Mildred L. Van Orman, 97, of Dean’s Hill Road, Berrien Center, died at 10:05 a.m. Saturday, July 18, 2009, at Lakeland Specialty Hospital, Berrien Center, following a brief illness.

Funeral services will be at 2 p.m. Wednesday, July 22, at Halbritter Funeral Home, Niles, with the Rev. Patricia Haas of Pokagon United Methodist Church, officiating.

Friends may call beginning at noon on Wednesday, at the funeral home.
She was born on May 5, 1912, in Quincy, Ill., to Calvin Evans and Minnie Mae Guss Evans.

She had lived in Florida for many years, returning to this area four years ago.

She was formerly employed at Heddon’s Bait Factory in Dowagiac. She was retired from Paramont Die-cast, Stevensville.

She always attended United Methodist Church.

She enjoyed baking and decorating cakes and finishing ceramics.

In October of 1929, in South Bend, Ind., she married Eugene Charles Van Orman, who died on May 25, 1954.

She was also preceded in death by grandchildren, Jennifer Latislaw and Jonathan Latislaw and her sisters, Emma Hopkins, Lois Carney, Marjorie Hopkins and Edna Hosbein.

Surviving family includes daughters, Billie Jean Lenz of Niles, Darlene Gilpin of Knoxville, Tenn. and Judith Neucks of Niles; sons, Carlton Van Orman of Niles, Jerry Van Orman of Niles and Duane Van Orman of Killeen Texas; 20 grandchildren; 28 great-grandchildren; 14 great-great-grandchildren and a sister, Dorothy Feigner of Saint Joseph.

Memorial contributions may be made to Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Disorders.

Arrangements were by Halbritter Funeral Home, Niles.