, D.V.M., 96, of Redfield Road, Niles, died at 2:45 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 11, 2009, at his home, following a brief illness.

Funeral services will be at 1 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 15, at Halbritter Funeral Home, Niles, with the Rev. Vickie Van Nevel of Northwest United Methodist Church, South Bend, Ind., officiating.

Internment will be at Smith Chapel Cemetery, Niles.

The family will receive friends and relatives beginning at 11 a.m. Saturday at the funeral home.

He was born on April 25, 1913, in Highland Park, to Willis Vronan and Vesta (Hughson) Fraser.

He earned the Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree from Michigan Agricultural College (Now Michigan State University), East Lansing, in 1935.

After being employed by several veterinarians, he moved to Niles in 1939 and established Fraser Animal Hospital from which he retired in 1978.

Dr. Fraser was a member of the American Veterinary Medical Association, both Michigan and national and a co-founder of the Michiana Medical Association.
He also owned and operated Shady Lanes, a par three golf course near his clinic on Yankee Street from 1968 into the 1990s. He was a past secretary/treasurer of the Michiana Golf course Supervisors Association. He was also a charter member of the Hampshire Golf Course.

In addition to his professional activities and golf, he was active in the community as a former supervisor of Howard Township, a volunteer at Cass County Council on Aging (COA) Mobile Meals, and a member of Toastmasters, of the B.P.O. of Niles Elks No. 1322, of Saint Joseph Valley Lodge No. 4, F.&A.M., Niles Commandery No. 12, Knights Templar and the Saladin Shrine and a past member of the Niles-Buchanan club of Rotary International.

He also enjoyed bowling in area leagues. He will be best remembered as a passionate animal lover, who had a special interest in training and owning sulky horses.

On June 14, 1935, in East Lansing, he married the former June Tobey, who died on Jan. 2, 1987.

He was also preceded in death by his brother, Stuart Fraser.

Surviving family include his children, Sandy (Joe) Winger of Montague, Gail Fraser of Metter, Ga., Mike (Pam) Fraser of Boise, Idaho, Karry (Bob Ward) Fraser of Montgomery, Ala., Willis (Gayla) Fraser of Niles, Ken Fraser of Niles, Deborah Fraser of Grand Rapids and Jennifer (Dale) Kehoe of Niles; 11 grandchildren and 22 great-grandchildren.

Memorial contributions may be made to the Cass County Council on Aging, P.O. Box 5, Cassopolis, MI 49031.

Arrangements were by  Halbritter Funeral Home, Niles.