By Staff
Barbara J. (Barrett) Perkins, 68, of East Winn Street, Niles, died at 5:10 p.m. on Sunday, June 1, 2008, at Lakeland Community Hospital, Niles, following a brief illness.
Funeral services will be held at 3 p.m. Thursday, June 5, at Halbritter Funeral Home, Niles, with Pastor Daniel A. Greegor of Sumnerville Bible Baptist Church officiating.
The family will receive friends at the funeral home beginning at 2 p.m. Thursday.
She was born on Aug. 5, 1939, in Mishawaka, Ind. to Wilbur F. and Genevieve J. (Raven) Barrett. She was a lifetime area resident.
She was a charter founder of Southwestern Michigan Community Ambulance Service (SMCAS) and the former deputy for Niles Township.
She was married to Forrest Larry "Whitney" Perkins, Sr., who died on April 1, 2007.
She is survived by her children, Forrest Larry (Joyce) Perkins, Jr., Martha (Michael) Perkins-White and Wayne A. (Tara) Perkins, all of Niles; 10 grandchildren; five great-grandchildren; a sister, Grace Lynn Spite of Mishawaka, Ind.; two nieces, Sami Lynn (Joel) Schlundt and Jennifer Lynn (Terry) Spite; a nephew, James Andrew (Debra) Spite and 10 foster children she raised.
Contributions may be made to Saint Jude Children's Hospital.
Arrangements were by Halbritter Funeral Home, Niles.