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)

BARRETT, Jr., Raymond J., 77, St. Joseph, Shelbyville, April 7. Brother of Kathie and Mike Barrett. Uncle of several.

COSGROVE, James T., 90, St. Luke the Evangelist, Indianapolis, March 26. Brother of Jennifer, Joe and John Cosgrove. Grandfather of four.

DAVIS, Robyn R. (Rochford), 65, St. Simon the Apostle, Indianapolis, March 20. Mother of Lauryn, Brian and Kevin Davis.

HILL, Susan E., 64, Prince of Peace, Madison, March 31. Mother of Sara Ackerman and Allison Stogsdill. Sister of Nancy Burkhardt and Charles Hill. Grandmother of two.

HOEHN, Dorothy A., 107, St. John Paul II, Sellersburg, March 22. Aunt of two.

KITCHIE, Carol, 87, St. Charles Borromeo, Bloomington, April 2. Mother of Susan Campbell and Neil Kitchie. Sister of Joseph and Robert Crouse. Grandmother of seven. Great-grandmother of two.

MAAS, Jr., John T., 72, St. Mary of the Immaculate Conception, Aurora, April 12. Husband of Angie Maas. Father of Andrew and John Maas III. Brother of Mary Lou Kern, Jerry, Joe and Tony Maas. Grandfather of one.

MATHIES, Doris J., 94, St. Joseph, Shelbyville, March 29. Mother of Marilyn Branstetter, Karen Bushfield, Angela File, Tamara Long, Sandra Mathies-Borden, Dana, Randy and Steve Mathies. Sister of Virlee Dedrick, Jerry and Jim Matheis. Grandmother of 16. Great-grandmother of 16.

RAY, Norma J., 85, St. Joseph, Shelbyville, March 27. Mother of Carmella Russell, Joe and Michael Leone and Todd Ray. Grandmother of 10. Great-grandmother of seven.

SHEPARD, Gary J., 74, St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, Richmond, April 2. Husband of Becky Shepard. Father of Cortney Palencia. Brother of May O’Maley, Billie Perry and Jane Woolwine. Grandfather of four.

SIMPSON, Kenneth L., 77, St. Paul, Tell City, April 4. Husband of Sandra Simpson. Father of Jennifer, David, Leo, Steven, Thomas and Will. Brother of Bill and Richard Simpson.

VENNEMANN, Ruth, 90, St. Luke the Evangelist, Indianapolis, March 19. Mother of Mary Beth, Joe and Michael Venneman. Sister of Tom Koenig. Grandmother of seven. Great-grandmother of five.

WINGLER, Asa, 45, St. Michael, Bradford, April 9. Husband of Courtney Wingler. Father of Jaden Wingler and Brady Benskin. Stepfather of Tynslee and Brogan. Brother of Teresa Limon and Debbie Parsons. Grandfather of three.

Providence Sister Mary Lois Hennel served in Catholic schools and in administration in the archdiocese

Providence Sister Mary Lois Hennel, a member of the Sisters of Providence of Saint Mary-of-the-Woods in St. Mary-of-the-Woods, died on April 3 at Providence Healthcare at the motherhouse. She was 98.

The Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated on April 23 at the Church of the Immaculate Conception at the motherhouse in St. Mary-of-the-Woods. Burial followed at the sisters’ cemetery.

Sister Mary Lois was born on April 18, 1927, in Evansville, Ind. She entered the Sisters of Providence on July 21, 1946, and professed final vows on Jan. 23, 1954.

Sister Mary Lois earned a bachelor’s degree in education at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College and a master’s degree in education at Indiana State University in Terre Haute.

During her 79 years as a member of the Sisters of Providence, Sister Mary Lois served as an educator in Catholic schools for 21 years in Illinois, Indiana, Massachusetts and New Hampshire.

In the archdiocese, in addition to serving at the motherhouse, Sister Mary Lois ministered at the former St. Anne School in New Castle in 1954, and in Indianapolis at the former St. Andrew the Apostle School from 1954-60 and the former St. Joseph School from 1963-65.

From 1970 until her retirement from ministry in 2002, she served for different periods in administration for her religious community, at Mother Theodore Guérin High School in River Grove, Ill., and in the metropolitan tribunal of the Archdiocese of San Francisco.

Returning in 2002 to live at the motherhouse, Sister Mary Lois volunteered in her community’s business office and at the Providence Food Pantry in West Terre Haute. She dedicated herself entirely to prayer beginning in 2022.

Sister Mary Lois is survived by a sister, Maggie Hennel of Avon, Ohio, and a brother, Joseph Hennel of Fort Wayne, Ind.

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. †