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)

AGNEY, Georgina, 82, St. Malachy, Brownsburg, Nov. 17. Wife of George Agney. Mother of Sharon Smith.

ALBRECHT, George D., 67, St. Malachy, Brownsburg, Nov. 16. Husband of Ellen Albrecht. Father of Missy Fulbright and Matt Albrecht. Stepfather of Gina Dumpert, Michael, Robert and Scott Loviscek. Son of George Albrecht and Louise Rinehart. Brother of Evelyn Althoff, Judy Boggs, Dorothy Bradnik, Rosie Kelly, David and Tim Albrecht. Grandfather of 13.

BALMER, Edward K., Jr., 82, St. Mary-of-the-Knobs, Floyds Knobs, Dec. 2. Husband of Rosemary (Stiller) Balmer. Father of Retta Patty, Luanne Smith, Gregory, Kevin and Patrick Balmer. Grandfather of 13. Great-grandfather of two.

BOYKE, Margaret, 96, Sacred Heart of Jesus, Terre Haute, Nov. 22. Mother of Mary Kibwell. Grandmother of two. Great-grandmother of one.

BRENNER, Emmalene, 93, Holy Name of Jesus, Beech Grove, Nov. 26. Mother of Monica Gavaghan, George, Michael and Norman Brenner. Grandmother of six. Great-grandmother of three.

CLAYTON, Michael E., 62, Holy Name of Jesus, Beech Grove, Nov. 19. Husband of Patricia Clayton. Father of Kelly Warwick and Jamie Clayton. Brother of Charlene Holmes. Grandfather of one.

CROGHAN, Martha, 92, St. Malachy, Brownsburg, Nov. 24. Mother of Kristi Swift and Douglas Croghan. Sister of Mary Catherine Huffman and Franklin Brady. Grandmother of three.

HAMPSON, Patricia G., 65, Prince of Peace, Madison, Nov. 20. Mother of Kathy Missen, Chris and Kelly Rosenberger. Daughter of Jack Bodine. Sister of Earl Bennett and Dan Bodine. Grandmother of two.

HUNTER, James R., 82, Sacred Heart of Jesus, Terre Haute, Nov. 22.

JONTZ, Kathleen Elizabeth (Reckley), 37, Our Lady of Lourdes, Indianapolis, Oct. 30. Wife of Jay Jontz. Mother of Matthew and William Jontz. Daughter of Steve and Ann Reckley. Sister of Angela and Therese Reckley.

KNIGHT, Diane Louise, 78, St. Paul, Sellersburg, Nov. 19. Mother of Michael Goering. Grandmother of three.

KONOP, Kenneth, 99, St. Malachy, Brownsburg, Nov. 13.

McELROY, James Francis, 76, Holy Name of Jesus, Beech Grove, Nov. 24. Husband of Elizabeth (Holzer) McElroy. Father of Linda Roach, Sharon, Richard and Thomas McElroy. Brother of Robert McElroy. Grandfather of six.

POLLOCK, Myrna, 79, Sacred Heart of Jesus, Terre Haute, Nov. 23. Wife of John Pollock. Mother of Alice Roushia and Bernie Pollock. Grandmother of four.

RIVERA, Daniel D., 21, St. Malachy, Brownsburg, Nov. 16. Son of Louis and Lisa (Rodriguez) Halsey. Brother of Michael Rivera. Grandson of Rick and T. J. Breckenridge, Jesse and Hope Rodriguez.

SAUER, Beverly A., 67, St. Barnabas, Indianapolis, Nov. 26. Wife of Robert Sauer. Mother of Julie Vance, Robert and Timothy Sauer. Daughter of Frances Meisberger. Sister of Katherine Runyon and Louis Meisberger. Grandmother of three.

THORNE, Don, 74, Good Shepherd, Indianapolis, Nov. 28. Husband of Judy Thorne. Father of Geraldine Banister, Pamela Bontrager, Angela Cabell, Candice Judd and Edward Thorne. Brother of Laura Morgason. Grandfather of 14. Great-grandfather of two.

WEBBER, Lillian R., 95, Holy Name of Jesus, Beech Grove, Nov. 12. Mother of Helen Russell and Margaret Spencer. Grandmother of seven. Great-grandmother of 12. Great-great-grandmother of four.

WITTE, Helen A., 89, St. Mary, Richmond, Nov. 25. Sister of Lawrence Witte. Aunt of several.

Franciscan Sister Carolyn Bissmeyer taught music

Franciscan Sister Carolyn Bissmeyer died on Nov. 23 at St. Clare Hall, the health care facility for the Sisters of the Third Order of St. Francis, at the motherhouse in Oldenburg. She was 91.

The Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated on Nov. 26 at the motherhouse chapel in Oldenburg. Burial followed at the sisters’ cemetery.

The former Rita Augusta Bissmeyer was born on Oct. 25, 1917, in Cincinnati, Ohio.

She entered the Oldenburg Franciscan community on June 29, 1937, and professed her final vows on Aug. 12, 1943.

Sister Carolyn taught music in secondary education and served as an organist.

From 1956-68, Sister Carolyn served as director of formation and motherhouse minister for the Franciscan community.

Sister Carolyn returned to teaching in 1968 and taught music at Marian College in Indianapolis until 1980. In 1976, she was promoted to associate professor in the Marian College music department.

She also taught music at the former Immaculate Conception Academy in Oldenburg, now called the Oldenburg Academy of the Immaculate Conception.

Sister Carolyn also served as a music teacher at two Catholic high schools in Ohio.

In 2002, she retired to the Franciscan motherhouse, where she served her community as a piano accompanist for the Sisters’ Choir.

Surviving are many nieces, nephews, great-nieces and great-nephews.

Memorial gifts may be sent to the Sisters of St. Francis, P.O. Box 100, Oldenburg, IN 47036. †