June 29, 1928 — April 28, 2017

Mildred Fern Eull, 88, of Niles, died peacefully at 1:31 a.m. Friday, April 28, 2017, with her children gathered around her bedside at West Woods of Niles.

The family is grateful for the compassionate care provided to their mother by their new friends on the staff at West Woods.

Fern was born June 29, 1928, in Fullerton, North Dakota, to Walter Christ and Vera Gladys (Sanders) Rathe.

She graduated from high school in North Dakota, and has lived in Niles since 1959, coming from Grand Rapids, Minnesota. She served as the Berrien County clerk’s deputy at the — then new — South County building, an office from which she retired in 1996.

She was a founding member of the former Trinity United Methodist Church, and was currently a member of the Wesley United Methodist Church.

In retirement, she served as an election poll worker. She enjoyed practicing the art of homemaking, including needlework and flower gardening, but she really excelled at baking, making a wide variety of pies, cakes and other pastries, and a fresh loaf of homemade bread every day.

On Jan. 29, 1946, in Jamestown, North Dakota, she married Gerald Eugene Eull, with whom she celebrated the 41st anniversary of their wedding prior to his death on May 29, 1987.

She was preceded in death by her parents, one brother and four sisters.

Surviving family includes her children, Sandra (Mike) Hess, Terry (Carol) Eull, Deborah Eull and Christopher Ray Eull, all of Niles, and Jerry Jay Eull of Las Vegas; grandchildren Ryan (Liz) Eull, Travis (Kayla) Eull, Dana (Jim) Loveall, Danny (Mary) Balos, Derrick (Staci) Balos, Ashlea Eull, Jordan Eull, Jeffrey Eull and Sharrla (Craig) Rogers-Eaton; great-grandchildren Seth (Brandy) Casey, Karissa Loveall, Austin Balos, Riley Balos, Kyla Eull, Damon Bell, Owen Eaton, Finley Eull, Sawyer Eull, Nolan Eull and Bo Balos; great-great-grandchildren Braylon, Honor, Kadience and Puller Casey; Fern’s brother, Robert Rathe of Stanley, Virginia; and many nieces and nephews, including a special nephew, Dennis VanMiddlesworth of Carmel, California.

A funeral service for Fern Eull will be at noon Tuesday, May 2, 2017, at Halbritter-Wickens Funeral Home in Niles, with the Rev. Jonathan Rose, chaplain for Hospice at Home, officiating. Committal will follow in Mission Hills. The family will receive relatives and friends beginning at 10 a.m. Tuesday at the funeral home.

Contributions in memory of Fern Eull may be made to the Berrien County Cancer Service, 7301 Red Arrow Highway, Stevensville, MI 49127. halbritterfunerals.com