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)

BILLERMAN, Joseph T., 62, St. Jude, Indianapolis, Dec. 2. Husband of Terrie Billerman. Father of Stephanie Ratvay and Thomas Billerman. Brother of Jennie Barger, Francis Dotson, Bernadette Mooney, James, Mike and William Billerman. Grandfather of four.

BRANTNER, Janice, 82, St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, Richmond, Dec. 12. Mother of Laura Brantner-Cordova, Vicki Huffman, Jeffrey and Steve Minner, Amy and SuzAnne Brantner. Grandmother of six.

BROWN, Joseph L., 88, St. Patrick, Salem, Dec. 7. Father of Debra Kaelin, Christa Smallwood, Cindy Wyatt, Clinton, Danny, Joey, Johnny, Ted and Tim Brown. Brother of Ann Bryan, Lucy Carroll, Evelyn Vittitow, Shirley and Jimmy Brown. Grandfather of nine. Great-grandfather of six.

BROWN, LeRoy A., 69, St. Bartholomew, Columbus, Dec. 7. Husband of Rhonda Brown. Father of Alonza Chino and Vince Brown. Brother of Shirley Doty, Delilah Leffler, Yvonne Leonard, Gloria Quicksell, Nellie Sullivan, Karen, Roger and Timothy Brown. Grandfather of four.

BRUEGGE, Ethel M., 92, St. Charles Borromeo, Milan, Dec. 11. Mother of Maria Perry, Marilyn Yoe and Martin Bruegge. Sister of Franciscan Sister Edna Martini and Marcella Preston. Grandmother of seven. Great-grandmother of 10.

CALLAHAN, Joan D., 86, Christ the King, Indianapolis, Dec. 11. Wife of Greg Callahan. Mother of Susan Meredith, Carole Neal, Keith, Kevin, Mark and Tim Callahan. Sister of Don Kemp. Grandmother of six. Great-grandmother of two.

CAMP, Cheryl S., 71, St. Roch, Indianapolis, Dec. 21. Wife of W. David Camp. Mother of Deborah Eder and Elizabeth Glenn. Sister of John Quinn. Grandmother of five. Great-grandmother of one.

COLEMAN, Matthew D., 17, St. Malachy, Brownsburg, Dec. 12. Son of Kevin and Kathy Coleman. Brother of Emma and Patrick Coleman. Grandson of Jack Coleman, Rita Coleman-Alsop and Chris Savage. Great-grandson of Shirley Savage.

CORDERO, Augustine, 91, All Saints, Dearborn County, Dec. 9. Father of Mandy Biaz, Doris Boyd, Vivian Medlin, Joseph Cordero, Larry and Marty Zinser. Brother of Frank Cordero.

CRAYS, Wanda N., 88, St. Therese of the Infant Jesus (Little Flower), Indianapolis, Dec. 17. Mother of Barbara Butcher, James, Jeffrey, Kenneth, Michael and Stephen Crays. Grandmother of nine. Great-grandmother of 13. Great-great-grandmother of one.

DECLUE, Mackenzie J., 33, St. Bartholomew, Columbus, Dec. 9. Son of Kim and Elaine DeClue. Brother of Kelly Glick, Alison Vollmer and Isaac DeClue. Grandson of Elizabeth Pinsonneault and Martha DeClue. Uncle of several.

GESWEIN, Angela, 89, St. Mary, Lanesville, Dec. 6. Mother of Cynthia Hobbs, Barry, Richard and Stephen Geswein. Sister of Gail Dixon and Frances Ernstberger. Grandmother of seven. Great‑grandmother of 10.

HARNETT, Irene, 94, St. Joseph, Shelbyville, Dec. 16. Mother of John and Patrick Harnett. Grandmother of five.

HILL, Catherine L. (Thompkins), 88, SS. Peter and Paul Cathedral, Indianapolis, Dec. 13. Wife of William Hill. Mother of Paula Bynm, Elaine Johnson, Adelle Stokes, Brian, Darrell, David, Eric, Larry and Randall Hill. Grandmother of 19. Great-grandmother of 14.

KUNKEL, James A. 84, All Saints, Dearborn County, Dec. 11. Husband of Marilyn Kunkel. Father of Jenny Steinmetz and Kenny Kunkel. Brother of Irvin Kunkel. Grandfather of five.

MAYER, Matthew R., 28, St. Jude, Indianapolis, Dec. 14. Son of Rick and Cathy Mayer. Brother of Jeremy and Ryan Tunny and Bryan Mayer. Grandson of Elizabeth Menish and Richard Mayer.

MCGUIRE, Joseph, 99, Holy Spirit, Indianapolis, Dec. 10. Father of Jeanne Marie, Charles, David, John, Patrick, Robert and William McGuire. Grandfather of 12. Great-grandfather of three.

MEGRAW, Melva (Light), 90, St. Anthony of Padua, Clarksville, Dec. 13. Mother of Karen Elzy, Keith and Mark Megraw. Grandmother of eight. Great-grandmother of 12.

METZ, Evelyn, 94, St. Mary, Greensburg, Dec. 16. Mother of Cheryl, Darrell and Gary Metz. Sister of Mary Jane Jansing, Marjorie Rauch, Shirley Robbins, Eugene and Vernon Galle. Grandmother of five. Great-grandmother of five.

MOLLOY, John. F., Jr., 88, St. Luke the Evangelist, Indianapolis, Dec. 21. Husband of Rosalie Cremer-Molloy. Father of Sara Bower, Patty Gill, John and Michael Molloy. Grandfather of 14.

MOON, Marcella, 102, St. Lawrence, Lawrenceburg, Dec. 8. Mother of Debra Marsh, James and Robert Moon. Grandmother of eight. Great‑grandmother of 11.

PETERSON, Burton, 87, St. Joseph, Rockville, Nov. 30. Husband of Elaine Peterson. Father of Kathy Peterson Knapke, Susan Peterson Mitsch, Dwane, John and Mark Peterson. Grandfather of 20. Great-grandfather of 16.

PORCELLI, William, 94, St. Jude, Indianapolis, Dec. 5. Father of Debbie Michalak, Cathy Porcelli Gekas, Jage and Tim Porcelli. Grandfather of eight. Great-grandfather of six.

RICHMER, Helen, 86, St. Mary, Lanesville, Nov. 24. Wife of Wilbur Richmer. Mother of Cheryl Bube Walther, Angela Galvez, Nancy Spainhour, Janice, David, Donald, John, Michael and Patrick Richmer. Sister of Elsie, James and Paul Mason. Grandmother of 11. Great‑grandmother of five.

SCOTT, Betty J., 96, St. Jude, Indianapolis, Nov. 28. Mother of Diana Counceller and Mark Scott. Grandmother of four. Great-grandmother of seven.

STALLINGS, Daniel R., 60, St. Mary-of-the-Knobs, Floyd County, Dec. 16. Husband of Holley Stallings. Father of Lindsey Schiemann, Kirsten and Joshua Stallings. Brother of Emily Croshere, Julie McClellan, Ben Briggeman, Kate and Ben Stallings. Grandfather of three.

TANDYK, Eileen M., 86, Nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, Indianapolis, Dec. 16. Mother of Janice Glassford, Mary Tandyk-Layly and Carol Tandyk. Sister of Dorothy Evans. Grandmother of three. Great-grandmother of four.

TIEKEN, Francis B., 87, Good Shepherd, Indianapolis, Dec. 15. Father of Daniel, James and Steven Tieken. Grandfather of six. Great‑grandfather of 10.

WUESTEFELD, Rita, 90, All Saints, Dearborn County, Dec. 16. Mother of Sharon Chaney, Diane Kaehler, David, Dennis, Roger and Ron Wuestefeld. Grandmother of 13. Great-grandmother of 15.

ZIPP, Jane (Eberhardt), 99, Our Lady of Perpetual Help, New Albany, Dec. 20. Mother of Carol Goins, Janet Leach, Don, Fred, Rick and Tom Zipp. Grandmother of 16. Great‑grandmother of 15.

Benedictine Father Benedict Meyer ministered in South America, served religious communities

Benedictine Father Benedict Meyer, a monk of Saint Meinrad Archabbey in St. Meinrad, died on Dec. 14, 2018, at the monastery. He was 91.

The Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated on Dec. 17. Burial followed at the Archabbey Cemetery.

Father Benedict was a jubilarian of monastic profession, having celebrated 69 years of monastic profession. He was also a jubilarian of ordination, having celebrated 64 years of life and ministry as a priest

Charles Anthony Meyer was born on Sept. 24, 1927, in Cedar Grove, Ind., and grew up as a member of the former Holy Guardian Angels Parish.

Father Benedict entered Saint Meinrad’s former Minor Seminary in 1942, from which he graduated in 1948. He was invested as a novice at Saint Meinrad Archabbey on July 31, 1948.

He professed temporary vows on Aug. 1, 1949, and solemn vows on Sept. 8, 1952. He was ordained a priest on May 3, 1954.

Father Benedict earned a licentiate in sacred theology and a master’s degree in classics at The Catholic University of America in Washington. He then taught Latin and Greek in the minor seminary at Saint Meinrad from 1955-62.

In 1962, he was one of the first monks of Saint Meinrad Archabbey to travel to Huaraz, Peru, to establish a priory there. He served there as rector of St. Francis de Sales Seminary and later ministered in Brazil.

In 1978, Father Benedict returned to the U.S. to begin 26 years of ministry to religious communities and parishes in Arkansas. He served as chaplain to the Benedictine sisters at Holy Angels Convent in Jonesboro, Ark., for four years, a visiting professor for seven years at Monastery of Our Lady of Refuge of Charity in Hot Springs, Ark., and the pastor/administrator of St. John the Baptist Parish in Brinkley, Ark., for 15 years.

Father Benedict returned to Saint Meinrad Archabbey in 2004 and served as a commuting chaplain and confessor at Monastery Immaculate Conception in Ferdinand, Ind., until 2009 when he retired from full-time pastoral ministry.

Memorial gifts may be sent to Saint Meinrad Archabbey, 200 Hill Drive, St. Meinrad, IN 47577. †