June 2, 1918 — Feb. 20, 2014

John H. Cureton, 95, of Dowagiac, died Thursday, Feb. 20, 2014, at The Timbers of Cass County in Dowagiac.

He was born June 2, 1918, to Frederick Grant Cureton and Hazel Ione (Dore) Cureton in Chicago, where he grew up. He married Gladys Lillian Stenson on June 18, 1938, in Chicago. He was ordained into the ministry at Midwest Bible Church in Chicago in 1946 and moved to Hartford, Mich., where he pastored the Federated Church. After living in Decatur for three years, in 1950 he moved to Dowagiac, where he worked for James Heddon’s Sons for 10 years.

In 1960 he went to work for WDOW radio as News Director until retirement. He continued as a news correspondent for the South Bend Tribune for many years, covering Dowagiac and Cass county events. He was a longtime member of Berrien Center Bible Church, where he taught Bible classes for many years.

John is survived by four daughters: Carol (Ray) Sweigert of Atlanta, Georgia; Ruth (Devon) Armstrong of Niles; Louise (Mike) Sadowitz of Edwardsburg; and Anita (Bill) Krogel of Warsaw, Ind.; his special friend, Madelyn Fletcher of Dowagiac; 10 grandchildren and 16 great-grandchildren.

He was preceded in death by his wife, Gladys, who died in 1999; his parents; his brother, Edward Striker; and step-grandson, Joe Sadowitz.

Funeral services will be at 1 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 26, at Bowerman Funeral Home in Eau Claire, with burial following in Riverside Cemetery, Dowagiac. Friends may call at the funeral home from 6 to 8 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 25, and from noon until service time on Wednesday. Online messages may be left at www.bowermanfuneral.com.

Memorial contributions may be made to the Salvation Army, 424 N. 15th Street, Niles, MI 49120; or The Gideons International, 5318 Larkspur Drive, South Bend, IN 46614.