Obituaries

May 14, 2012

Arthur “Art” West Hopper, Jr., 88, of Osceola, Indiana, passed away Monday morning, May 14, 2012, at the home of his daughter, Peggy, following a long illness.

Art was born September 16, 1923 in Bridgeville, Pennsylvania, a son of the late Arthur West and Amy (Meeking) Hopper. He was a graduate of Washington High School in Washington,...

May 10, 2012

Grace Viola Horvath, 75, of South Bend, passed away Thursday afternoon, May 10, 2012, in the Sanctuary at St. Paul’s.

Grace was born March 25, 1937 in Hammond, a daughter of the late Gaza and Irene (Yuhasz) Varga. She moved with her family to South Bend as a small child. She was a graduate of St. Joseph...

May 4, 2012

Nancy Ann “Nan” (Witt) Kovach, 50, of Mishawaka, passed away Friday morning, May 4, 2012 in Memorial Hospital, South Bend, after a courageous battle with breast cancer.

Nancy, known to many as “Nan,” was born October 17, 1961 in Mishawaka. She was the youngest of seven children born to Robert and Sara (Schurz) Witt. Nan grew up...

May 1, 2012

Lillian June Brandenburg, 88, of South Bend, passed away Tuesday morning, May 1, 2012, at Bremen Health Care in Bremen.

Lillian was born May 26, 1923 in Warsaw, the first of nine children of the late Ernest and Vivian Bertha (Chubb) Barth. She grew up in the Warsaw area.

On August 19, 1941 in Warsaw,...

Apr 20, 2012

Gerald L. “Jerry” Felt, 75, of South Bend, passed away Friday, April 20, 2012, in St. Joseph Regional Medical Center, Mishawaka.

Jerry was born March 1, 1937 in Detroit, Michigan, a son of the late Herbert and Olga (Piira) Felt. He moved to Mishawaka with his family in 1962 and remained in the area ever since.

Apr 17, 2012

Susan L. “Sue” Leach, 62, of Mishawaka, passed away Tuesday morning, April 17, 2012, in St. Joseph Regional Medical Center following a sudden illness.

Sue was born July 15, 1949 in Mishawaka, a daughter of Jack and Joan (LaBlanc) Crandell. She spent most of her life in Mishawaka and was a 1967 graduate of Mishawaka High School....

Apr 8, 2012

Marilyn M. Sloan, 83, of Mishawaka, passed away Sunday afternoon, April 8, 2012, in Miller’s Merry Manor, Wakarusa.

Marilyn was born February 14, 1929 in Mishawaka, the daughter of the late Elmer and Mabel (Mueller) Key. She was a 1947 graduate of Mishawaka High School. She was a life long resident of Mishawaka until 1999 when she...

Mar 29, 2012

Patricia “Pat” Ann McLaughlin, 81, of Mishawaka, passed away Thursday morning, March 29, 2012, in her home.

Pat was born July 28, 1930 in South Bend, a daughter of the late Lawrence and Catherine (Kish) McHugh. She grew up in South Bend where she graduated from John Adams High School in 1949.

On September 1,...

Mar 21, 2012

Sister M. Theresita Strasburger, O.S.F., 71, of the Sisters of St. Francis of Perpetual Adoration in Mishawaka, passed away Wednesday in Our Lady of Angels Convent.

Survivors include her mother, Evelyn Strasburger; three sisters, Shirley Haywood, Tina Puitz and Sharon Dare; and two brothers, Thomas and Donald Strasburger.

Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated...

Mar 14, 2012

John Mikulyuk, 94, of Hart, Michigan, formerly of Mishawaka, passed away Wednesday, March 14, 2012.

John was born May 13, 1917 in Mishawaka, a son of the late John and Martha (Dubonich) Mikulyuk. He grew up in Mishawaka and graduated from Mishawaka High School in 1936 where he played basketball. He served his country in the US...

Mar 7, 2012

Stephen J. “Steve” Burns, 69, of Mishawaka, passed away unexpectedly Wednesday morning, March 7, 2012, in Northport, Florida.

Steve was born January 9, 1943 in Mishawaka, a son of the late Joseph and Helen (Prokop) Burns. He grew up in Mishawaka and made the community his life long home.

Steve and his family have owned...

Feb 28, 2012

Irven “I.C.” Ernst, 88, of Mishawaka and formerly of Buchanan, passed away Tuesday afternoon, February 28, 2012 in St. Joseph Regional Medical Center.

I.C. was born September 17, 1923 in Mishawaka, a son of the late August and Estella (Eutzler) Ernst. He served his country in the US Army during World War II from 1943 - 1945....

Feb 26, 2012

Marie J. Housand, 101, passed away quietly in her sleep at her home in Mishawaka on Sunday, February 26, 2012.

Marie was born October 10, 1910 in Mishawaka to August and Josephine (Sammet) Doll. On January 11, 1936 she married Jonathan W. Housand, Sr., and they celebrated 62 years together until his passing in 1998.

...

Feb 25, 2012

Robert “Bob” J. Hillebrand, Sr., 85, of Mishawaka, passed away Saturday, February 25, 2012 in Hospice House, South Bend, following a short illness.

Bob was born April 5, 1926 in Mishawaka, the son of the late Charles J. and Margaret M. (Schmitt) Hillebrand. He grew up in Mishawaka and was a graduate of Central Catholic High School...

Feb 19, 2012

Joyce L. Boyer, 77, of South Bend, passed away Sunday morning, February 19, 2012, in her home.

Joyce was born May 4, 1934 in Barron, Wisconsin, the daughter of the late Clifford and Laura (Sigsworth) Hunt. When she was a child she moved with her family to South Bend where she would spend most of her life....

Feb 10, 2012

Wanda C. Valdinocci, 90, of Ocala, Florida, formerly of Mishawaka, passed away on February 10, 2012 in Tuscany House Hospice near Ocala.

Wanda was born July 1, 1921 in Logansport, Indiana, a daughter of the late Vernon and Dollie (Thomas) Bender. She grew up in Mishawaka and was a 1939 graduate of Mishawaka High School. She attended...

Jan 26, 2012

Terry Deuel Harper, II, 62, of Mishawaka, passed away Thursday morning, January 26, 2012 in St. Joseph Regional Medical Center.

Terry was born May 13, 1949 in Ottumwa, Iowa, a son of the late Terry D. and VaDonna (Leedom) Harper. He grew up in Cedar Rapids, Iowa where he graduated from Washington High School in 1968. Terry...

Jan 26, 2012

James L. Swadener, 82, of Mishawaka, passed away at home Thursday afternoon, January 26, 2012.

Jim was born January 11, 1930 in Mishawaka, a son of the late Dean H. and Alice G. (Moran) Swadener. He grew up in Mishawaka and was a 1947 graduate of Mishawaka High School. He served his country in the US Navy...

Jan 25, 2012

Leona “Lee” Jane Bass, 81, of South Bend, passed away Wednesday morning, January 25, 2012.

Lee was born September 3, 1930 in South Bend, a daughter of the late Theodore and Clara (Piepers) VanHulle. She grew up in South Bend where she spent the majority of her life. She married Robert Bass on November 10, 1962.

Jan 15, 2012

Timothy P. O’Reilly, 56, of Mishawaka, passed away Sunday morning, January 15, 2012, in Memorial Hospital, South Bend.

Tim was born April 23, 1955 in Chicago, Illinois. He grew up in the Niles area and graduated from Brandywine High School. He served his country in the US Air Force from 1982 - 1986.

Tim was...