Ethel Stephens, 79

Born: Aug. 20, 1932

Died: June 15, 2012

Ethel Mae Stephens, 79, of Niles, died on Friday, June 15, 2012, at Lakeland Regional Medical Center, St. Joseph, following an extended illness.

She was born Aug. 20, 1932, in Hammond, Ind., to Donald and Inez (Coyle) Stephens. She lived in Niles since 1950 and had been employed at Foret Plastics, Bungelow Pie Shop and Office Supply and Equipment before working at Simplicity Pattern Company, from which she retired.

Ethel was a former member of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Niles. She enjoyed gardening, feeding squirrels and birds and reading. She also enjoyed entertaining family and always had pet dogs.

She was preceded in death by her parents; her companion, Betty Gleitz; her brothers, Donald Stephens, Jr. and David Stephens; her sister, Betty Stephens; half-sister, Lucille Staples; and step-brothers, Donald and Paul Staples.

Surviving family includes a brother, Daniel Stephens, of Detroit; several nieces and nephews; and her pet dog, Magic.

The funeral service for Ethel will be 11 a.m. Tuesday, June 19, at the Halbritter Funeral Home in Niles with Pastor Walton Williams, of Niles Westside Seventh-day Adventist Church, officiating. Committal will follow at Bertrand Cemetery in Niles.

The family will receive relatives and friends from 6 to 8 p.m. Monday at the funeral home. Contributions in memory of Ethel may be made to the Alzheimer’s Association, or to Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS).