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Updated on August 24, 2009

Peo, John Phillip
DOUBLE FUNERAL IN NEW BUFFALO Aged JOHN PEO follows his Brother in Death Double Funeral on Monday, 07 July 1909. Conducted Lake House in New Buffalo, Mich. For Many Years – Retired about Five Years ago – Services in Lutheran Church. JOHN P. PEO, Died on Saturday, 03 July 1909.  John Phillip Peo, an aged resident of New Buffalo, Mich. and brother to the late Ernest Peo, whose death was noted in Friday’s News, followed his brother in death at an early hour this morning.  His death was due to dropsy.  The death of John Peo has necessitated a change in the arrangements for the funeral of Ernest, which was to have been held Sunday afternoon, and instead there will be a double funeral Monday morning.  The services will be held in the Lutheran Church at New Buffalo, Rev. F. A. Adomeit officiating.
   John Peo was 70 years old and a native of Germany. He was a son of Mr. and Mrs. Christopher Peo, deceased.  When a young man he left his native land and settled in New Buffalo, where he conducted the Lake House for many years.  He retired from business about five years ago.  Deceased was twice married, his first wife, Sophie Doris (Schultz) Peo, having preceded him in death.  His second wife, Minnie (Miller) Peo is a cousin to A. C. Heitschmidt ofMichigan City.  She and five children survive, four by his first marriage, and one by the second marriage, as follows: Mrs. Dora Samko, and Frank, George and John Peo, all of Chicago and Fred Peo of New Buffalo.  The following brothers and sisters survive: Charles Peo, LaPorte; Christ Peo, Chicago; Mrs. Fred Walters, New Buffalo, and Mrs. Caroline Brinkman of Michigan City.
Contributed By Alice Winterrod

Peo, Minnie (Miller)
MEMORIAL AT New Buffalo In Memory of MRS. JOHN (MINNIE MILLER) PEO, Former Resident There Died on Thursday, March 20, 1919, buried on March 26th.  Mr. And Mrs. A. C. Heitschmidt have returned from Chicago, where they went this week to attend the funeral and burial of Mr. Heitschmidt’s cousin, Mrs.(Minnie Miller) John Peo, former resident of New Buffalo and of this city.  Mrs. Peo as previously stated in The News, died last Saturday, in Sylvia, Kansas, while she was visiting with relatives there.  The remains were buried in Graceland Cemetery, Chicago.
Arrangements have been made for memorial services in memory of Mrs. Peo, to be held at St. John’s Church, New Buffalo, next Sunday.  Rev. J. Hetzel, pastor of the church, will conduct the services.  Relatives and friends will attend from here, and the memorial will no doubt be largely attended by relatives and friends in and near New Buffalo.
- Contributed By Alice Winterrod

Peter, Ottilie nee Schlacht
The Herald Palladium Carried the obituary of Tillie Peter on 13 Mar 1968: “Mrs. Tillie Peters New Buffalo-Mrs. Tillie Peters, 82, of route 2, Box 334, Buchanan, died at 5:05 p.m. Wednesday in Willow Fair nursing home, Bridgman, where she had been a patient for two years. Mrs. Peters was born in Russia, May 13, 1885, and moved to the Benton Harbor area in 1907. In 1919, she married to Julius Peters and he died Oct. 18, 1964. Survivors include six sons, the Rev. Gus Peters of Warrensburg, N.Y., Albert Peters , Otto and Joahn Hauch of Buchanan, William Howe of Berrien Springs, and August Hauch of New Troy; three daughters, Mrs. George (Gustie) Anderson of Buchanan, Mrs. Donald (Evelyn) Schutze of Niles, and Mrs. Lydia Gerrard of Bay City; four stepdaughters, Mrs. Leo (Ida) Dukesherer of Benton Harbor, Mrs. Edward (Violet) Wooder of New Troy, Mrs. Gilbert (Elsie) Foondle of Spokane, Wash., and Mrs. Leonard (Edna) Rowley of Mason; a stepson, Adolph Peters of Phoenix, Ariz.; 50 grandchildren; and 30 great-grandchildren. Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m. Saturday in the German Church of God, Stevensville. The Rev. Ernst Kersten, pastor, will officiate. Burial will be in New Troy Cemetery. Friends may call at the Boyd funeral home, Bridgman, after 7 p.m. today.” Otillie Schlacht married 1st John Hauch in Volhynia Russia and they came to America. She married 2nd Julius Peter.
- - contributed by: William Brackett at brackettwilliam@yahoo.com

Peters, Henry
Died 17 November 1945 at Sister Lakes
Henry Peters, 93, well known Bainbridge township farmer, and a member of one of Berrien county's
prominent pioneer families, died at 11:30 a. m. Saturday at the home of a son, Earl at Sister Lakes.
He was the last surviving members of a family of 10 children — sons of John Peters, who lost his
life in the Civil War. He was born in Bainbridge township, Feb. 11, 1852, and lived there all his life.
except for a few years in his youth when he went west in quest of adventure. He found it in Dodge Citv,
Kan., then a wicked frontier town of wild riding and careless shooting gents.
For many years Mr. Peters was highway commissioner in Bainbridge township.
Mr. Peters spent two years in the west. In Dodge City he hired out to a buffalo hunting expedition
in southwestern Kansas, and spent several months on the Prairies killing buffalo that roamed in
herds of tens of thousands. The buffalo, in those days were hunted mostly for the hides. /Most "of the
meat was left to rot but choice hams were saved. Mr. Peters used to relate how two wagonloads of these
of five tons each, drawn by oxen., were freighted to Dodge City, 80 miles distant, where they were sold
for $1.80 a hundred.
From Dodge City, Mr. Peters drifted to the Texas Panhandle in 1877. The Atchcson, Topeka &
Santa Fe railroad was then the only line through that part of the west and was then a new enterprise.
When buffalo hunting was no longer profitable, Mr. Peters obtained work on the Goodnight
ranch in the Texas Panhandle, where he served as a range rider and cowboy.
Surviving him are four sons, Walter, in Saginaw, Mich.; Charles in Benton Harbor; Earl at Sister
Lakes; and Irvin in Atkins, Ark.
There are also 12 grandchildren, 15 great-grandchildren, and one great-great-grandchild. His wife,
the former Jennie Casner of Ohio to whom he was married in Keeler, in March of 1880, died in
1929, and a daughter, Edna, died 20 years ago.
The funeral will be conducted at 2 p. m. Tuesday in the Reiser chapel. The Rev. Folke Ferre of the
First Baptist church of Benton Harbor will officiate, and burial will be at Keeler cemetery.
Taken from the St. Joseph Herald-Press, November 1945
Contributed By Joseph Swelnis

Pike, Doris Reams
BUCHANAN -  Mrs. Doris Reams Pike, 84, of Woodfield Manor, Niles, formerly of310 Main street, Buchanan, died Thursday at Pawating Hospital, Niles.
Friends may call from 3 to 8 p.m. Sunday at Swem Funeral Home, Buchanan, where the funeral will be held Monday at 11 a.m.  Burial will be in Oakridge Cemetery.  Memorials may be made to the First United Methodist Church of Buchanan, of which she was a member.
Mrs. Pike was born Sept. 30, 1902, in Bangor.  She was a graduate of Western Michigan University and was a teacher for 44 years in the Buchanan elementary schools.
Survivors include one stepdaughter, Helen Viebrock ofWestern Springs, Ill and one stepson, Stewart Pike of Honolulu, Hawaii.  She was preceded in death by her husband, Reginald, in 1968.
From the The Herald-Palladium, Benton Harbor-St. Joseph, Michigan, Friday, September 25, 1987
Contributed By Lynn Westlake

Pike, Reginald A.
BUCHANAN ---  Reginald A. Pike, 76, of 310 Main street, Buchanan, died unexpectedly at 3 p.m. Wednesday at his home.
He was born March 31, 1892, in Great Yarmouth, England. He came to the Buchanan area in 1947 from Canada.
On Dec. 26, 1948 he married the former Doris Reams in Buchanan. She survives.
Also surviving is a daughter, Mrs. Helen Viebrock of Western Springs, Ill.; a son Stewart of Honolulu, Hawaii; five grandchildren and one great-grandchild. A sister resides in England.
Mr. Pike was a member of the First United Methodist Church of Buchanan; the Buchanan Lions Club; was a charter member of the Buchanan Toastmaster Club, serving as the club's first treasurer. He was a veteran of World War I, serving in the Canadian Army as a medical corpsman.
Funeral services will be held Saturday at 3:30p.m. in the Swem funeral home, Buchanan. The Rev. W. Y. Pohly of Sumnerville will officiate. Burial will be in Oak Ridge cemetery.
Friends may call at the funeral home after 7 p.m. this evening.
Taken From The Herald-Palladium, Benton Harbor-St. Joseph, Michigan, Thursday, June 6, 1968

Note: Reg had his own painting and decorating business in Berrien and he died after painting his garage at home.
Contributed By Lynn Westlake

Powell, John G.
The New Palladium carried the obituary for Rev. J. G. Powell on 24 Mar 1914: “Rev. J. G. Powell was born in Grand Junction, Mich., March 22, 1882, died at his home at 646 Buss avenue, Benton Harbor, March 20, 1914. He was united in marriage to Catherine Cougill of this city April 3, 1901. He leaves a wife, three children, Dorothy, Ruth and Naomi, a mother, Mrs. Sarah Powell, New Carlisle, Ind., and three Sisters, Mrs. Allie Slocum of New Carlisle, Ind., Mrs. Nora Phillips of Galien, Mich., and Mrs. Eva Hall of Indianapolis, Ind.; two brothers, Madison Powell of Plymouth, Ind., and Time Powell of New Carlisle, Ind.; on half brother, Ed Pracket of New Troy, Mich., and a large circle of relatives and friends to mourn his loss. All the sisters and a brother were present at the funeral except Mrs. Eva Hall.” Note: This should read Tim not “Time” Powell, Ed Brackett not “Pracket” and Madison Powell lived in Plymouth, Michigan not “Ind.”.
- - contributed by: William Brackett at brackettwilliam@yahoo.com

Powell, Sarah nee Brant
Sarah Powell's obituary appeared in the Niles Daily Star on 30 Jul 1930 and reads: “Galien Pioneer Dies Mrs. Sarah Powell, 80, a pioneer of Berrien County died last evening at the home of her son William Powell with who she had made her home in Galien. She is survived by the following children: Mrs. Edward Phillips, Mrs. Anthony Slocum and William Powell of Galien, Mrs. Eva Hall of Buchanan, Madison Powell of Detroit, and Edward Brackett of New Troy. Funeral services will be held at 2 o'clock on Thursday afternoon in the Christian Church, Buchanan. Burial will be in the New Troy Cemetery.” Edward Brackett should have been listed as Edgar Brackett. He often went by Ed and some assumed his name was Edward instead of Edgar. Sarah married 1st John Brackett and 2nd John Powell
- - contributed by: William Brackett at brackettwilliam@yahoo.com

Preston - Mary King Preston - Newspaper - News Paladium; December 22, 1930 Rites Tuesday for Mrs. Preston, Local Pioneer Prominent St. Joseph Woman, 81, Dies Early Sunday Morning
   Funeral services will be at the Firt Congregational church in St. Joseph, at 2 o'clock afternoon for the late Mrs. Mary King Preston, widow of the late Wallace A. Preston, pioneer lumberman, banker and mayor of St. Joseph.
   Mrs. Preston's death early Sunday morning ended a life that for three generations had been devoted to every form of community service in her home city of St. Joseph. Mrs. Preston was 81 years of age and had been in failing health for some time.
   The Rev. George Horst, pastor of the First Congregational church, where she had worshipped for nearly half a centruy, will conduct the funeral rites. Interment will take place in the St. Joseph City cemetery.
   Attend Funeral In A Body Members of Logan circle, Ladies of the G. A. R. have been requested to meet Thursday at 1:30 o'clock to attend the funeral of Mrs. W. A. Preston in a body. The circle's flag service will be conducted at the church.   Leaves Seven Children - Mrs. Preston is survived by six sons and a daughter, all of whom reside in St. Joseph. They are William A. Preston; Attorney Loomis K. Preston, former state representative; Mrs. F. C. Palenske, Arthur C. Preston, present owner of the Preston Lumber and Manufacturing company, and a former mayor of St. Joseph; Nathan E. Preston, John D. Preston and Calvin H. Preston. There are 11 grandchildren.
    A brother, Alexander King, resided in Benton Harbor, and two sisters, the Misses Nellie and Laura King make their home at the old King family homestead in Benton township. Through church affiliations, civic leadership and her activity in Algonquin chapter, D. A. R., in which she was a charter member and past regent, Mrs. Pretson's manifold interests extended to affairs of her city county, state and nation
   Mrs. Preston's friends were legion, and there is hardly a resident of her community, young or old, rich or poor, who had not in one way or another been aided or touched by the influence of this public spirited woman....
this obituary goes on to state.... many of Mary King Preston's achievements and then....
   Married in 1874 The marriage in January 1874, of Miss Mary E. King to Wallace A. Preston united tow of Berrien county's best known pioneer families.
The bride was a daughter of William Pierce and Jane King, who were among the first settlers in Benton township. Mr. Preston's parents were Fowler J. and Antoinette Loomis Preston and their home was on the corner lot at 720 State street where the W. A. Prestons later built the present family home. Both W. A. Preston and his bride were of native American stock dating back to the Revolutionary war days, and on their honeymoon they took a trip east to visit Mr. Preston's relative in Whately, Holyake and Northampton, Mass. The wedding was performed at the home of the bride in Benton township, and old residents here recall how, when the couple, came to St. Joseph to take a train east, their many friends had a brass band down at the station to serenade them. ........ Additional Comments: Obituary may be read in its full length by Obtaining Dec., 12, 1930 News Paladium, page 6 columns 1 & 2.

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