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)
BOOK, Patricia A. (Miller), 66, St. Mary-of-the-Knobs, Floyd County, Jan. 25. Wife of David C. Book. Mother of Lisa and Brian Book. Stepmother of David W. Book.
DARCHE, Albert G., 78, Nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, Indianapolis, Jan. 28. Husband of Mari Kay Darche. Father of Stephanie Smith, Susan Stephens and Scott Darche. Brother of Lucille Burke. Grandfather of seven.
DRYER, Rosemarie, 64, Annunciation, Brazil, Jan. 6. Mother of Jennifer Bailey, Angie Freeman, Jessica Gorby, Maggie and Mark Dryer. Sister of Kathleen Dryer, Dave, Father Joseph, Michael and Steven Mader. Grandmother of three.
FURMAN, Foster C., 100, Holy Angels, Indianapolis, Jan. 7. Father of Ann Sumler. Grandfather of three. Great-grandfather of three. Great-great-grandfather of six.
GORTON, Bernardine A., 77, St. Therese of the Infant Jesus (Little Flower), Jan. 28. Wife of Lawrence W. Gorton. Mother of Susan Smith, Jane York, Jill, Lori, Billy, Jake and Joe Gorton. Sister of Jane York. Grandmother of 12. Great-grandmother of five.
LETTELLEIR, Joseph T., 86, St. Monica, Indianapolis, Nov. 24. Husband of Barbara (Meyer) Lettelleir. Father of Peggy Horstman and Sara Lettelleir. Brother of Theodore Lettelleir. Grandfather of two.
OBERLE, Ronald, 78, Holy Family, Richmond, Jan. 31. Husband of Eleanor Oberle. Father of Kathleen Bateman, Rebecca and John Oberle. Grandfather of six.
SHIKANY, Sadie, 101, St. Therese of the Infant Jesus (Little Flower), Indianapolis, Jan. 28. Mother of Sally White, Alfred and Joseph Shikany. Grandmother of 10. Great-grandmother of six.
SMILEY, Patrick W., 27, Annunciation, Brazil, Jan. 18. Son of Tony and Linda Smiley. Brother of Annie and Laura Smiley. Grandson of Patricia Roberts.
SMITH, Madonna Rose, 70, St. Barnabas, Indianapolis, Jan. 31. Wife of Tommy Smith. Mother of Lisa Smith Taylor, Jeannine and Thomas Smith. Sister of Mary Anne Murphy. Grandmother of eight.
SORCE, Arlyn K., 75, St. Louis, Batesville, Jan. 30. Wife of Joe Sorce. Mother of David, Joseph, Paul and Steven Sorce. Sister of Darla Benz, Ella Laker, Mary Mays, Daniel and Richard Fichtner. Grandmother of five.
THOMAS, Andrew H., Sr., 98, Holy Angels, Indianapolis, Dec. 19. Father of Hazel Thomas. Grandfather of eight. Great-grandfather of 23. Great-great-grandfather of 15.
Providence Sister Ann Francis Hammersley taught 45 years in Catholic schools
Providence Sister Ann Francis Hammersley died on Jan. 29 at Mother Theodore Hall at St. Mary-of-the-Woods. She was 87.
The Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated on Feb. 4 at the Church of the Immaculate Conception at the motherhouse. Burial followed at the sisters’ cemetery.
Dorothy Gertrude Hammersley was born on Jan. 25, 1927, in Malden, Mass.
She entered the Sisters of Providence of Saint Mary-of-the-Woods on July 22, 1947, and professed final vows on Jan. 23, 1955.
Sister Ann Francis earned a bachelor’s degree in education at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College in St. Mary-of-the-Woods, and a master’s degree in education at the University of New Hampshire.
During 66 years as a member of the Sisters of Providence of Saint Mary-of-the-Woods, Sister Ann Francis ministered in Catholic education for 45 years in schools in Indiana, Maryland, Massachusetts and Washington, D.C.
In the archdiocese, she ministered at the former St. James School in Indianapolis from 1955-56.
After retiring from education in 1997, Sister Ann Francis ministered at Woods Day Care/Pre-School for nine years. Beginning in 2006, she dedicated herself entirely to prayer.
She is survived by three brothers, Arnold Hammersley of Malden, Mass.; Edward Hammersley of Bradenton, Fla.; and Richard Hammersley of New Smyrna, Fla.
Memorial gifts may be sent to the Sisters of Providence, 1 Sisters of Providence Road, Saint Mary-of-the-Woods, St. Mary-of-the-Woods, IN 47876.
Franciscan Sister Constance Smith ministered for 50 years in Catholic schools
Franciscan Sister Constance Smith died on Feb. 1, 2014, at the motherhouse of the Congregation of the Sisters of the Third Order of St. Francis in Oldenburg. She was 91.
The Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated on Feb. 3 at the Motherhouse Chapel in Oldenburg. Burial followed at the sisters’ cemetery.
Loretta Smith was born on Nov. 28, 1922, in Batesville.
She entered the Sisters of St. Francis on Sept. 15, 1942, and professed final vows on Aug. 12, 1948.
During 71 years as a Sister of St. Francis, Sister Constance ministered as an educator for 50 years in Catholic schools in Indiana, Missouri and Ohio. In the archdiocese, she ministered at Father Thomas Scecina Memorial High School in Indianapolis, Oldenburg Academy of the Immaculate Conception in Oldenburg and the former St. Mary Academy in Indianapolis.
Sister Dorothy is survived by two sisters, Mary Jo Fry of Batesville and Mildred Schaedel of New Smyrna, Fla.; and a brother, Norbert Smith of Carmel, Ind.
Memorial gifts may be sent to the Sisters of St. Francis, Oldenburg, IN 47036-0100.
Franciscan Sister Mary Peter Sterwerf ministered 36 years in Catholic schools
Franciscan Sister Mary Peter Sterwerf died on Dec. 11, 2013, at the motherhouse of the Congregation of the Sisters of the Third Order of St. Francis in Oldenburg. She was 83.
The Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated on Dec. 16 at the Motherhouse Chapel in Oldenburg. Burial followed at the sisters’ cemetery.
Mary Louise Sterwerf was born on Feb. 7, 1930, in Hamilton, Ohio.
She entered the Sisters of St. Francis on Sept. 5, 1948, and professed final vows on Aug. 12, 1954.
During 65 years as a Sister of St. Francis, Sister Mary Peter ministered as an educator for 36 years in Catholic schools in Indiana, Missouri and Ohio. In the archdiocese, she ministered at the former Holy Family School in Richmond, St. Gabriel School in Connersville, St. Joseph School in Shelbyville, St. Lawrence School in Indianapolis, St. Mary School in North Vernon, and at the former St. Mary School in New Albany. She later ministered at St. Peter Parish in Chillicothe, Ohio.
Sister Mary Peter is survived by several nieces and nephews.
Memorial gifts may be sent to the Sisters of St. Francis, Oldenburg, IN 47036-0100. †