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)
ADAMS, George, 78, St. Barnabas, Indianapolis, Oct. 9. Husband of Marie Adams. Father of Suzanne Hissong, Sandy and Steven Adams. Stepfather of Christine Kanady, Andrea Scott and Cook Thomas. Brother of Karen Patton. Grandfather of 20. Great-grandfather of one.
BRIAN, Gina Marie, 42, St. Mary, New Albany, Oct. 3. Mother of Mason Brian. Daughter of Jacqueline Deuser. Granddaughter of Marshall and Anna Flora.
BRITTENHAM, Paul, 94, St. Mary, Richmond, Oct. 5. Father of Beth Foster, Sally Miller and Sue Vaziri. Grandfather of eight. Great-grandfather of 14.
BUSHMAN, Marie E., 92, Mary, Queen of Peace, Danville, Sept. 17. Mother of Mary Kite and Ann Wright. Grandmother of eight. Great-grandmother of six.
DETENBER, Charles K., 65, St. Augustine, Jeffersonville, Oct. 12. Husband of Bonnie (Heeke) Detenber. Father of Michelle Detenber and Nicholas Cornwell. Brother of Debbie Zangari, Mike and Steve Detenber. Grandfather of four. Great-grandfather of one.
ELMORE, Juanita (Baker), 84, St. Mary-of-the-Knobs, Floyds Knobs, Oct. 10. Mother of Bridget Fischer and Denise Smallwood. Grandmother of five. Great-grandmother of five.
FLANAGAN, Virginia (Welch), 72, St. Joan of Arc, Indianapolis, Oct. 4. Mother of Bryan Anderson.
GRANGER, Constance, 95, St. Mary, New Albany, Oct. 5. Mother of Phillip Granger Sr. Sister of Nick Scardina. Grandmother of four. Great-grandmother of six. Great-great-grandmother of six.
HENDERSON, Frank V., 62, St. Jude, Indianapolis, Oct. 10. Father of Denise Shaw and Dawn Henderson. Son of N. Marie Henderson. Brother of Mary Helen Clemmer, Alma Shaul and Everitt Henderson. Grandfather of three.
HOLZER, Norbert J., 79, St. Barnabas, Indianapolis, Oct. 9. Husband of Lois (McIntire) Holzer. Father of Julie Daeger, Kara and Lori Miller, and Greg Holzer. Brother of Betty McElroy and Carl Holzer. Grandfather of 12.
JENKINS, Mary, 59, St. Andrew, Richmond, Sept. 10. Sister of Ann Butler, Sarah Lamberson, Cecilia Smith and David Jenkins.
McKENZIE, Leon R., 79, SS. Francis and Clare, Greenwood, Sept. 9. Husband of Mary Ann (Lacy) McKenzie.
MEYERS, Margaret R., 88, St. Lawrence, Indianapolis, Oct. 2. Grandmother of one.
MOQUIN, Ruby Maxine, 79, St. Anne, New Castle, Oct. 14. Wife of Carroll Moquin. Sister of Lena Gordon. Grandmother of eight. Great-grandmother of 13. Great-great-grandmother of one.
MURPHY, Helen, 70, St. Roch, Indianapolis, Sept. 23. Mother of Tracy Brown, Helen Brunk, Marie Kennedy, Angela Quigley and Marty Murphy. Sister of Alice Sizemore. Grandmother of 13.
MURRAY, Maxine B. (Schmoll), 90, St. Roch, Indianapolis, Oct. 13.
O’CONNOR, Thomas J., Jr., 85, Good Shepherd, Indianapolis, Oct. 4. Husband of Barbara O’Connor. Father of Ann Cermack, Kathy Leck, Karen Sherman, Kevin and Tom O’Connor. Brother of Peg Boiano and Sis Hoethke. Grandfather of nine. Great-grandfather of nine.
PERLOFF, Jean Rose, 95, St. Lawrence, Indianapolis, Sept. 16. Wife of Leonard Perloff. Mother of Ron Benfenutti. Sister of Rita Menta and Mildred Venuto. Grandmother of two. Great-grandmother of five.
RACE, Agnes, 94, St. Michael, Brookville, Oct. 6. Mother of Vicki Lee, Patty Lucas, Judy McMahan, Darlene Newkirk, Sherri Wolff, Jerry, Richard and Tim Race. Sister of Georgia Cobb, Viola Stenger, Marilyn Ziegler, Charles, Herbert and Paul Kunkel. Grandmother of 21. Great-grandmother of 17. Step-great-grandmother of three. Great-great-grandmother of one.
RAMSEY, Dorothy Jean, 82, St. Christopher, Indianapolis, Oct. 11. Wife of James Ramsey. Mother of Beth Ann Petkus, Brad, David, Ken and Phillip Ramsey. Sister of SeRita Lux, Katie McGinley and Marjorie Rhoda. Grandmother of 11.
REISERT, Charles E., Jr., 70, St. Augustine, Jeffersonville, Sept. 30. Husband of Jane Reisert. Father of Heidi and Perry Reisert. Grandfather of five.
SNYDER, Maria Concetta, 89, St. Mark the Evangelist, Indianapolis, Sept. 8. Mother of Joan Pacheco, Lisa Summers, Nancy Williams, Charles and Joseph Snyder III. Grandmother of 12. Great-grandmother of nine.
STOFER, Cynthia Kay, 73, St. Bartholomew, Columbus, Oct. 4. Sister of Patricia and George Stofer.
TAYLOR, Helen Marie, 88, St. Therese of the Infant Jesus (Little Flower), Indianapolis, Oct. 5. Aunt of several.
TEIPEN, Dolores, 93, St. Roch, Indianapolis, Sept. 27. Sister of Mary Lou Dunlop and Providence Sister Mary Maxine Teipen.
THIEL, Michael F., 50, St. Pius X, Indianapolis, Oct. 2. Husband of Kerstin Thiel. Son of Leonard and Joan Thiel. Brother of Dianne Dixon, Amy Hutsell, Carolyn Land, Joe and John Thiel.
WALKE, Alexander John, infant, Nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, Indianapolis, Sept. 28. Son of David and Diane Walke. Grandson of John Walke and Theresa Marlin.
WATSON, Mary Catherine (Wetzel), 73, St. Barnabas, Indianapolis, Oct. 13. Wife of Bernard Watson. Mother of Carol and Thomas Watson. Sister of Michael Wetzel.
WAUGH, Dolores J., 81, St. Jude, Indianapolis, Oct. 14. Mother of Mary Beth Burke, James, Joseph, Lawrence, Michael, Robert Jr. and Steven Waugh. Sister of Beverly, Carol and Wallace Abel. Grandmother of 19. Great-grandmother of 27.
WEADICK, Mildred, 100, St. Mary, Richmond, Oct. 1. Mother of Mark and Mike Weadick. Sister of Ruthmary Wright. Grandmother of four. Great-grandmother of 11.
WEITZEL, Bryan John, 47, St. Bartholomew, Columbus, Oct. 8. Son of Tracey and Sheena Weitzel. Brother of Wendy Franklin, Cathy French and Moira Kinnear. Grandson of William Bryans.
WIKTORSKI, Thomas Michael, 69, Nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, Indianapolis, Oct. 15. Husband of Sandra (Martinson) Wiktorski. Father of Christina Weber and Patrick Wiktorski. Brother of Michael, Patrick and Robert Wiktorski. Grandfather of six.
ZAPAPAS, James Richard, 85, St. Pius X, Indianapolis, Oct. 2. Father of Marianne McGriff, Patricia Parry, Gail Rodecker, Carol, Julie and James Zapapas Jr. Grandfather of 12. Great-grandfather of 14.
ZINSER, Adelaide (Zimmer), 90, St. John the Baptist, Dover, Oct. 2. Mother of Patricia Bader, Diane Crocker, Karen Geis, Kathryn Tribbe, Jane and Melinda Dever, and John Zinser, Sister of Betty Sizemore and Carl Zimmer. Grandmother of 29. Great-grandmother of 29.
Providence Sister Ruth Eileen Dwyer taught theology at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College
Providence Sister Ruth Eileen Dwyer died on Oct. 7 at Mother Theodore Hall at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods. She was 85.
The Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated on Oct. 14 at the Church of the Immaculate Conception at the motherhouse. Burial followed at the sisters’ cemetery.
The former Eileen Dwyer was born on Oct. 19, 1925, in Chicago.
She entered the congregation of the Sisters of Providence on Feb. 2, 1944, professed her first vows on Aug. 15, 1946, and professed her final vows on Aug. 15, 1951.
Sister Ruth Eileen earned a bachelor’s degree in business at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College, a master’s degree in theology at St. Xavier College in Chicago and a doctorate in ministry at St. Mary-of-the-Lake College in Mundelein, Ill.
During 67 years as a Sister of Providence, she taught for 20 years at Catholic grade schools, high schools or colleges in Indiana, Illinois, California and Washington.
In the archdiocese, Sister Ruth Eileen served as principal of Holy Spirit School in Indianapolis from 1955-61.
She ministered on the novitiate team for the congregation at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods from 1964-65.
Sister Ruth Eileen was a member of the theology faculty at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College from 1967-81 then returned to the college in 1986 to direct the master’s program in pastoral theology until 2001. She retired as director that year, and continued to teach theology until 2004.
From 1975-81, she ministered as vice president of academic affairs for the college.
Sister Ruth Eileen also was a member of the congregation’s leadership team from 1981-86.
In 2008, she retired and dedicated herself to prayer.
Surviving are a sister, Claudette Dwyer of St. Mary-of-the-Woods; a brother, David Dwyer of Verona, Wis.; and a niece.
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 Cecilia Holohan served in Papua New Guinea as a teacher, pastoral minister
Franciscan Sister Cecilia Holohan, formerly Sister Marie Padua, died on Sept. 30 at St. Clare Hall, the health care facility for the Congregation of the Sisters of the Third Order of St. Francis, in Oldenburg. She was 88.
The Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated on Oct. 2 at the motherhouse chapel in Oldenburg. Burial followed at the sisters’ cemetery.
Sister Cecilia was born on Sept. 11, 1923, in Odell, Ill. She entered the Oldenburg Franciscan community on Sept. 8, 1939, and professed her final vows on Aug. 12, 1945.
In the archdiocese, Sister Cecilia taught at St. Vincent de Paul School in Bedford, St. Michael the Archangel School in Indianapolis and the former St. Bernadette School in Indianapolis.
She also taught at Catholic schools in Ohio, Illinois and West Virginia.
In 1969, Sister Cecilia began 17 years of service as a teacher and pastoral minister in Papua New Guinea.
In 1986, she returned to the U.S., and taught English at the House of Discernment in Chicago.
Sister Cecilia retired to the motherhouse in 2001.
Surviving are a brother, Jerome Holohan of Ashkum, Ill.; and four sisters, Rita Green and Diane Spaniol of Streator, Ill., and Franciscan Sisters Doris and Kate Holohan of Oldenburg.
Memorial gifts may be sent to the Sisters of St. Francis, P.O. Box 100, Oldenburg, IN 47036. †