Birthdays

Mildred (Tippett) Verley celebrated her 100th birthday on Feb. 9, 2008, by a Patio Party with her daughter, Lois, granddaughter, Kathy, friends and relatives, and by spending three weeks away from the snow and cold with family in Phoenix, Ariz. She has been a member of the Iron Mountain (Mich.) Church for 77 years.

Mildred was married to the late Ralph Verley.

Mildred has been a housewife and devoted mother and grandmother. She is still active today in the annual Ingathering drive every fall.

Mildred has five children: Ralph and Irene Verley of Arlington, Ill.; Lois and Bruce Ring of Iron Mountain; Norman and Evelyn Verley, Susan and Chuck Kempf, and Della and Ron Van Alsteen all of Quinnesec, Mich.; 11 grandchildren; 20 great-grandchildren; two step-great-grandchildren; and seven great-great-grandchildren.

Anniversaries

Oscar and Fern Boismier celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary by a three-week trip to many parts of Portugal and Spain with their son, Jim, and his wife, Maria, and by a two-week cruise with their son, Gary, and his wife, Marilyn, visiting Jamaica, Costa Rica, Panama Canal, Peru and Chile. They have been members of the East Lansing University (Mich.) Church for 51 years.

Oscar Boismier and Fern Craner were married July 27, 1947, in Flint, Mich., by Pastor Russell Krick. Oscar has been a physical therapist at Hinsdale Hospital in Ill. and Sparrow Hospital in Lansing, Mich., and supervisor of physical therapy at Olin Health Center, Michigan State University, retiring in 1984. Fern has been office manager for Drs. Chiaravalli, Figenshaw and Curtis; worked at It Is Written; worked in X-ray and Lab at Hinsale Hospital; and worked at the White Memorial Clinic in Los Angeles, retiring in 1984.

The Boismier family includes Jim and Maria Boismier of San Jose, Calif.; Gary and Marilyn Boismier of Houston, Texas; two grandchildren; five step-grandchildren; and four step-great-grandchildren.

Gary and Patricia Erhard celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary on Nov. 17, 2007, by a family dinner at Papa Vino's in St. Joseph, Mich. They have been members of the Pioneer Memorial (Mich.) Church for 45 years.

Gary R. Erhard and Patricia A. Caldwell were married Nov. 17, 1957, in Detroit, Mich., by Pastor Hendrixson. Gary and Patricia are the owners of Erhard Furniture and Flooring; they enjoy mission trips to Central and South America.

The Erhard family includes Cheryl and Sergei Polishchuk of Berrien Springs, Mich.; Kendall Erhard of Fowlerville, Mich.; and seven grandchildren.

Obituaries

BOLEJACK, Allen C., age 88; born Apr. 6, 1918, in Kingsville, Mo.; died Feb. 16, 2007, in Indianapolis, Ind. He was a member of the Brownsburg (Ind.) Church.

Survivors include his wife, Irene Nell (Haskins); sons, Dwayne, Dwight and Dale; daughter, Gretta Wolff; brothers, Marvin and Ronald; sisters, Louise Kinnaman, Charlotte Wedner and Wilma Brinley; nine grandchildren; one step-grandchild; 15 great-grandchildren; two step-great-grandchildren; and one great-great-grandchild.

Funeral services were conducted by Pastor Todd Stout and Brad Bolejack, and interment was in Oakland Memorial Gardens Cemetery, Indianapolis.

GRATIAS, Arnold V.A., age 90; born Oct. 13, 1917, in Glen Flora, Wis.; died Nov. 30, 2007, in Grantsburg, Wis. He was a member of the Bethel Church, Arpin, Wis.

Survivors include his daughters, Amy Peterson and Twyla Trotter; sister, Arlene McCart; 11 grandchildren; and 19 great-grandchildren.

Funeral services were conducted by Pastor Wendell Springer, and interment was in Bethel Cemetery, Arpin.

HALES, Donald D., age 74; born Oct. 18, 1933, in Cincinnati, Ohio; died Oct. 30, 2007, in South Bend, Ind. He was a member of the South Bend Church.

Survivors include his wife, Barbara J. (Butler); sons, Gregory, Michael and Don; daughters, Donna Teat and Jasmine Hales; sister, Dorothy Bell; and five grandchildren.

Funeral services were conducted by Pastor Throstur Thordarson and Chaplain Titus Matemavi, and interment was in Highland Cemetery, South Bend.

HARE, Dennis R., age 56; born Aug. 26, 1951, in Ranchi, India; died Nov. 19, 2007, in Lopez Island, U.S.A. He was a member of the Pioneer Memorial Church, Berrien Springs, Mich.

Survivors include his wife, Jane (Albrecht); father, Leonard; mother, Esther (Borrowdale); and sister, Janet Tkachuck.

Memorial services were conducted by Harold James, with private inurnment.

LEED, Mildred J. (Griggs), age 74; born July 7, 1933, in Pulaski, Tenn.; died Nov. 30, 2007, in South Bend, Ind. She was a member of the Plymouth (Ind.) Church.

Survivors include her sons, Gary and Mark; daughters, Linda Dyer, Brenda Leed and Lori Manning; brothers, Clifford, James, Wayne and Jack Griggs; 11 grandchildren; and 12 great-grandchildren.

Funeral services were conducted by Pastor Don Inglish, and interment was in Fair Cemetery, La Paz, Ind.

MEYER, Roland E., age 101; born Nov. 14, 1906, in South Bend, Ind.; died Dec. 2, 2007, in South Bend. He was a member of the South Bend Church.

Survivors include his sons, Donald E. and Leonard E.; ten grandchildren; and 14 great-grandchildren.

Funeral services were conducted by Pastors Throstur Thordarson and Don Inglish, and interment was in St. Joseph Valley Memorial Park Cemetery, Granger, Ind.

PUGH, Gizella "Gizi" J. (Dertil), age 86; born Oct. 26, 1921 in Chicago, Ill.; died Dec. 2, 2007, in Gurnee, Ill. She was a member of the Gurnee Church.

Survivors include her daughters, Shirley Coulter and Nancy Pugh; sister, Elizabeth Durichek; three grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren.

Memorial services were conducted by Pastor Christopher Holland, and inurnment will be in Warren Cemetery, Gurnee.

RETTERER, Muriel (Jones), age 86; born Oct. 30, 1921, in Chicago, Ill.; died Dec. 17, 2007, in Niles, Mich. She was a member of the Hinsdale (Ill.) Church.

Survivors include her husband, Ray O.; sons, Harvey F. and Steven R.; daughters, Linda Rose, Rose F. Black and Sheila L. Lawrence; brothers, Harvey E. and Clayton F. Jones; sister, Sarah L. Patrick; 11 grandchildren; and five great-grandchildren.

Funeral services were conducted by Pastor Ted Toms, and interment was in Mount Vernon Memorial Estates Cemetery, Lemont, Ill.

SALYER, Ross, age 81; born May 6, 1926, in Gladwin, Mich.; died Dec. 2, 2007, in Kalamazoo, Mich. He was a member of the Gobles Pinedale Church, Gobles, Mich.

Survivors include his wife, Alice (Sampson); sons, Monte and Bryan; daughter, Dalice Skapnit; half brothers, Warren Oliver and Dana Snowden; sister, Elsie Ferguson; half sisters, June Diep Puis, Dexie Isbell and Susan Manke; 11 grandchildren; and five great-grandchildren.

Memorial services were conducted by Elder Don Williams, with private inurnment.

SISSON, Delbert H., age 83; born Nov. 14, 1923, in Muskegon, Mich.; died Sept. 2, 2007, in Big Rapids, Mich. He was a member of the Big Rapids Church.

Survivors include his sons, Russell T. and Bryan K.; daughters, Deborah Marso and Allitta Hren; brother, Dale; seven granchildren; and seven great-grandchildren.

Memorial services were conducted by Elder David Gotshall, with private inurnment.

SZALAY, Mary E. (Wilkinson), age 82; born Jan. 26, 1925, in Flint, Mich.; died Nov. 28, 2007, in Berrien Springs, Mich. She was a member of the Pioneer Memorial Church, Berrien Springs.

Survivors include her husband, Fred P.; sons, Ron and John; daughter, Connie L. Szalay; sisters, Bernice Walters, Yvonne Donohue, Irene Thomas, Rosetta Cochran, Marlene Hoskins and Audrey Ben; four grandchildren; and one great-grandchild.

A private family service is planned for a later date.

TABER, Etsal R.J., age 80; born May 8, 1927, in Mt. Morris, Mich.; died Nov. 27, 2007, in Niles, Mich. He was a member of the Pioneer Memorial Church, Berrien Springs, Mich.

Survivors include his wife, Virginia (Jock); sons, Bruce, Gary and Loren; daughters, Diane Taber and Denise Rose; brothers, Pete and Orten; sisters, Dorothy Weiland and Delores Fitch; ten grandchildren; and one great-grandchild.

Memorial services were conducted by Pastor Gary Taber, and interment was in Sunset Hills Cemetery, Flint, Mich.