Obituaries

Notice on the resumption of the printing of obituaries in The Criterion newspaper
 

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)

ARMSTRONG, Kenneth E., 94, Holy Spirit, Indianapolis, March 9. Father of Katherine Childers, Mary, Jerry, Kenneth and Dr. Richard Armstrong. Grandfather of four. Great-grandfather of two.

BADGETT, Marilyn, 89, St. Mary, North Vernon, March 7. Mother of Mary Jo, Patricia and Paul Badgett. Grandmother of two. Great-grandmother of three.

BARBER, Mary P., 88, Prince of Peace, Madison, March 2. Mother of Patti Miller, Maude O’Neill, Bill and Tom Barber. Sister of Rita Boone, Libby Cline and Col. Arthur Kelly. Grandmother of 11. Great-grandmother of 16.

BEAN, Laura Jean, 53, St. Elizabeth of Hungary, Cambridge City, March 7. Wife of John Bean. Mother of Ashley Harmeyer, Mat, Nick and Seth Bean. Daughter of Walter and Judy Nobbe. Sister of Teresa Glover, Amy Russell, Alan and Luke Nobbe. Grandmother of three.

BIRD, Paul E., 84, Prince of Peace, Madison, March 5. Father of Julie and Travis Bird. Brother of Carol Hill and Jack Bird. Grandfather of two.

BOONE, James R., 66, St. Augustine, Jeffersonville, March 11. Husband of Laura Boone. Father of Emily Kelly, Leah Nett, Matt Boone and Brian Scroggins. Brother of Donna Francis, Patty Gardtner, Richard and Tommy Boone. Grandfather of nine.

BOUCHER, John. A., 88, Holy Spirit, Indianapolis, March 9. Father of Mary Jones, Charles and John Boucher. Grandfather of five. Great-grandfather of two.

BRIGHTWELL, Evon (Nalley), 92, Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, Jeffersonville, Feb. 15. Mother of Albert, Jr., Bruce and Joseph Brightwell. Sister of Linda Kunze and Harold Nalley. Grandmother of eight. Great-grandmother of five.

CHRISTIANI, Mary L. (Gierada), 82, Most Sorrowful Mother of God, Vevay, March 16. Wife of Anthony Christiani. Mother of Jennifer Dadabbo, Felicia Lynam, David, Matthew and Phillip Christiani. Grandmother of seven. Great-grandmother of seven.

DEVORE, Joe, 80, Prince of Peace, Madison, Feb. 27. Husband of Jean DeVore. Father of Allen, Devin and Joe DeVore. Brother of Pat Daily. Grandfather of three.

EISFELDER, Delores, 82, St. Joseph, Crawford County, January 20. Wife of Carl Eisfelder. Mother of Brian, David and Jeff Eisfelder. Sister of Carl and Don Hubler. Grandmother of five. Great-grandmother of four.

FARRELL, Rosemary D. (Cahill), 93, St. Augustine, Jeffersonville, Feb. 6. Mother of Dawn Niemann, Tracey and Charles Farrell. Grandmother of three. Great-grandmother of three.

FOY, Betty Lou, 82, Holy Spirit, Indianapolis, March 14. Mother of Cathleen Alva, Cynthia Miller, Crystal Terrell, Carol and David Foy. Grandmother of four. Great-grandmother of nine.

FULLENKAMP, Jane C., 80, Holy Family, Oldenburg, March 20. Mother of Tami Lamping, Trisha Shively, Doug and Greg Fullenkamp. Grandmother of eight. Great-grandmother of 11.

GIBSON, James, 79, St. Therese of the Infant Jesus (Little Flower), Indianapolis, Feb. 23. Father of Christopher, Peter and Timothy Gibson. Stepfather of Patricia Woods, Patrick and Phillipe Steele. Brother of Alan, Clyde and Smith Gibson. Grandfather of seven.

GROTE, Rita C. (Holtel), 96, Holy Spirit, Indianapolis, March 20. Mother of Janet Embler, Barbara Kemp, Kathryn Lawrence, Rachael Reddick, David, Dennis and Mark Grote. Sister of Rose Weigel, Katie and Charles Holtel. Grandmother of 39, Great-grandmother of 76. Great-great-grandmother of 12.

HAILEY, Yvonne F., 91, St. Augustinue, Jeffersonville, Jan. 22. Mother of Lisa Kobe, Lynn and Tim Hailey. Grandmother of two.

HOFF, Patricia L., 87, Christ the King, Indianapolis, Feb. 18. Wife of Richard Hoff. Mother of Michael Hoff. Grandmother of three. Great-grandmother of one.

HUFF, Donald L., 77, Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, Jeffersonville, March 5. Husband of Susan Wheatley-Huff. Father of Jennifer Beavin, Sandra Block, Aren Clapp, Craig Wheatley, Jason, James, Michael, Paul and William Huff. Brother of Janice Reid. Grandfather of 20. Great-grandfather of eight.

HUSAYAN, Aprilyn Mernado, 26, Prince of Peace, Madison, March 5. Mother of Alessandra Bonifacio. Daughter of Segunda and Francisca Mernado Husayan. Sister of Amy Huff, Janice, Juliet, Arthur and Frandy Husayan.

JONES, Ann, 73, St. Roch, Indianapolis, Feb. 29. Mother of Robbin Houston and Robert Jones, Jr. Grandmother of six. Great-grandmother of five.

JACOBS, Margaret M., 90, Holy Spirit, Indianapolis, March 5. Mother of Jacki Hall, Janis Powell and Jim Jacobs III. Grandmother of two. Great-grandmother of two.

KLUEH, Karen A., 54, St. John Paul II, Sellersburg, March 15. Daughter of David A. Klueh.

LAKER, Ruth J., 75, St. Mary, Rushville, March 16. Wife of Wilbur Laker. Mother of Doug, Joe and Mark Laker. Sister of Pam Brenneman, Nancy Woosley and Philip Mason. Grandmother of 12. Great-grandmother of seven.

LECHER, Luella J., 83, St. Mary, Greensburg, Feb. 28.

Wife of Edward Lecher. Mother of Brenda Emsweller and Julie Keillor. Sister of Elvera Wissel and Vernon Harping. Grandmother of three. Great-grandmother of six.

MARTIN, Samuel J., 86, Our Lady of the Greenwood, Greenwood, March 20. Father of Julie Hamilton, Lisa Kosanke, Ann Martin-Myers and Kathy McMurray. Grandfather of five. Great-grandfather of four.

MCADAMS, Roger L., 81, St. Lawrence, Lawrenceburg, March 19. Husband of Doris McAdams. Father of Traci Corns, Teri Sherman and Troy McAdams. Grandfather of five. Great-grandfather of two.

MCSWAIN, Don M., 90, St. Therese of the Infant Jesus (Little Flower), Indianapolis, March 4. Father of Tracy, Don, Doug and Jeff McSwain. Brother of Glenn Blocher and Ray Quinn. Grandfather of five. Great-grandfather of four.

MILLER, Eunice F., 84, St. Louis, Batesville, March 20. Mother of Charlene Faust, Cathy Hoog, Bonnie Krekeler, Connie Miller, Cindy Moody, Joseph Jr. and Scott Miller. Sister of Dolores Bosse, Thomas and William Metz. Grandmother of 19. Great-grandmother of 26.

MILLER, Lidwina (Schaeffer), 98, St. Boniface, Fulda, March 16. Mother of Jacquelyn Philipps and Raymond Miller. Sister of Dorothy Foertsch. Grandmother of eight. Great-grandmother of 19. Great-great-grandmother of nine.

MONTAGUE, Viola, 100, Holy Family, New Albany, March 19. Sister of Evelyn Bostock and Ralph Lilly.

NEUMAN, Delores M., 91, St. Gabriel, Connersville, Nov. 30. Mother of Mary Fain, Diane Pflum, Pat Wise, David, Lew, Jim, John and Tom Neuman. Sister of Alberta Neuman. Grandmother of 20. Great-grandmother of 39.

ORTMAN, Joseph P., 81, St. Michael, Brookville, March 1. Brother of Rita Apsley, Mary Ann Deffner, Eileen Hyde, Jennifer Stivers and Edward Ortman. Uncle of several.

RICHMER, Shirley K., 66, St. Mary, Lanesville, March 12. Mother of Betty Atcher, Marilyn Courier, Jeaneva Sumner, Bobby, Danny, George and Pat Spalding. Grandmother of four. Great-grandmother of one.

ROTH, Donald W., 78, St. Agnes, Nashville, Feb. 20. Husband of Sharon Roth. Father of Sarah Jabbari, Amanda and Brian Roth. Brother of Kevin Roth. Grandfather of two.

SAMPLES, Dale A., 63, St. John Paul II, Sellersburg. March 4. Brother of Alan, Perry and Robin Samples. Uncle of several.

SCHAEDEL, Mildred, 86, St. Peter, Franklin County, Feb. 21. Sister of Mary Fry.

SENN, Bertha Lee, 96, St. Mary, Navilleton, March 8. Mother of Rosemary Barmore, Bertha Russel, Bernard, Francis, James and Thomas Senn. Sister of Don, Richard and Herman Seadler. Grandmother of 20. Great-grandmother of 33.

SHELTON, John, 70, Prince of Peace, Madison, March 4. Father of Liz Geisler. Son of Jean Shelton. Brother of Mary Ann Jacobs. Grandfather of two.

SIDELL, Charles A., 91, St. Louis, Batesville, March 17. Father of Peggy Lecher, Joseph, Larry and Randy Sidell. Brother of Joy Youngman. Grandfather of nine. Great-grandfather of six.

STOLL, Donald L., 88, St. Lawrence, Lawrenceburg, March 9. Husband of Marjorie Stoll. Father of Angela Brookbank, Michelle Bowell, Mary Beth Pratt, Donna Marple, Anthony and Christopher Stoll. Grandfather of 23. Great-grandfather of several.

STONER, Charles L., 72, St. Mark the Evangelist, Indianapolis, March 14. Husband of Toni Stoner. Father of Leslie Dakin, Brent Sr. and Matthew Stoner. Grandfather of four.

TERES, Yolanda (Cuatlacualt), 43, St. Lawrence, Indianapolis, Jan. 9. Wife of Pedro Teres. Mother of Jess Sampson, Anai, Bryan, Eseban and Yovani Teres.

THORNBURG, George, 67, St. Roch, Indianapolis, Feb. 21. Husband of Susan Schoettle Thornburg. Father of Derrick Thornburg. Brother of JoAnne Drake, Rita Kolb. Delbert, Jerry, Jim, John and Ronald Thornburg.

Vogelgesang, Ronald, 80, St. Elizabeth of Hungary, Cambridge City., March 9.

Husband of Mary Ann Vogelgesang. Father of Rachai Ewing, Robin Hokey, Rhonda King, Renee Schambers, Mary Ann and Randy Vogelgesang. Brother of Bonnie Barrett, Carol Moak, Janice Ninde and Danny Vogelgesang. Grandfather of eight. Great-grandfather of nine.

WEHLAGE, Beatrice, 100, St. Luke the Evangelist, Indianapolis, March 6. Mother of Sandra Jo Heideman and David Whelage. Grandmother of nine. Great-grandmother of 11. Great-great-grandmother of four.

YOUNGMAN, Malcolm E., 83, St. Louis, Batesville, March 15. Husband of Virginia Youngman. Father of Jacob and Johnathan Youngman. Brother of seven. Grandfather of four.

Providence Sister Mary Rita Griffin served in education and charitable ministries

Providence Sister Mary Rita Griffin (formerly Sister Mary Paula) died on March 6 at Mother Theodore Hall at the motherhouse of the Sisters of Providence of Saint Mary-of-the-Woods in St. Mary-of-the-Woods. She was 83.

The Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated on March 24 at the Church of the Immaculate Conception at the motherhouse. Burial followed at the sisters’ cemetery.

Sister Mary Rita was born on Nov. 20, 1936, in Washington, D.C. She entered the Sisters of Providence of Saint Mary-of-the-Woods on

July 22, 1954, and professed final vows on Jan. 23, 1962.

Sister Mary Rita earned a bachelor’s degree at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College and a master’s degree at Virginia State University in Petersburg, Va.

During her 65 years as a member of the Sisters of Providence, Sister Mary Rita ministered as an educator for 28 years in schools in Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, North Carolina, Taiwan and Washington, D.C. She also served as a provincial councilor for four years in Massachusetts. She later served among the poor in Washington, D.C.

In the archdiocese, Sister Mary Rita served at Our Lady of the Greenwood School in Greenwood from 1957-58. Returning to Saint Mary-of-the-Woods in 2005, Sister Mary Rita assisted in the former Woods Day Care/Pre-School from 2005-14 and as coordinator of the Shrine of Our Lady of Providence and of the motherhouse’s Blessed Sacrament Chapel from 2014-19. She also visited inmates at the Vigo County Jail and at the federal penitentiary in Terre Haute.

She is survived by a brother, Jack Griffin of Potomac, Md.

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. †