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)

ABEL, Julia, 90, St. Vincent de Paul, Bedford, Sept. 1. Mother of Tom Abel. Grandmother of three. Great-grandmother of one.

BENEDICK, Frieda, 96, Sacred Heart of Jesus, Indianapolis, Sept. 5. Mother of Margaret Donahue and John Benedick. Grandmother of eight. Great-grandmother of 14.

BYRD, Clara Marie Patricia (Idzi), 76, St. Pius X, Indianapolis, Sept. 3. Wife of Charles Byrd. Mother of Julie Ann Ernest, Eric and Dr. Richard Byrd. Grandmother of six.

COFFMAN, Robert Joseph, 68, Holy Cross, Indianapolis, Aug. 28. Husband of Angela Coffman. Father of Helen, Jean, Matt, Mike and Robert Coffman. Brother of Joyce Allen, Janice Wilson, Dave, Ed and James Coffman.

DAY, Mary Jane, 65, St. Martin of Tours, Martinsville, Sept. 2. Wife of David Day. Mother of Jennifer Hicks, Tammy Scholl, Gary, Richard, Steve and Tim Van Skyke. Sister of Patricia Walker and Michael Connelly. Grandmother of 21. Great-grandmother of nine.

DOWNER, Harry E., 97, Our Lady of Lourdes, Indianapolis, Sept. 7. Father of Dalene Banyar, Margaret Carlson, Kathy Heinze, Gregory, Michael and Patrick Downer. Grandmother of 14. Great-grandmother of four.

EDWARDS, Dolores M., 80, Holy Name of Jesus, Beech Grove, Sept. 2. Sister of Catherine Carr, Cecile Duncan, Marie LaShorne, Peggy Porter and Michael Ryan.

GEHRING, Martha I., 84, Holy Name of Jesus, Beech Grove, Sept. 7. Mother of Rose and Henry Gehring. Sister of Rosemary Wurtz, Leo and Thomas Merkel. Grandmother of three.

GOFFINET, Opal F., 82, St. Paul, Tell City, Sept. 2. Mother of Angie Garrett and Gary Goffinet. Sister of Jean Paulin. Grandmother of five. Great-grandmother of seven.

GOLISH, Ann C. (WHITE), 76, Holy Spirit, Indianapolis, Aug. 26. Mother of Cecilia, Brian, Galen, Timothy and Vincent Golish. Sister of Alice Cooper, Ruth Monroe, David and Jimmy White. Grandmother of six. Great-grandmother of one.

HORLANDER, Millicent V., 97, St. Anthony of Padua, Clarksville, Aug. 30. Mother of Jimmy, Richard and Robert Horlander. Grandmother of eight. Great-grandmother of four. Great-great-grandmother of one.

KIPPER, Donald C., Sr., 65, St. Mary, North Vernon, Sept. 8. Husband of Margaret (Hardebeck) Kipper. Father of Rose Ann Walters, David and Donald Kipper. Brother of Susie Davis, Jane Richart, James and Leroy Kipper. Grandfather of eight. Great-grandfather of six.

METZGER, Mary G., 73, Sacred Heart, Jeffersonville, Sept. 5. Mother of Susan Johnson, Jennifer Smith, David, Philip and Richard Metzger. Sister of Anne Banet. Grandmother of five.

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Providence Sister Cecile Morse served as teacher, printer, bookkeeper

Providence Sister Cecile Morse died on Sept. 2 at Mother Theodore Hall at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods. She was 97.

The Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated on Sept. 7 at the Church of the Immaculate Conception at the motherhouse. Burial followed at the sisters’ cemetery.

The former Mary Louise Morse was born on Sept. 6, 1908, in Lexington, Ky. She entered the congregation of the Sisters of Providence on July 14, 1935, professed first vows on Aug. 15, 1937, and professed final vows on Jan. 23, 1943.

She taught juniorate classes at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods from 1937-38. From 1938-69 and 1970-80, Sister Cecile ministered as a printer at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods.

In 1969-70, she served as the convent bookkeeper and in maintenance at the former Ladywood High School in Indianapolis.

She served as a clerical assistant at the Providence Retirement Home in New Albany from 1983-84 and as receptionist from 1984-86.

From 1986-89, Sister Cecile ministered as a bookkeeper at Our Lady of the Greenwood Parish in
Greenwood.

At Saint Mary-of-the-Woods, she served as a receptionist from 1989-91 then assisted in health care and residential services from 1991-2000. She retired and began a prayer ministry in 2000.

Surviving are several nieces and nephews.

Memorial contributions may be sent to the Sisters of Providence, Saint Mary-of-the-Woods, St. Mary-of-the-Woods, IN 47876.†