Edward “Ed” Schrader III, 83, of Niles, passed away on September 26, 2026, at Corewell Health in St. Joseph, MI. Ed was born in Niles, MI, to the late Edward Schrader Jr. and Geneva (Stueber) Schrader on February 28, 1943. He graduated from Niles High School in 1962. He served in the Army from 1966 – 1967. He married his beloved wife Catherine “Cathy” Cwidak on April 4, 1970, in South Bend, IN. Ed was a hard worker. He worked at Buchanan Steel for twenty-five years. Then he worked at Tyler Refrigeration for twenty years.

Ed loved his family very much. He enjoyed spending time with them and taking family vacations, including trips to New York, Virginia, Florida, Nevada, Texas, California, Hawaii, Canada, Mexico, and the Bahamas. Together, they created many wonderful memories. One of the greatest things in his life was learning about Jehovah God, his love for mankind, and the Bible’s promise to remove sickness, violence, wars, and death. John 5:28, Isaiah 2:4, Psalm 37:10 & 11. Ed enjoyed spending time in the ministry sharing these promises with others. He was baptized as a Jehovah’s Witness June 12, 1982, and has been part of the Niles congregation for 44 years.

Those who will cherish Ed’s memory include Cathy, his wife of 56 years; his children, Jennifer (Jim) Pittman of South Bend and Vicki Schrader of Niles; his sister, Susan Brandon of Washington, MI; his brothers-in-law, Norman Decker of Buchanan, MI, and Terry Kohler of Niles, MI; his nephew and nieces; and many friends. Ed was loved by many and will be deeply missed. Ed was preceded in death by his parents, Edward and Geneva, and his sisters, LaVina Decker and Linda Kohler.

A Memorial Service will take place at 2:30 p.m. Saturday October 10th, 2026, at the Kingdom Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses located at 603 N. 17th Street, Niles, MI 49120.  Memorial donations may be made in his memory at www.donate.jw.org.