Mrs. Lena F. Purkes, 92, of 800 Mechanic St., died at 5:35 P.M. Thursday in Fairview Medical Facility in Centerville where she had been a patient since January, 1972.
She was born in LeRoy, Mich., July 26, 1880, to Mailand and Olive (Simonton) Tozer. She was married to Edson R. Bowman on April 18, 1902 in LeRoy. He died Aug. 7, 1944. On Oct. 12, 1951, she was married to Thomas Purkes in Angola, Ind. He died July 29, 1960.
Mrs. Purkes was a member of the First Baptist Church. Surviving are a son, Virgil Bowman, of Sturgis; three daughters, Mrs. Eric (Crystal) Joelson of White Pigeon; Mrs. Victor (Edna) Phillips of Howe, Ind.,; and Mrs. Jess (Delora) Cole of Grants, N.M.; 11 grandchildren; 15 great grandchildren; three sisters, Mrs. Mary Mort of Vicksburg; Mrs. Reynolds (Darcus) Koch of Sturgis; and Mrs. Dora Quigley, of Washington, Pa.; one brother Melvin Tozer of Sturgis; and several nieces and nephews. A son, William Levi Bowman, died in 1931, and a daughter, Mrs. Elsie Hovarter, died in 1964. One brother also preceded her in death.
Visitation may be made at the Foglesong Funeral Home beginning Saturday noon. Services will be held at 1:30 P.M. Monday, in the funeral home, with the Rev. Ronald Miles, pastor of the First Baptist Church, officiating. Interment will be made in Oak Lawn Cemetery.
Sturgis Journal, January 26, 1973
Contributed by: Shelli Steedman