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)
AMBURGEY, Debra (Wells), 66, All Saints, Dearborn County, Dec. 4. Mother of Samantha Peddepohl, James and Shane Amburgey. Sister of Sharon Beiersdorfer, Chuck, Cliff and Jim Wells. Grandmother of two.
BECKMAN, Anna Marie, 56, St. Pius X, Indianapolis, Nov. 27. Wife of William Beckman, Jr. Daughter of Frank and Susan DeLisle. Sister of Theresa Holland, James and Patrick DeLisle. Aunt of several.
BRODERICK, Richard T., 85, St. Luke the Evangelist, Indianapolis, Nov. 30. Husband of Cathryn Broderick. Father of Karen Green, Adam, Kevin, Michael and Tom Broderick. Brother of Ray Broderick. Grandfather of 13.
BUCHMAN, Jerome A., 77, St. Malachy, Brownsburg, Dec. 7. Husband of Cecilia Buchman. Father of Jennifer Gentry and Anthony Buchman. Brother of Joan Faust, James and John Buchman. Grandfather of two.
CLEMENTS, Reba H., 81, St. Anne, New Castle, Dec. 1. Wife of William Clements. Mother of Denise Burke, Donna York, Diana, Donald and Robert Clements. Sister of Rosie Bidwell. Grandmother of 13. Great-grandmother of 11.
COOK, Wilmont, 76, St. Michael, Greenfield,
Dec. 6. Wife of Bill Cook. Mother of Christina Davis and Andrea Smitty. Sister of Rosemarie Johnson and James Kaululaau Wright.
CROWL, Dick, 88, St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, Richmond, Dec. 3. Husband of Vera Crowl. Father of David and Gordon Crowl. Grandfather of eight. Great-grandfather of eight.
FLETCHER, Mark, 74, St. Lawrence, Lawrenceburg, Nov. 28. Father of Mary Lewis, Elizabeth Olhaut and William Fletcher. Brother of Gail Soft. Grandfather of 11.
GRAY, Jr., John B., 85, St. Luke the Evangelist, Indianapolis, Nov. 26. Husband of Carolyn Gray. Father of Cathy Bertling. Grandfather of three.
HEIDELBERGER, Richard, 91, SS. Francis and Clare of Assisi, Greenwood, Nov. 15. Husband of Rosemary Heidelberger. Father of Chris Wise, Dan, Dave, Dennis, Mark and Mike Heidelberger. Brother of Roseann Acker. Grandfather of 18. Great-grandfather of 24.
HELLMICH, William A., 87, St. Mary, Greensburg, Dec. 3. Father of Dana Lowien, Melinda Rushing, Sandra Sandefur, Nanci and Todd Hellmich. Brother of Anna Hall, Carl and Jim Hellmich. Grandfather of 10. Great-grandfather of seven.
HOLLCRAFT, Janet S., 77, St. Roch, Indianapolis, Dec. 6. Mother of Anna Harris, Andy, Anthony, Chris, John, Matthew and Phil Hollcraft. Grandmother of 15. Great-grandmother of two.
KAPPES, John W., 70, St. Vincent de Paul, Shelby County, Dec. 2. Husband of Barbara Kappes. Father of Martina Dellinger and Rachelle Richards. Grandfather of two.
KOCH, Helen A., 97, St. Louis, Batesville, Dec. 2. Mother of Donna Borgman, Debbie Caudill, Janet McQueen, Bill, Dennis and Rick Koch. Sister of Rita Manovey. Grandmother of 19. Great-grandmother of 48. Great-great-grandmother of one.
LEWIS, Norman, 72, St. Bartholomew, Columbus, Nov. 14. Husband of Linda Lewis. Father of Laura Nelson and Kelly Sims. Brother of Jeff and Richard Lewis. Grandfather of five.
OLIVER, Robert, 74, St. Michael the Archangel, Indianapolis, Nov. 29. Husband of Barbara Oliver. Father of Brian and Christopher Oliver. Brother of Patty Enders, Barbara Marquis, Susan Oslos, Joseph and Thomas Oliver. Grandfather of two.
PFEIFER, Wayne J., 65, St. Jude, Indianapolis, Nov. 26. Brother of Sue Ann Delaney, Therese Schoettle and Larry Pfeiffer. Uncle of several.
PFENNINGER, Marcelle M., 95, St. Charles Borromeo, Bloomington, Nov. 29. Mother of Jeanne Childs, Anne and Margaret Pfenninger. Grandmother of four. Great-grandmother of two.
RAVENNA, James E., 89, St. Vincent de Paul, Bedford, Dec. 2. Husband of Beulah Ravenna. Father of Luanne, Anthony and Chris Ravenna. Brother of Mary Lou Elchynski and Paul Ravenna.
RUPP, Timothy S., 49, Immaculate Conception, Millhousen, Dec. 6. Son of Sharon Rupp. Brother of Nicole Johannigman, Georgia West, Sarah, Joe and John Rupp.
SHELBY, Carolyn R., 89, St. Mary, Greensburg,
Dec. 4. Mother of Sandra McLean, Donald, II, and Timothy Shelby. Sister of Margaret Haylin. Grandmother of three. Great-grandmother of six. Great-great-grandmother of two.
SINGER, Helen, 95, St. Elizabeth of Hungary, Cambridge City, Dec. 3. Mother of Janet Creech, Teresa Grimes and Veleta Sue Meyer. Grandmother of 16. Great-grandmother and great-great-grandmother of several.
STENGER, Rita (Glaub), 89, All Saints, Dearborn County, Nov. 26. Mother of Cindy Morse, Randy, Rick and Russell Stenger. Grandmother of 13. Great-grandmother of 10.
WESSELER, Janet, 80, All Saints, Dearborn County, Dec. 3. Wife of Bernard Wesseler. Mother of Anita Boppeler, Lori Sweeney, Connie and Bernie Wesseler. Sister of Cheryl Wilhelm, John and Ron Dudley. Grandmother of five. Great-grandmother of three.
YEAGY, Hal R., 63, St. Roch, Indianapolis,
Nov. 19. Husband of Carol Yeagy. Father of Erika Biddix, Alecia Coss, Kari and Brian Yeagy and Josh Caplinger. Grandfather of 11.
ZOBEL, Edward O., 93, St. Vincent de Paul, Shelby County, Nov. 30. Father of Jonell Frankowski, Jaleen Monroe, Doug, Ed, George and Mike Zobel. Brother of Kate Carpenter and Tom Zobel. Grandfather of 14. Great-grandfather of three.
Providence Sister Betty Donoghue served in education and health care
Providence Sister Betty Donoghue (formerly Sister Clare Patrice), a member of the Sisters of Providence of Saint Mary-of-the-Woods in St. Mary-of-the-Woods, died on Dec. 1 at Union Hospital in Terre Haute. She was 83.
Because of the coronavirus pandemic, a virtual funeral service was held. Burial followed at the sisters’ cemetery.
Sister Betty was born on June 5, 1937, in Melrose, Mass. She entered the Sisters of Providence on July 22, 1954, and professed final vows on Jan. 23, 1962.
Sister Betty earned a bachelor’s degree in education at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College.
During her 66 years as a member of the Sisters of Providence, Sister Betty ministered as an educator for 19 years in schools in Illinois, Indiana, Massachusetts and New Hampshire. In 1976, she became a certified nurse’s aide and began service in the motherhouse infirmary for the next 25 years. After retiring from this ministry, she regularly visited, supported and prayed with the residents until several months before her death.
Sister Betty was a spiritual companion for inmates on death row at the Federal Correctional Complex in Terre Haute, including one who was recently executed.
In the archdiocese, Sister Betty served at St. Philip Neri School in Indianapolis from 1963-69, as a nurse’s aide at the motherhouse infirmary from 1976-2001 and in ministry of care at the infirmary from 2002-20.
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.
Providence Sister Regis McNulty served as an educator and counselor
Providence Sister Regis McNulty, a member of the Sisters of Providence of Saint Mary-of-the-Woods in St. Mary-of-the-Woods, died on Dec. 4 at Signature Health Care in Terre Haute. She was 92.
Because of the coronavirus pandemic, a virtual funeral service was held. Burial followed at the sisters’ cemetery.
Sister Regis was born on Sept. 10, 1928, in Chelsea, Mass. She entered the Sisters of Providence on Feb. 11, 1948, and professed final vows on Aug. 15, 1955.
Sister Regis earned a bachelor’s degree in education at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College, and master’s degrees in educational psychology at Boston College in Boston and counseling/psychology at Antioch University in Keene, N.H.
During her 72 years as a member of the Sisters of Providence, Sister Regis ministered as an educator for 28 years in schools in Illinois, Indiana, Massachusetts, New Hampshire and North Carolina. After earning a certificate in counseling, she served for 20 years as a therapist and clinical supervisor at Beech Hill Hospital in Dublin, N.H., then as an adjunct professor at Antioch University before retiring to the motherhouse in 2012. Beginning in 2015, she committed herself entirely to prayer.
In the archdiocese, Sister Regis served at the former St. Ann School in Terre Haute in 1954.
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.
Providence Sister Margaret Nau served in schools, parishes and hospitals
Providence Sister Margaret Nau (formerly Sister Jude Ann), a member of the Sisters of Providence of Saint Mary-of-the-Woods in St. Mary-of-the-Woods, died on Nov. 10 at Mother Theodore Hall at the order’s motherhouse. She was 81.
Because of the coronavirus pandemic, a virtual funeral service was held. Burial followed at the sisters’ cemetery.
Sister Margaret, known in her community as Sister Peggy, was born on Nov. 7, 1939, in Hammond, Ind. She entered the Sisters of Providence on Sept. 18, 1961, and professed final vows on Nov. 15, 1969.
Sister Margaret earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College, a master’s degree in communications arts at the University of Notre Dame in northern Indiana and a master’s degree in pastoral studies at Loyola University in Chicago.
During her 59 years as a member of the Sisters of Providence, Sister Margaret ministered as an educator for 12 years in schools in Indiana. In the archdiocese, she served in Terre Haute at the former Sacred Heart School from 1966-67 and at the former Archbishop Schulte High School from 1967-69. Sister Margaret also ministered at Our Lady of Providence High School in Clarksville from 1969-78.
After leaving education, Sister Margaret served for nine years at the Catholic Indian Mission in Fort Yates, N.D. before taking up parish ministry in Owensboro, Ky. She later served as a hospital chaplain in Paducah, Ky. and in Oak Lawn, Ill. Sister Margaret returned to the motherhouse in 2013 and dedicated herself entirely to prayer beginning in 2017.
She is survived by sisters Kathleen Caffigan of Chicago, Mary Ann Johnson of Salisbury, N.C., Sally Smith of Libertyville, Ill., and a brother, Thomas Nau of River Grove, Ill.
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. †