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)
BASSO, Adeline Pearl, 83, St. Gabriel the Archangel, Indianapolis, Jan. 12. Mother of Jack and Robert Basso.
BITTNER, Margaret E., 85, St. Barnabas, Indianapolis, Dec. 20. Sister of Wilma Shea.
BOEHLE, Phyllis I., 76, Most Holy Name of Jesus, Beech Grove, Jan. 30. Mother of Julie McCall, Patty Russell, Sheryl Teague, Gary, Steve, Tom and Tony Boehle. Sister of Susan Brooks, Betty Cooper, Dennis and Larry Davidson. Grandmother of 16. Great-grandmother of seven.
BROWN, Eva E. (Bennett), 89, St. Joseph, Corydon, Jan. 18. Mother of Michael and Patrick Brown. Sister of Anna Marie Hodge and William Bennett. Grandmother of four. Great-grandmother of seven.
BROZENICK, Marie D., 81, St. Mary, New Albany, Jan. 27. Wife of Nicholas Brozenick. Mother of Lynn Crytzer, Christopher and David Brozenick. Grandmother of four.
DANN, Donald, 90, St. Mary, Richmond, Jan. 29. Husband of Mary Ann Dann. Father of Teresa Craig, Lisa Staley and Kellie Dann. Grandfather of five. Great-grandfather of three.
DENNISON, Valerie, 46, Our Lady of Perpetual Help, New Albany, Jan. 18. Mother of Brea Blake, Andrew, Bradley and Jordon Dennison. Daughter of Nadene Williamson. Sister of Sharon Hussein, Tara Williamson, Glenda, Jacqueline and Mark Scott. Grandmother of three.
EASLEY, Joan (Crawford), 79, St. Mary, Indianapolis, Feb. 5. Mother of Jacqueline Graham and Mark Easley. Sister of Dr. Charles and John Crawford. Grandmother of six.
ENGEL, Michael Roy, infant, Nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, Indianapolis, Jan. 21. Son of William and Jessica (Keller) Engel. Brother of Becca and Hailey Engel. Grandson of Roy and Carol Keller, and Michael and Lynn Engel.
FREIBERGER, Mary C. (Blessinger), 93, Holy Family, New Albany, Jan. 31. Mother of Linda Freiberger. Aunt of several.
GOEBES, Helen M., 95, Sacred Heart of Jesus, Indianapolis, Jan. 16. Mother of Joni Adams, Carole, Mary Helen, Alan, Bill, John and Robert Goebes. Sister of Don Nelis. Grandmother of 13. Great-grandmother of nine.
HASKIN, Marjorie W., 89, former member of Christ the King, Indianapolis, July 4, 2010. Mother of Helen Kunz, John and Robert Haskin. Grandmother of seven. Great-grandmother of two.
HOFFMIRE, Ruth H., 89, St. Ambrose, Seymour, Jan. 2. Wife of John Hoffmire. Mother of Theresa Anderson, Helen Faulk, Linda Jackson, James, Michael and William Hoffmire. Grandmother of 13. Great-grandmother of several. Great-great-grandmother of several.
HOLLIS, Frances Elizabeth (White), 83, Our Lady of Perpetual Help, New Albany, Jan. 30. Mother of Barbara, Dr. Brenda, Dr. James and Dr. Kevin Hollis. Sister of Brenda Oakes. Grandmother of eight. Great-grandmother of six.
HOWARD, Mary Anne (Johnston), 89, Immaculate Heart of Mary, Indianapolis, Dec. 21. Mother of Nancy Benefiel, Barbara Hasbrook, Cathy Shannon, Carolyn Weiner, Jerry and William Howard. Grandmother of 20. Great-grandmother of nine.
KINSEY, Charlie T., 79, Sacred Heart of Jesus, Indianapolis, Jan. 29. Husband of Stella Kinsey. Father of Lisa Kinsey.
LAWSON, Flora Lee (Dillman), 68, Most Holy Name of Jesus, Beech Grove, Jan. 10. Wife of Donald Lawson. Mother of Shelle McMillan and Marti Ramsdell. Sister of three. Granddaughter of Mayme Bryant. Grandmother of seven. Great-grandmother of seven.
LOMBARDO, Phillip M., 86, St. Christopher, Indianapolis, Jan. 27. Father of Phillip and Terrell Lombardo. Brother of Josephine Persinger, A. Joe and Paul Lombardo. Grandfather of five. Great-grandfather of seven.
MERRELL, Dorothy, 85, St. Vincent de Paul, Bedford, Feb. 4. Mother of Virginia Harrington, Karla Hubbard, Katherine Lewis, Margaret, Brian and Philip Merrell. Grandmother of 10. Great-grandmother of two.
MURRAY, Charles J., II, 88, Holy Spirit, Indianapolis, Feb. 3. Father of Jane Sarver, Kathleen, Charles III and Patrick Murray. Grandfather of eight. Great-grandfather of four.
SCHEURER, Patricia J., 90, St. Pius X, Indianapolis, Jan. 25. Mother of Susan Carrico, Patricia Vanlanot, Elizabeth, Michael and William Scheurer Jr. Grandmother of eight. Great-grandmother of four.
SCHNEIDER, Mary Elsie, 90, St. Mary, Lanesville, Jan. 17. Mother of Dorothy Alt, Barbara Henckel, Mary Rickert, Dennis, Gilbert, James, Jerome, Joseph, Raymond and Wayne Schneider.
SEATS, Ronald G., 49, Holy Spirit, Indianapolis, Feb. 2. Father of Nicholas French-Seats. Son of Nick and Patricia Seats. Brother of Kim Sherrill and Richard Seats.
SONDERMANN, Mary Marlene, 77, St. Pius X, Indianapolis, Jan. 21. Mother of Donald, John and William Sondermann. Grandmother of seven.
STEGEN, Earl, 82, St. Mary, Richmond, Jan. 21. Husband of Peggy Stegen. Father of Sally Ernstberger, Susan Gillard and Sharon Leach. Brother of Herman Stegen. Grandfather of several. Step-grandfather of several. Great-grandfather of several.
TEIVES, Rose L. (Bailey), 89, Our Lady of Perpetual Help, New Albany, Jan. 8. Mother of Daniel, Patrick and Timothy Teives. Sister of Louis Bailey. Grandmother of nine. Great-grandmother of one.
THEOFANIS, George C., 79, St. Christopher, Indianapolis, Jan. 30. Husband of Colleen Theofanis. Father of Stephanie Beatty and Tony Theofanis. Grandfather of five.
TUNNY, Kathleen Eva, 62, St. Malachy, Brownsburg, Jan. 24. Mother of Terri Ann Daiker, Mary Ruth Peria, Stephanie Treto and Karen Tucker. Sister of Karen Dramann, Ernest, Mark and Thomas Tunny. Grandmother of nine.
WEBERDING, Robert J., 85, St. Louis, Batesville, Feb. 6. Husband of Stella Weberding. Father of Jane Keeth, Kathryn Moore, Deborah Mauzy, Anthony, Dennis, Donald, Gary and Kenneth Weberding. Brother of Ruth Hoff, Mary Luhring and Charles Weberding. Grandfather of 11. Great-grandfather of 11.
WERNKE, Mary Jane, 87, St. Louis, Batesville, Feb. 1. Mother of Theresa Wallpe, Deborah Wanstrath, Mary, Alfred Jr. and Robert Wernke. Grandmother of 11. Great-grandmother of seven.
WICKENS, Anthony M., 69, St. Louis, Batesville, Jan. 30. Husband of Judith Wickens. Father of Kevin, Michael and Stephen Wickens. Brother of Theresa Atwood, Bernadette Louden, Margaret Reynolds and Mary Ellen Staley. Grandfather of five.
WILHELM, Leonard J., 79, Holy Guardian Angels, Cedar Grove, Jan. 25. Father of Lori Wright, Kim and Lisa Wilhelm. Brother of Dorothy Wilhelm. Grandfather of three.
WILLMAN, John R., 65, St. Mary-of-the-Knobs, Floyds Knobs, Jan. 27. Husband of Marietta Willman. Father of Alys and Rob Willman. Brother of Jane Willman. Grandfather of three.
ZELLER, William, Sr., 79, St. Bartholomew, Columbus, Jan. 29. Father of Randall, Richard, Steven, Timothy and William Zeller Jr. Grandfather of 10. Great-grandfather of four.
Holy Cross Brother Thaddeus Gottemoller taught chemistry and mathematics for 67 years
Holy Cross Brother Thaddeus Gottemoller, a native of Indianapolis, died on Dec. 31 at Dujarie House in Notre Dame, Ind. He was 99, and was the oldest Holy Cross brother in the Midwest Province.
The Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated on Jan. 4 at Our Lady of the Holy Cross Chapel at Holy Cross Village in Notre Dame. Burial followed at St. Joseph Cemetery at Holy Cross Village.
The former Karl Gottemoller was born on May 10, 1911, in Indianapolis. He graduated from Cathedral High School in Indianapolis in 1929.
He was influenced by the brothers who taught at Cathedral High School, and joined the Brothers of the Holy Cross after graduation.
He made his first profession in July 1931 and his final profession in 1934.
Brother Thaddeus earned a bachelor’s degree in science in 1935 at the University of Notre Dame.
He taught chemistry and mathematics classes for more than 50 years at Catholic high schools in Indiana, Louisiana, New York, Massachusetts, Ohio and Illinois.
In Indiana, Brother Thaddeus taught at Reitz Memorial High School in Evansville and St. Joseph High School in South Bend.
After nearly 67 years in Catholic education, he retired in 2002 to Columba Hall in Notre Dame. He moved to Schubert Villa and Dujarie House at Holy Cross Village in Notre Dame in 2005.
Memorial gifts may be sent to the Brothers of Holy Cross, Office of Development, P.O. Box 460, Notre Dame, IN 46556. †