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)

BECHT, Jeffrey M., 61, St. Mary-of-the-Knobs, Floyd County, Oct. 31. Father of Margo Becht. Son of Anthony and Margaret Becht. Brother of Nancy Whitaker, Kelly and Richard Becht.

CASSIDY, Brian T., 56, St. Thomas More, Mooresville, Oct. 31. Husband of Gail Cassidy. Father of Hanna and Sara Cassidy. Son of Christina Cassidy. Brother of Christa and Jennifer Cassidy. Grandfather of two.

CISSELL, James C., 25, St. John Paul II, Sellersburg, Nov. 2. Father of Ethan and Emily Cissell. Son of James and Michelle Cissell. Grandson of Pauline Popp and Herman Cissell.

ENGLISH, Donna, 84, St. Therese of the Infant Jesus (Little Flower), Indianapolis, Oct. 28. Mother of Kristy Hardister, Karen Lux, Kim Miggenburg, David, Jeff and Mark English. Sister of Della Arnold and Dick Baker. Grandmother of 24. Great-grandmother of 33.

FARNEY, William, 91, St. Pius X, Indianapolis, Nov. 4. Husband of Cathy Farney. Father of Laura Cook, Sarah Gaither, Sue Mokris, Chris and Tim Farney. Grandfather of nine. Great-grandfather of 10.

GRAMELSPACHER, Andreas M., 40, St. Boniface, Fulda, Oct. 19. Son of Michael and Janice Gramelspacher. Brother of Anna Dodd and Katrina Gramelspacher. Uncle of several.

MCDONALD, Jerome, 91, St. Bartholomew, Columbus, Oct. 27. Father of Jerilyn Brewer, Jody Harmon, Jeremy Brewer and JL McDonald. Brother of James, John and Paul McDonald. Grandfather of nine. Great-grandfather of two.

MORRIS, Brian R., 51, St. Jude, Indianapolis, Oct. 29. Husband of Jennifer Morris. Father of Hannah and Samuel Morris. Son of Paul Morris and Rozanne Robertson. Stepson of Jack Robertson. Brother of Anne Moyars, Julie Parker, Kevin and Jason Morris.

MUCENSKI, Rosemary M., 78, St. Jude, Indianapolis, Nov. 1. Wife of James Mucenski. Mother of Mary Holt, Michelle Mucenski and Lori Otto. Sister of Mary Beth Mazurkiewicz. Grandmother of four. Great-grandmother of one.

SHEWMAKER, Lonnia Mae, 72, St. Joseph, Corydon, Nov. 1. Mother of Roger Shewmaker, Jr. Sister of Linda Bently, Sheila Taylor and James Cavins, Jr. Grandmother of four.

SIEG, Edward B., 95, St. Bernard, Frenchtown, Nov. 6. Uncle of several.

VANWINKLE, Sherry A., 75, St. Meinrad, St. Meinrad, Oct. 17. Mother of Kimberly Fischer and Aaron VanWinkle. Sister of Iola Gehlhausen. Grandmother of four.

WANINGER, William A., 90, St. Meinrad, St. Meinrad, Sept. 24. Husband of Rowena Waninger. Father of Daniel, David and Stanley Waninger. Grandfather of four. Great-grandfather of three.

Carmelite Sister Martha Hall lived 62 years of contemplative life in Terre Haute monastery

Carmelite Sister Martha Karin Hall, a member of the Carmelite Monastery of St. Joseph in Terre Haute, died on Nov. 7 at the monastery. She was 80.

The Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated on Nov. 11. Burial followed in the monastery cemetery.

Sister Martha was born on June 19, 1942, in Bardstown, Ky. She attended and graduated from the former St. Catherine Academy in Springfield, Ky.

Discerning a call to contemplative life as a Carmelite nun, Sister Martha entered the Monastery of St. Joseph in October of 1960, and received her habit on Oct. 7, 1961, at which time she received the religious name Sister Martha of Jesus. She professed first vows on Oct. 15, 1962, and perpetual vows on Oct. 15, 1965.

In the monastic community, Sister Martha assisted with landscaping, printing, cooking, gardening, carpentry and maintenance. Her beautiful singing voice also added to the beauty of the sacred music in the community’s liturgies.

Surviving are sisters Elaine Boone and Mary Jo Kruer, and brothers Greg, Jim and Larry Hall.

Memorial contributions can be sent to the Monastery of St. Joseph, 59 Allendale, Terre Haute, IN 47802.

Providence Sister Margaret Lynch served in archdiocesan schools and parishes

Providence Sister Margaret Lynch, a member of the Sisters of Providence of Saint Mary-of-the-Woods in St. Mary-of-the-Woods, died on Nov. 3 at Goodwin Family Center in Terre Haute. She was 79.

A Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated on Nov. 12 at the Church of the Immaculate Conception at the motherhouse in St. Mary-of-the-Woods. Burial followed at the sisters’ cemetery.

Sister Margaret was born on Jan. 3, 1942, in Chicago. She entered the Sisters of Providence on Sept. 18, 1961, and professed final vows on Aug. 16, 1969.

Sister Margaret earned a bachelor’s degree in mathematics at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College and a master’s degree in religious education and a master’s degree in pastoral studies, both at Loyola University Chicago in Chicago.

During her 61 years as a member of the Sisters of Providence, Sister Margaret ministered in Catholic schools for 13 years in Illinois and Indiana. Beginning in 1977, she began serving in parishes and adult education centers. In 2010, poor health led her to live at the motherhouse where she served her fellow sisters in many ways.

In the archdiocese, Sister Margaret served in Indianapolis at the former St. Agnes Academy from 1967-70, the former Ladywood-St. Agnes High School from 1970-73 and Father Thomas Scecina Memorial High School from 1983-84. She ministered in Terre Haute at the former Paul C. Schulte High School from 1973-76 and at Sacred Heart Parish from 1980-82.

Sister Margaret also served at Providence Self-Sufficiency Ministries in New Albany from 1994-98 and as parish life coordinator of the former St. Leonard of Port Maurice Parish in West Terre Haute and St. Mary-of-the-Woods Parish in St. Mary-of-the-Woods from 1998-2005.

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. †