Obituaries
Please submit in writing to our office by 10 a.m. Thursday before the week of publication; be sure to state date of death. Obituaries of archdiocesan priests serving our archdiocese are listed elsewhere in The Criterion. Order priests and religious sisters and brothers are included here, unless they are natives of the archdiocese or have other connections to it; those are separate obituaries on this page.
Submit an obituary here (parishes and funeral homes only)
ANDERSON, Paul Edward, 51, St. Anthony of Padua, Clarksville, Jan. 28. Husband of Kelley Jo Anderson. Father of Gary Tunnell, C.J. and Sabrina Anderson.
BAKER, Catherine C., 92, St. Mary-of-the-Rock, Franklin County, Feb. 7. Mother of Elizabeth Gigrich, Martha Miller and David Baker. Grandmother of 16. Great-grandmother of 24. Great-great-grandmother of two.
BEAUMONT, Thomas Ray, 65, St. Roch, Indianapolis, Jan. 29. Father of Colleen Dugan, Jeffrey and Thomas Beaumont. Brother of Charles and Gerald Beaumont. Grandfather of nine.
BOGDON, John C., 77, Holy Family, New Albany, Feb. 3. Husband of Linda Bogdon. Father of Gary, Scott and Steve Bogdon. Grandfather of four.
CHANDLER, Steven L., Sr., 59, St. Bartholomew, Columbus, Feb. 4. Husband of Harriet Susan (Deppe) Chandler. Father of Caroline Slagle, Austin, Gregory, Jeremiah, Steven Jr. and Zachary Chandler. Brother of Debbie Solmes, Rex Baker, Cynthia, Joyce, Greg and Frank Chandler. Grandfather of 11. Great-grandfather of one.
CLEVENGER, Maxine, 83, Holy Family, Richmond, Feb. 6. Mother of Vicki Jones and Christina Sheets. Sister of Helen Sauser. Grandmother of two. Step-grandmother of two. Great-grandmother of two. Step-great-grandmother of two.
DEHNER, Maribel, 73, St. Mary, Richmond, Feb. 9. Wife of John Dehner. Mother of Mary Carpenter, Jennifer Cox, John and Thomas Dehner. Sister of Carol Mattingly, Jack and Robert Wheatley. Grandmother of 11.
DEITSCH, Ted T., Sr., 72, St. Mary-of-the-Knobs, Floyds Knobs, Feb. 7. Husband of Ruth Deitsch. Father of Peggy Jenkins, Becky Lenz, Andy and Ted Deitsch Jr. Brother of Ed Deitsch. Grandfather of seven. Great-grandfather of one.
DIVINE, William G., 59, St. Pius X, Indianapolis, Feb. 3. Husband of Carol (Wethington) Divine. Father of Kathleen Divine. Brother of Eileen Divine.
DORSEY, Alfred G., 84, Christ the King, Indianapolis, Feb. 1. Father of Danny, Mike and Tim Dorsey. Grandfather of four.
DOWNS, Carolyn, 64, St. Mark the Evangelist, Indianapolis, Jan. 27. Mother of William Ellis.
GEYMAN, Flossie M., 68, Prince of Peace, Madison, Jan. 31. Wife of Bernard Geyman. Mother of Kenneth and Kevin Geyman. Half-sister of Brenda Marchant, Dennis and Doug Perkins. Grandmother of five.
GRAHAM, Diana Mary, 66, St. Bartholomew, Columbus, Feb. 1. Wife of Lee Graham. Mother of Brian Holtzlider and Paula Owen. Sister of Maxine Boas and Sandra Ritz. Grandmother of two.
KOCHER, Herman A., 88, Good Shepherd, Indianapolis, Feb. 9. Husband of Alice (Walpole) Kocher. Father of Peggy Allen, Ann Mader, Kathy Ripperger, Jean Waugh and Bob Kocher. Brother of Bernard and George Kocher. Grandfather of 14. Great-grandfather of 18.
LANNING, Linda F., 61, Holy Family, Oldenburg, Feb. 6. Wife of Jerry Lanning. Mother of Kristen Fletcher, Brittnay Strickland, Jenny Lanning, David, Stephen, Todd and Tony Milbourne. Grandmother of six.
LEGGE, George W., Jr., 63, St. Anne, New Castle, Feb. 3. Husband of Bobbie Legge. Father of Chrissy Morgan and Marianne Legge. Brother of Betty Butler, Trudy Golden, Lori Motyer and Art Legge. Grandfather of two.
McMAHON, Ruth Ann (Shea), 80, St. Jude, Indianapolis, Jan. 23. Mother of Kelle Hall, Gerard, Jeffrey, Lawrence, Patrick, Robert Jr. and Thomas McMahon. Grandmother of 16. Great-grandmother of three.
MEYER, Elizabeth J., 89, St. Pius X, Indianapolis, Feb. 3. Mother of Judith Hale and Jeffrey Meyer. Grandmother of six. Great-grandmother of three.
MILLER, Geraldine B., 78, St. Jude, Indianapolis, Feb. 8. Wife of Max Miller. Mother of Mary Bomar, Don, Edward and James Miller. Sister of Jacquelyn Berlyn. Grandmother of 12. Great-grandmother of 13.
MONAGHAN, Kathryn C. (Ryan), 95, St. Paul Hermitage, Beech Grove, Jan. 10. Mother of Karen Gallagher, Kevin, Patrick and Raymond Monaghan Jr. Grandmother of 13. Great-grandmother of eight.
MULLINS, Thad F., 94, St. Mary, Rushville, Feb. 2. Father of Carol Matern and Susan Mullins. Grandfather of four. Great-grandfather of five.
NAVARRA, Salvatore, 79, St. Mary, Greensburg, Feb. 9. Husband of Janett Navarra. Father of Debra Dinsmore, Greg and Mark Navarra. Brother of Mary Jo Dietz and Barbara Hitchcock. Grandfather of 12. Great-grandfather of 11.
O’BRIEN, Susan Katherine (Johns) Hickey, 66, St. Lawrence, Indianapolis, Jan. 26. Mother of Susan, John, Kevin and Matthew O’Brien. Stepmother of Jennifer Eccles and Amy Jackson. Sister of Nancy Eck and Ray Johns. Grandmother of nine.
OECHSLE, John Paul, 70, Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary, Indianapolis, Feb. 2. Husband of Marie Pittman-Oechsle. Father of Molly Clawson, Hope Deckard, Suzanna Quinlan, Deanna Schilling, John and Ted Oechsle. Stepfather of Maria Hughes, Christina, Danny and Paul Pittman. Grandfather of 23.
QUINN, Loretta B., St. Augustine, Jeffersonville, Jan. 20. Mother of Thomas Quinn. Grandmother of four. Great-grandmother of seven.
RONEY, Gertrude C., 81, St. Lawrence, Indianapolis, Jan. 12. Mother of Patricia DeVilegher, Dory Speckman, Terri, Cathy and Bernie Roney. Grandmother of five. Great-grandmother of five.
SCHUBNELL, Edward Thomas, Sr., 86, Sacred Heart of Jesus, Jeffersonville, Jan. 29. Father of Patricia Bright, Kellie Wilson, Susan, Denis and Ed Schubnell Jr. Grandfather of five.
SHAW, Robert F., 90,
St. Mary, Greensburg,
Feb. 7. Father of Patti Huser, Susan Peters, Sandra, Bill, Dave and Michael Shaw. Grandfather of eight. Great-grandfather of two.
STICKAN, Cecelia Bernadette (Mellen), 85, SS. Frances and Clare, Greenwood, Jan. 20. Mother of Mary Colston, Clare Fitzpatrick, Dr. Carol Stoops, Dr. Celeste Swift, Carla Villalta and Christian Stickan. Grandmother of 13. Great-grandmother of one.
STINER, Earl Francis, 75, Most Precious Blood, New Middletown, Dec. 31. Father of Mary Neal, David and William Stiner. Brother of Mary Waynescott, George, John and Merlin Stiner. Grandfather of two. Great-grandfather of three.
TALHELM, Eldon, 77, St. Roch, Indianapolis, Feb. 1. Husband of Sylvia Talhelm. Father of Mary, Teri, Jim and Joe Talhelm.
TUNNY, Geneva, 95, St. Maurice, Napoleon, Jan. 12. Mother of Betty Jett, Amelia Newhart, Dale, Hubert, James, Joseph and Paul Tunny. Sister of Eleanor Stefanic, Clara Wagner, Arthur and Irvin Hardebeck. Grandmother of 32. Great-grandmother of 79. Great-great-grandmother of 19.
UPTON, Lenore S., 98, Holy Cross, Indianapolis, Jan. 22.
VERMILLION, Ronald C., 66, St. Augustine, Jeffersonville, Feb. 5. Husband of Janis Vermillion. Father of Jon and Ronald Vermillion. Brother of Janice Deetch, Joyce Goins, Wanda Schuckmann and Shelby Vermillion. Grandfather of two.
WAISNER, Linda (Snelling), 66, Sacred Heart of Jesus,
Jeffersonville, Jan. 21.
Mother of Laura Prostler,
Joseph and Perry Snelling,
and Russell Waisner.
Sister of Paulette Hunley,
Donna Jones and Perry Weaver. Grandmother of six. Great-grandmother of two.
WEINZAPFEL, Thelma, 74,
St. Christopher, Indianapolis, Jan. 30. Wife of Tom Weinzapfel. Mother of Tracy Brown, Christine Hoovler and Rhonda Weinzapfel. Grandmother of three.
WELTER, Ralph W., 55, St. Gabriel the Archangel, Indianapolis, Jan. 26. Father of Carrie Loyal. Son of Lorraine Welter. Brother of Susan Murray and Mary Roth. Grandfather of four.
WIEGAND, Lavena V., 81, St. Christopher, Indianapolis, Jan. 28. Mother of Linda Gregg and Irene Snyder. Sister of Stella Watson. Grandmother of two.
ZAINEY, Joseph E., 87, Christ the King, Indianapolis,
Feb. 4. Husband of Kathryn Zainey. Father of Jamie Hyatt, Kathy Mathews, Fred, George, Joseph II, Kevin, Mark, Matthew and Sheldon Zainey. Grandfather of 15. Great-grandfather of three.
Providence Sister Gertrude Bauer was a principal
Providence Sister Gertrude Marian Bauer died on Jan. 24 at Mother Theodore Hall at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods. She was 96.
The Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated on Jan. 28 at the Church of the Immaculate Conception at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods. Burial followed at the sisters’ cemetery at the motherhouse.
The former Marie Cecilia Bauer was born on Sept. 3, 1912, in Indianapolis.
She entered the congregation of the Sisters of Providence on Sept. 7, 1927, and professed first vows on Aug. 15, 1930, and final vows on Aug. 15, 1935.
Sister Gertrude Marian earned a bachelor’s degree in education at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College and a master’s degree at Xavier University in Cincinnati, Ohio.
During 81 years as a Sister of Providence, she ministered as a teacher and principal at Catholic schools in Indiana, Illinois and Massachusetts for 52 years. For 23 years, she served as a principal.
In the archdiocese, Sister Gertrude Marian taught at the former St. Rita School in Indianapolis from 1937-39 and served as principal at Holy Cross School in Indianapolis from 1951-55.
She served as administrator of Providence Hall at the motherhouse from 1982-86 then ministered at St. Michael Parish in Greenfield from 1986-87.
Sister Gertrude Marian also assisted with health care. In 1994, she began her full-time prayer ministry with the senior sisters at the motherhouse.
Surviving are a brother, James Bauer of Roslindale, Mass., and several nieces and nephews.
Memorial gifts may be sent to the Sisters of Providence, Saint Mary-of-the-Woods, 1 Sisters of Providence Road, St. Mary-of-the-Woods, IN 47876.
Conventual Franciscan Father Basil Heiser was former minister general of the international order
Conventual Franciscan Father Basil Heiser, a native of Terre Haute, died on Jan. 12 in Rome. He was 100.
Father Basil was a former minister general of the worldwide Conventual Franciscan Order based in Rome. On June 4, 1960, he was elected as the 114th successor of St. Francis of Assisi.
The Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated at Sancti Apostoli in Rome. Burial followed at the Order of Friars Minor Conventual Cemetery in Rome.
Herman Heiser was born on Jan. 4, 1909, in Terre Haute. He was baptized at St. Benedict Church in Terre Haute.
Eight days before his death, Father Basil celebrated his 100th birthday on Jan. 4 in Rome, where he had lived for 49 years.
He entered the Conventual Franciscan order on July 12, 1925, and professed his solemn vows on Feb. 11, 1930, in Rome.
He studied at St. Anthony Seminary in Rensselaer, N.Y., then completed his theological studies at the Pontifical Faculty of St. Bonaventure in Rome, where he received his license on July 1, 1932.
He was ordained to the priesthood on Jan. 24, 1932.
Father Basil was involved in the formation of Franciscan friars as a professor and rector of seminaries in Carey, Ohio, and Chaska, Minn.
In 1954, he was elected minister provincial of the Province of Our Lady of Consolation. He was reconfirmed in that office in 1957.
At the conclusion of his second leadership term with the province, Father Basil was elected by the General Chapter to head the international Conventual Franciscan Order.
On Nov. 21, 1972, Pope Paul VI named him undersecretary for the Congregation for Religious and Secular Institutes. He held that ministry title for 12 years until Dec. 19, 1984.
Memorial gifts may be sent to the Conventual Franciscan Friars, 101 St. Anthony Drive, Mount St. Francis, IN 47146. †