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)
BANGERT, Barb, 77, St. Luke the Evangelist, Indianapolis, May 17. Mother of Dave and Erich Bangert. Sister of Carol Eifert, Martha Hernandez and Margie Peterson. Grandmother of six.
BAUMAN, Kent E., 81, St. Roch, Indianapolis, May 17. Father of Debbie Kleinbub and Denise Wilson. Brother of Susan Laker. Grandfather of four.
BECKER, Thelma Mae, 88, Holy Spirit, Indianapolis, April 28. Mother of Keith, Kenneth II, Vann, Vaughn, Vern and Victor Becker. Sister of Virginia Howard and Raymond Brichler. Grandmother of nine. Great-grandmother of one.
BERRY-PIPKIN, Jennifer M., 58, St. Joan of Arc, Indianapolis, May 16. Mother of Alec and Anthony Pipkin. Sister of Kathleen Berry Graham, Maureen Berry Huck, Laura and Edward Berry.
BOEHMAN, Wilma M., 77, St. Meinrad, St. Meinrad, May 20. Wife of Ronald Boehman. Mother of Joanie Justus and Jeff Boehman. Sister of Rose Braun, Kathy Epple, Connie Hoffman and Linda Kramer. Grandmother of nine. Great-grandmother of one.
BRAMER, Leilani D., 2, St. Gabriel, Connersville, May 20. Daughter of Trevor and Tionna Bramer. Sister of Lorenzo and Xander Bramer. Granddaughter of David and Joanne Bramer and Vaughn and Dena Johnson. Great-granddaughter of Sandra Eckler, Eddie Hartford, Michael and Carol Johnson.
CASE, Jackie D., 68, St. Vincent de Paul, Bedford, May 15. Husband of Carla Case. Father of Rory and Ryan Case. Son of Nona Case. Brother of Beverly Bailey, Diane Speer and Jerry Case. Grandfather of six.
ETIENNE, Michelle (Riggle), 56, St. Mark, Perry County, May 16. Wife of Chuck Etienne. Daughter of Donald Riggle. Stepdaughter of Wade VanWinkle. Sister of Christine Pyle, Brian Dickens, Tracy and Wade VanWinkle. Aunt of several.
FOERTSCH, Dorothy E., 94, St. Boniface, Fulda, May 18. Mother of Pam Beck, Diana Kress, Judy Scheerle, Kathleen Vogler and Gerland Engelbrecht. Grandmother of 15. Great-grandmother of 23.
GETTELFINGER, Dorothy R. (Schmidt), 91, St. Mary-of-the-Knobs, Floyd County, May 23. Wife of Raymond Gettelfinger. Mother of Barbara Beach, David, Dennis and Duane Gettelfinger. Grandmother of four.
HALSEY, Donald P., 95, St. Luke the Evangelist, Indianapolis, May 27. Father of Susan Bogan, Nancy Morrow and James Halsey. Grandfather of six. Great-grandfather of four.
HELLMICH, Philip M., 60, St. Mary, Greensburg, April 1. Son of Richard and Phyllis Hellmich. Brother of Vickie Hellmich-Bozdech, Sue Nitchen, David, Jim, Kyle, Michael, Richard II, Steven, Tom and Trevor Hellmich. Uncle and great-uncle of several.
HERBERT, Lynn, 67, St. Maurice, Napoleon, May 13. Husband of Ruth Herbert. Father of Liza Schoettmer. Brother of Judy Riedman and Randy Herbert. Grandfather of three.
HOEHN, Herbert F., 85, St. Michael, Bradford, May 3. Husband of Kay Hoehn. Father of Stephanie Smith, Herbert, Jr., and Sam Hoehn. Brother of Norbert Hoehn. Grandfather of seven. Great-grandfather of five.
HOLDEN, Lorraine, 87, St. Simon the Apostle, Indianapolis, May 18. Mother of Mary Smith, Barbara, Cyndi, Theresa and Paul Holden. Grandmother of 15. Great-grandmother of 24.
HUBERT, Virgie L., 91, St. Augustine, Leopold, May 22. Aunt and great-aunt of several.
LAPADAT, Sr., Arthur D., 90, St. Roch, Indianapolis, May 23. Husband of Mary Lapadat. Father of Mary Tapolsky, Elizabeth, Sarah, Andrew, David, Michael, Nicholas and Stephen Lapadat. Grandfather of 19. Great-grandfather of four.
MILLER, Twyla, 90, Good Shepherd, Indianapolis, May 23. Mother of Dianna Bechtel, Jacqueline Wright, Doris, Twyla, Claude, Earl and Mark Miller. Grandmother of 20. Great-grandmother of 46. Great-great-grandmother of six.
MINATEL, Mario, 98, Holy Name of Jesus, Beech Grove, March 30. Brother of Rose Eagan and Joseph Minatel. Uncle and great-uncle of several.
MITCHELL, Charles E., 79, St. Patrick, Terre Haute, May 11. Husband of Laura Mitchell. Father of Craig and Patrick Mitchell. Brother of Michael Mitchell. Grandfather of four.
MOODY, Nora J., 77, St. Mary, Mitchell, April 25.
Mother of Lisa Carrico, Vicky Hamilton, Michelle Kern, Lisa Taylor, David, Gary and Michael Moody. Sister of Susie Barthlomew. Grandmother of 17. Great-grandmother of 22.
NEUMAN, Thomas, 63, St. Gabriel, Connersville, May 19. Father of Paul Neuman. Brother of Mary Fain, Diane Pflum, Pat Wise, David, Jim, John and Lew Neuman. Grandfather of three.
OSKINS, Mark P., 59. Good Shepherd, Indianapolis, May 1. Father of Derrick and Mark Oskins. Son of Agnes Oskins. Brother of Anita, Fay, David, Donald and Kevin Oskins. Grandfather of five.
RECKLEY, Joseph F., 56, Good Shepherd, Indianapolis, April 27. Brother of Jennifer Cooper, Suzanne Wilder, Kristina and Timothy Reckley. Uncle of several.
SAHM, Reva A. (Coffing), 94, St. Matthew the Apostle, Indianapolis, April 24. Mother of Katherine Francis, Cecilia Glass, Elizabeth Hinard, Karen Peterson, Grace, Edwin, John, Michael and William Sahm. Grandmother of 29. Great-grandmother of 25.
SCHMITZ, Joseph J., 86, St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross, Bright, May 16. Father of Melissa Moore, Bruce, Christopher, David and Kevin Schmitz. Brother of Anna Stark and Allen Schmitz. Grandfather of 14. Great-grandfather of five.
SCHNEIDER, Andrew J., 57, Holy Family, Oldenburg, May 31. Father of Carol Ann Geis, Stanley and Stephen Schneider.
SCHWOEPPE, Lillian, 77, St. Meinrad, St. Meinrad, May 17. Mother of Ginger Mullis and Rodney Schwoeppe. Sister of Brenda Kleiser, Mary Jo Wirthwein, Danny, Kenny and Leroy Fischer. Grandmother of two.
Providence Sister Elizabeth Meyer served in Catholic schools for 50 years
Providence Sister Elizabeth Meyer, formerly Sister Joseph Aloyse, a member of the Sisters of Providence of Saint Mary-of-the-Woods in St. Mary-of-the-Woods, died on June 1 at Mother Theodore Hall on the campus of her religious community’s motherhouse. She was 90.
A Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated on June 9 at the Church of the Immaculate Conception at the motherhouse in St. Mary-of-the-Woods. Burial followed at the sisters’ cemetery.
Sister Elizabeth was born on June 14, 1931, in Indianapolis where she grew up as a member of St. Christopher Parish and graduated from the former St. Agnes Academy. She entered the Sisters of Providence on Feb. 2, 1950, and professed final vows on Aug. 15, 1957.
Sister Elizabeth earned a bachelor’s degree in education at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College and a master’s degree in education at Indiana University in Bloomington.
During her 72 years as a member of the Sisters of Providence, Sister Elizabeth ministered in Catholic schools for 50 years in Illinois and Indiana. She retired to the motherhouse in 2006, where she frequently assisted in liturgical music and in Providence Health Care. Beginning in 2021, Sister Elizabeth dedicated herself entirely to prayer.
In the archdiocese, Sister Elizabeth served in Indianapolis as a teacher at Nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ School from 1957-58; the former St. James School (now Central Catholic School) from 1964-67 and 1971-77; at the former South Central Catholic School from 1977-88; at St. Joan of Arc School from 1988-93; and as a librarian at the former St. Rita School from 1993-94 and 1995-2002; St. Matthew the Apostle School from 1994-95; and at the former St. Andrew-St. Rita Catholic Academy from 2002-06.
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 Jane McConnell served
in education, parishes
and health care
Franciscan Sister Jane McConnell, formerly Sister Jessica, died on May 23 at the motherhouse of the Congregation of the Sisters of the Third Order of St. Francis in Oldenburg. She was 75.
The Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated on May 27 at the Motherhouse Chapel in Oldenburg. Burial followed at the sisters’ cemetery.
Sister Jane was born on April 3, 1947, in Princeton, Ind., in the Evansville Diocese. She joined the Sisters of St. Francis on Sept. 8, 1965, and professed final vows on Aug. 12, 1973.
Sister Jane earned a bachelor’s degree in elementary education at Marian University in Indianapolis and a master’s degree in Christian spirituality at Creighton University in Omaha, Neb. She later did post-graduate work in Franciscan studies at
St. Bonaventure University in St. Bonaventure, N.Y. and in Scripture and theology at the University of Notre Dame in northern Indiana.
During 56 years as a member of the Sisters of St. Francis, Sister Jane ministered in Catholic education for 16 years in Indiana before serving as director of novices for her community from 1984-87. She later served in parish ministry in the Evansville. Her last ministry assignment was as a chaplain and then administrator at Ascension St. Vincent Medical Center in Evansville, where she served for 24 years until recently returning to the motherhouse because of a brain tumor.
In the archdiocese, Sister Jane served at the former St. Gabriel the Archangel School in Indianapolis from 1975-76 and the former Holy Family School in Oldenburg from 1976-83.
Sister Jane is survived by her father, William McConnell, Sr., of Princeton; and by her brothers, Joseph McConnell of Evansville, Michael McConnell of Princeton, Patrick O’Connell of Mount Carmel, Ill., and William McConnell of Patoka, Ind.
Memorial gifts may be sent to the Sisters of St. Francis, P.O. Box 100, Oldenburg, IN 47036-0100.
Providence Sister Rita Ann Wade was an educator, chaplain and co-founder of Miracle Place
Providence Sister Rita Ann Wade, formerly Sister Rose Annette, a member of the Sisters of Providence of Saint Mary-of-the-Woods in St. Mary-of-the-Woods, died on May 13 at Community North Hospital in Indianapolis. She was 92.
A funeral Mass was celebrated on May 16 at St. Joan of Arc Church in Indianapolis and a Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated on May 25 at the Church of the Immaculate Conception at the motherhouse in St. Mary-of-the-Woods. Burial followed at the sisters’ cemetery.
Sister Rita Ann was born on April 22, 1930, in Indianapolis where she grew up as a member of St. Joan of Arc Parish. She entered the Sisters of Providence on
Jan. 7, 1948, and professed final vows on Aug. 15, 1955.
Sister Rita Ann earned a bachelor’s degree in education at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College and a master’s degree in elementary education at Indiana University in Bloomington.
During her 74 years as a member of the Sisters of Providence, Sister Rita Ann ministered in Catholic schools for 26 years in schools in Illinois, Indiana and Washington. She later served for 22 years as a chaplain at St. Vincent Hospital in Indianapolis. In 1999, she and Providence Sister Barbara McClelland founded Miracle Place, a ministry of outreach and hospitality on the near east side of Indianapolis. She ministered there until the time of her death.
In the archdiocese, Sister Rita Ann served in Indianapolis at Nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ School from 1955-57, at Holy Cross Central School from 1964-66 and 1969-71, at St. Luke the Evangelist School from 1971-76, at St. Vincent Hospital from 1977-99 and at Miracle Place from 1999-2022.
She is survived by a brother, Joseph Wade of Indianapolis.
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. †