Feb. 14, 1953, he married Donna HOEKZEMA. He worked for Sturgis Newport Business Forms for 33 years, and was employed as a supervisor. He also farmed the family centennial farm, and was a member of the St. Joseph County Farm Bureau. He had been a 4-H leader for 16 years. Surviving are his wife; three daughters, Mrs. Larry (Sheryl) SCHIEBER, Pleasant Lake, Ind., Mrs. Robert (Linda) TEADT, JR., Sturgis and Cynthia JOHNSON, Burr Oak; a son of Lyn JOHNSON, Burr Oak; seven grandchildren, his mother, Mrs. Mildred FIORELL, Colon; two brothers, Arnold L. JOHNSON, Burr Oak, and Harold F. JOHNSON, Bronson; and several nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his father
in 1964 and one grandson in 1979. The family will receive relatives and friends from 7-9 p.m. today and from 2-4 p.m. and 7-9 p.m. Sunday at the Schipper Funeral Home, Colon. Services are at 2 p.m. Monday at the funeral home with the Rev. Landis C. MARTIN of the South Colon Mennonite Church and David J. FERRELL of Colon officiating. Submitted by: Cheryl Arver

Marion Teller Johnson, 94, passed away July 29, 2006. A graveside service will be held at 11:00 A.M. on Thursday, August 3, 2006 at the Trinity United Methodist Church in Nutbush, Tennessee with Dr. Ronald R. Smith officiating.

Born Marion Teller in Palistine, Arkansas on December 23,1911, she was the second daughter of Marion T. Teller of Colon, Michigan and Natalie Pearl Thomas Teller of St. Francis County, Arkansas. Mrs. Johnson was a master bridge player, active in both civic and church work throughout her life in Memphis, Tennessee, Decatur, Georgia, Toledo and Cincinnati, Ohio and Jacksonville, Florida. Most recently she was a member of St. Johns Presbyterian Church and the Women’s Club of Jacksonville.

Mrs. Johnson was predeceased by her husband, William Robert Johnson in 1987. Survivors include two daughters: Betty Hoye (John Truhlar) of Boulder, Colorado and Cheryl Smith (Ron) of Jacksonville, Florida; four grandchildren: Lawrence Woodrow Hoye of Hood River, Oregon, David William Hoye of Ashland, Oregon, David Ashley Smith (Pamela) and Marion Elizabeth Smith of Jacksonville, Florida; one great grandchild: Bella Rossi Hoye of Ashland, Oregon. She will be greatly missed by all of her family and friends.

Arrangements by Hardage-Giddens Funeral Home of Jacksonville, Florida and Memphis Funeral Home in Memphis, Tennessee. The family request that in lieu of flowers, memorial contributions be made to either the William Robert and Marion Teller Johnson Scholarship at King College in Bristol, Tennessee or to the St. Johns Presbyterian Church Endowment Trust of Jacksonville, Florida.

Florida Times Union—Monday, July 31 edition
Memphis Commercial Appeal—Tuesday, August 1 and Wednesday, August 2 editions

Submitted by Woody Hoye

Harry Otis JOHNSTON, 78, 214 Jacob St., died at 1 a.m. today (Thursday) in Sturgis Memorial Hospital, where he had been admitted last Dec. 18. He had been in ill health the last year. Mr. JOHNSTON was born in Huntington County, Ind., Aug. 2, 1891, a son of Sherman E. and Alice L. (MILLER) JOHNSTON. He was married in Bluffton, Ind., to Emma L. LUCABAUGH on Aug. 9, 1910. She preceded him in death on Aug. 14, 1964. Mr. JOHNSTON had been a Sturgis resident for the last 41 years and had been an employe of the former Sturgis Register Co. for 28 years. He retired in 1957. He was affiliated with IOOF Lodge No. 114 in Bluffton. He had been a member of the lodge for nearly 60 years. Surviving are two daughters, Mrs. B. E. (Jean) MARBAUGH of Sturgis and Mrs. Vera HOGG of Fort Wayne, Ind., a son, Leonard JOHNSTON of Niles; a brother Howard JOHNSTON, Marcellus; six grandchildren; six great- grandchildren; and several nieces, nephews and cousins. Friends are being received at the Foglesong Funeral Home, where services will be held at 1:0 p.m. Saturday. The Rev. M. John PALMER, pastor of the First Baptist Church, will officiate. Interment will take place in Oak Lawn Cemetery, where the members of the Oddfellow Lodge will confer honors. (Feb. 12, 1970) (No family connection to submitter.)

COLON-Reynold D. (Jonesy) Jones, 73, 543 Elm St., died Oct. 4, 1993, at his home, following an extended illness.

He entered the U.S. Army in 1942, serving in World War II in Normandy, France and Central Europe. He was discharged in 1946. Early in his life, he had worked at the Burke and Company, Colon, and from 1955-72 he worked as the service manager at Ward Chevrolet and Hemel’s Chevrolet, Colon. He retired in 1972. He was a member of the Colon American Legion Post 454 and the Disabled American Veterans. He was a lifelong Colon area resident and he had been a 45 year member of the Colon Fire Department.

Surviving are his wife: children, Bradley and Susan Jones, Brooklyn; two grandchildren, Hillary and Spencer Jones, both of Brooklyn; one step-son, James H. Ryan, Colon; two step-grandchildren, Steve Ryan, Colon, and Shannon Ryan, Grand Rapids; two brothers, Robert Jones, Colon, and Donald Jones, Coldwater; three half-brothers, Russell, Roger, and Randy Jones, all of Colon; and several nieces and nephews.

Relatives and friends may call from 20-4 p.m. and 6-8 p.m. today at the Schipper Funeral Home, Colon, where services are at 1 p.m. Thursday. The Rev. Ray D. Flessner, Colon United Methodist Church, will officiate. Burial will be in Lakeside Cemetery, Colon, with military honors being conferred by the Colon American Legion Post 454.

Memorials may be directed to the Colon Rescue Squad. Envelopes are available at the funeral home.

Hilda A. Jones, 82, of 543 Elm St., Colon, died Feb. 25, 2000, at the Birch Adult Foster Care home in Leonidas after an extended illness. Hilda was born April 2, 1917, in Colon Township, a daughter to the late G. Howard and Vernie A. (Hackenburg) Decker.

She had lived in the Colon area all of her life and graduated from Colon High School with the Class of 1934.

She married Darold J. Ryan in 1935 and he preceded her in death in 1947. On April 16, 1949, she married Reynold D. Jones in Union City and he preceded her in death on Oct. 4, 1993.

Hilda had worked at the former Lamb Knit Company and Decker’s Dairy, both of Colon. She had also worked for Davis Insurance and retired on March 31, 1978, from the Kirsch Co. of Sturgis after 25 years of employment.

She is survived by two sons, James H. Ryan and friend, Charlotte May, of Colon Bradley R. Jones, and wife, Susan, of Brooklyn; four grandchildren: Steven Ryan and wife, Lori of Kalamazoo, Shannon Vander Molen and her husband, Mike of Norton Shores, Hillary and Spencer Jones, both of Brooklyn; two great granddaughters, Hanna Ryan and Lillian Vander Molen; one sister, Donna Decker of Colon; and one brother, Dr. Norman K. Decker, of Bremen, Ind.; several nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her two husbands, nine brothers, Wren O., Earl L., A. Pearl, A. Eugene, Oscar F., Lloyd H., Clair M., Glenn G., and Robert L. Decker; four sisters, Thelma W. Wattles, Ila Mae Adams, Margaret A. Fullerton, and Mildred I. Loudenslager.

The family will receive relatives and friends on Tuesday, Feb. 29, from 3 to 5 p.m. and 7 to 9 p.m. at the Schipper Funeral Home Ltd., in Colon.

Funeral services will be Wednesday, March 1 at 1 p.m. from the funeral home with Mr. David J. Farrell officiating. Burial will follow at Lakeside cemetery, in Colon. If desired, memorials may be made to the Three Rivers Area Hospital Hospice, Alzheimer’s Association, or to the Colon Rescue Squad. Envelopes are available at the funeral home.

Sturgis-Marselena JONES, 88, 110 Magnolia St., died Nov. 20, 1986, at Sturgis Hospital, where she was admitted Nov. 16. She had been ill for a short time. She was born March 17, 1898 in Michigan City, Ind., a daughter of Horace and Marinda HAYES. On April 8, 1916, she married William F. JONES in Cassopolis. He died Aug. 7, 1978. She was a Sturgis resident sicne 1921, coming from Toledo, Ohio. She was a lifelong homemaker. Surviving are son Bill A. JONES, Philadelphia, Pa.; one granddaughter; one foster daughter, Mrs. Bryan (Sara) COTTE, Cambridge Preston, Ontario, Canada. She was preceded in death by two brothers. There will be no visitation. Cremation has taken place. Burial of the cremains will take place in Oak Lawn Cemetery at a later date. Arrangements were handled by the Foglesong Funeral Home, Sturgis. (No family connection to submitter.)