August 9, 2024

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)

ALLEN, Robert C., 93, St. Jude, Indianapolis, June 26. Father of Julie Hayes, Theresa McFetridge, Brian, Pat and Paul Allen. Brother of Rosemary Heidelberger. Grandfather of 18. Great-grandfather of 40.

ASHCRAFT, Stephen, 67, St. Jude, Indianapolis, July 5. Brother of Kathy Whittaker, Mark and Rick Ashcraft. Uncle and great-uncle of several.

BANET, Frances A., 85, St. Mary-of-the-Knobs, Floyd County, June 20. Wife of Franklin Banet. Mother of Pamela Gulett, Virginia Monohan, Theresa Poe and Frank Banet. Sister of Shirley Fertig. Grandmother of 18. Great-grandmother of 36.

BAUER, Cynthia J., 68, St. Joseph, Corydon, July 1. Wife of Larry Bauer. Mother of Mary Jo Fetz. Daughter of Wanda Chinn. Sister of Jennifer Bube, Brian, David, Jerry, Mark, Michael and Sam Chinn. Grandmother of three. Great-grandmother of two.

BROOKS, Janice K., 84, St. Malachy, Brownsburg, July 9. Mother of Julie and Rick Rader. Grandmother of four. Great-grandmother of six.

BRULEZ, Victor M., 78, St. Malachy, Brownsburg, July 11. Father of Elizabeth Mottley, Amelia Savage and Celeste Stinson. Brother of Raymond Brulez. Grandfather of 10.

BUNCH, Alan E., 62, St. Simon the Apostle, Indianapolis, July 5. Husband of Linda Bunch. Father of Whitney, Alexander and Jordan Bunch. Brother of Aleen.

COMBS, Phyllis, 84, St. Mary, Lanesville, July 2. Mother of Tony Combs. Grandmother of three. Great-grandmother of one.

COX, Lawrence, 97, St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, Richmond, June 22. Husband of Sarah Cox. Father of Darla Ball, Cindy and Kelly Cox. Brother of Agnes Harsh. Grandfather of five. Great-grandfather of one.

CSESZKO, Alta B., 84, St. Bartholomew, Columbus, July 3. Wife of Robert Cseszko. Mother of Beth Rediker, Brian and David Gerken. Stepmother of Emily Corn, Kirsten Lofits, Rachel and Christian Cseszko. Sister of Susan Meadows, Dwight and Maynard Hatchett. Grandmother of 16. Great-grandmother of 10.

DESPAIN, Jason A., 44, St. Mary, Greensburg, July 1. Father of Anthony and Keller DeSpain. Son of Vickie DeSpain. Brother of Justin DeSpain.

DONNER, Allen P., 75, Our Lady of Perpetual Help, New Albany, June 22. Husband of Rosie Donner. Father of Amy Lorenz, Jessica Miller and Darcy Williams. Grandfather of five.

GIBBS, Dean, 72, St. Malachy, Brownsburg, June 27. Husband of Teresa Gibbs. Father of Danielle Wolf, Aaron Gibbs and Brian O’Donnell. Grandfather of eight.

HALL, Louis J., 62, St. Anthony of Padua, Clarksville, July 2. Husband of Shelley O’Neil-Hall. Father of Wade Hall and Bobby O’Neil. Son of Bonnie Hall. Brother of David and Don Hall. Grandfather of four.

HARPRING, Thelma C., 95, St. Bartholomew, Columbus, June 17. Mother of Jeanette Barker, Susan Walters, David, John and Samuel Harpring. Sister of Tom Lecher. Grandmother of 11. Great-grandmother of 12.

HAY, Joe, 63, St. Paul, Tell City, June 28. Father of Casi Jochim and Chelsea Thomas. Brother of Jane Huber, Mary Houghland, Nancy Noland, Molly Tuggle and Rob Hay. Grandfather of four.

HEDGES, Linda A., 76, St. Therese of the Infant Jesus (Little Flower), Indianapolis, June 26. Sister of Barbara Diehl, Mary Sved and George Wolfer. Aunt and great-aunt of several.

KENNEDY, Jr., Arthur L., 79, Christ the King, Indianapolis, June 18. Father of Brian and David Kennedy. Brother of Sharon Hornback and Margaret Kennedy. Grandfather of five. Great-grandfather of seven.

KLEE, Esther M., 97, St. Boniface, Fulda, June 23. Sister of Mary Ann Troesch, Leroy and Oscar Mullis. Aunt of several.

LAGRANGE, Rita M., 76, St. Paul, Tell City, June 29. Wife of Allen LaGrange. Mother of Valerie Schlabach and Eric LaGrange. Sister of Alberta Hanners, Rosie LaGrange, Shirley Sullivan, Danny, Frank and Patrick Heeke. Grandmother of nine.

LAWLER, Jacqueline S., 69, St. Bartholomew, Columbus, June 20. Wife of Thomas Lawler. Mother of Dan and Mike Lawler.

LONG, Beverly, 78, St. Gabriel, Connersville, June 27.

MEDCALF, Laura, 35, St. Barnabas, Indianapolis, July 9. Daughter of Daniel and Carol Medcalf. Stepdaughter of Michele Medcalf. Sister of Rose, Matthew and Sean Medcalf. Stepsister of Victoria DeRose, Patty Gillenwater and Chelsea Mascari. Granddaughter of Ramona Herring and Melvin Wessler.

MEYER, Albert F., 53, Holy Family, Oldenburg, June 28. Husband of Sandra Meyer. Father of Emily and Benjamin Meyer. Son of Francis and Rita Meyer. Brother of Heidi Murray, Jessica, Brad, Chris, Jake, and Kevin Meyer.

MORIARTY, Theresa A., 75, SS. Peter and Paul Cathedral, Indianapolis, July 11. Mother of Mary Kelley and J.J. Moriarty. Sister of Mary Beth Sorrels and Sharon Waite. Grandmother of five.

NEVES, Philip, 70, St. Mary, Mitchell, July 6. Husband of Linda Neves. Father of Nicole, Mathew and Michael Neves. Brother of Mary Ellen Costello, Julie Gaskins, David, Mark and Rene Neves. Grandfather of three.

RAMSEY, Larry, 50, St. John Paul II, Sellersburg, June 27. Father of Harper and Riley Ramsey. Son of Carlos and Carolyn Ramsey. Brother of Brandy Hettinger, Brad, John and Kevin Ramsey.

RICHARDS, Barry L., 74, St. Paul, Tell City, July 3. Brother of Melissa Groves, Tracy, Joe and Kevin Richards.

ROBINSON, Michael W., 79, St. Boniface, Fulda, June 30. Husband of Joyce Robinson. Father of Lee Anne Meadows and Michael Robinson. Brother of Larry Robinson. Grandfather of three.

ROSNER, Mary Ann, 90, St. Gabriel the Archangel, Indianapolis, July 7. Mother of Paula Carman, Kevin, Kristopher and Philip Rosner. Grandmother of 13. Great-grandmother of one.

SPOONMORE, Dolores J. (Winkel), 90, Prince of Peace, Madison, July 1. Mother of Laura Nolte, Joe and John Spoonmore. Sister of Caroline Smith. Grandmother of nine. Great-grandmother of six.

STAHL, James F., 88, St. Bartholomew, Columbus, July 2. Brother of Carolyn O’Donnell and William Stahl.

STEWART, Susan K., 75, St. Jude, Indianapolis, July 5. Sister of John, Randy and Rod Stewart. Aunt and great-aunt of several.

TAMER, Martha (Hughett), 91, St. Therese of the Infant Jesus (Little Flower), Indianapolis, June 22. Mother of Maria, Matthew and Michael Tamer III. Sister of Mary Mayhan, Teena Soto. Grandmother of two.

TAYLOR, Susan D., 70, St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, Richmond, July 6. Mother of Alisha Fekete and Brandi Rosenberger. Grandmother of five.

WHITE, Jessy M. (Koers), 57, Holy Spirit, Indianapolis, July 2. Wife of Michael White. Mother of Nathan White. Sister of Kimberly Gregory, Keith and Vernon Koers, Jr.


Providence Sister Mary Catherine Keene was a music educator, served the elderly

Providence Sister Mary Catherine Keene, a member of the Sisters of Providence of Saint Mary-of-the-Woods in St. Mary-of-the-Woods, died on July 20 at Mother Theodore Hall on the campus of her religious community’s motherhouse. She was 85.

The Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Aug. 9 at the Church of the Immaculate Conception at the motherhouse in St. Mary-of-the-Woods. Burial will follow at the sisters’ cemetery.

Sister Mary Catherine was born on Dec. 20, 1938, in Indianapolis. She was educated in Indianapolis at St. Thomas Aquinas School and the former St. Agnes Academy. Sister Mary Catherine entered the Sisters of Providence on Feb. 2, 1957, from Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish in Indianapolis. She professed final vows on Aug. 15, 1964.

Sister Mary Catherine earned a bachelor’s degree in music at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College and a master’s degree in music at the University of Illinois in Champaign, Ill., and a master of theological studies degree at the Catholic Theological Union in Chicago.

During her 67 years as a member of the Sisters of Providence, Sister Mary Catherine ministered as a music teacher in Catholic schools for 10 years in Illinois and Indiana.

She served as director of liturgy for the Diocese of Memphis, Tenn., from 1983-90. While later caring for her mother in Indianapolis for

20 years, Sister Mary Catherine also led retreats and organized activities in adult day care programs.

After her mother’s death, Sister Mary Catherine specialized in caring for memory loss residents in nursing homes in Indianapolis. After retiring to the motherhouse in 2007, she served as activities coordinator for nine years.

In the archdiocese, Sister Mary Catherine served at the former St. Ann School in Terre Haute from 1971-1977 and in Indianapolis in leadership in her order’s Indianapolis-based St. Gabriel Province from 1986-1990, at A Caring Place Adult Day Care from 1999-2005 and at Lakeview Manor Health Care from 2005-2007.

She is survived by a sister, Mary LeFebre of Richardson, Texas.

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. †

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