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)
BALUYOT, Dr. Gregorio R., 77, St. Mary, Greensburg, June 18. Husband of Violeta (Vigilia) Baluyot. Father of Michelle Chadwell, David and Willard Baluyot. Grandfather of 10.
BURKE, Sharon P., 75, Holy Family, New Albany, June 19. Wife of Dan Burke. Mother of Anne Richards. Sister of Sandra Daily. Grandmother of two.
COLLINS, Richard L., 79, Good Shepherd, Indianapolis, June 10. Husband of Candy Collins. Father of Deborah Skaggs, Terri Wilson, Darlene Wood, Robert and Scott Howe. Grandfather of six. Great-grandfather of five.
CONSTANTINO, Mary Nancy, 83, Holy Rosary, Indianapolis, June 23. Sister of Santa Bayt.
ELPERS, Karey Sue, 38, June 24, St. Jude, Indianapolis. Wife of John Elpers. Mother of Anna and Elise Elpers. Daughter of Karen Smith and Ronald Schucker. Granddaughter of Norma and Richard Hines. Sister of Georgettea Schucker.
GEHRICH, David Lee, 71, St. Therese of the Infant Jesus (Little Flower), Indianapolis, June 17. Father of Lt. Col. David and Aaron Gehrich. Brother of Generose Mahoney, Edward, Ernest and James Gehrich. Grandfather of two.
HARMEYER, Charles R., 78, St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross, Bright, June 14. Husband of Mae Harmeyer. Father of Karen Janson, Kimberly McFarland and David Harmeyer. Brother of Virginia Cushard. Grandfather of nine. Great-grandfather of five.
HARPRING, Edgar F., 85, St. Bartholomew, Columbus, June 9. Husband of Thelma (Lecher) Harpring. Father of Jeanette Barker, Susan Walters, David, John and Samuel Harpring. Brother of Lois Laudick, Luella Lecher, Evera Wissel and Vernon Harpring. Grandfather of 11. Great-grandfather of eight.
HEPPNER, Daren M., 49, St. Louis, Batesville, June 24. Father of Alyssa and Amber Heppner. Son of Jerry Heppner. Brother of Debbie Hughes and Dena Heppner.
LECHER, Joseph J., 93, St. Mary, Greensburg, June 17. Husband of Elsie (Clark) Lecher. Father of David and Mike Lecher. Brother of Ida Nobbe, Ed, Jim and Paul Lecher. Grandfather of two.
LOVE, Marilyn M., 84, St. Jude, Indianapolis, June 16. Mother of Cynthia Love, Mary Schmalfeldt and Paula Sidebottom. Grandmother of nine. Great-grandmother of two.
MUIR, Mary Pearl, 91, St. Martin of Tours, Martinsville, June 17. Mother of Jean Majors and Robert Muir. Grandmother of five. Great-grandmother of seven.
NOOL, Juanita, 64, St Jude, Indianapolis, June 22. Wife of Octavio Nool. Mother of Kim Katekaro, Amy Reyes and Erik Nool. Sister of Cion Blanco, Sitang de la Cruz, Mar and Pat Andres. Grandmother of five.
PONGRACZ, Vincent Paul, 76, St. Bartholomew, Columbus, June 12. Husband of Margaret (Wontorek) Pongracz. Father of Denise Langhenry, Phillip and William Pongracz. Brother of Eugene and Ronald Pongracz. Grandfather of four.
VAUGHN, Virginia L., (Yielsa), 90, Prince of Peace, Madison, June 18. Mother of Kay Neace, Nancy, Sharon and Jon Yielsa. Grandmother of three.
WESBECKER, George W., 83, Prince of Peace, Madison, June 19. Husband of Clarita Wesbecker. Father of Marie Abbot, Georgina Deveary, Genise Huey and Marline Siderys. Brother of Rose Marie Eldridge. Grandfather of nine. Great-grandfather of two.
A native of Cuba, Franciscan Sister Carmen de Barros ministered for 43 years in Catholic high schools and fostered religious vocations
Franciscan Sister Carmen de Barros, formerly Sister Francis Mary de Barros, died on June 3, 2014, at the motherhouse of the Congregation of the Sisters of the Third Order of St. Francis in Oldenburg. She was 91.
The Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated on June 9 at the Motherhouse Chapel in Oldenburg. Burial followed at the sisters’ cemetery.
Carmen Enriqueta de Barros was born on March 10, 1923, in Havana, Cuba.
She came to the United States in 1940 after having been awarded a scholarship to study at Marian University in Indianapolis.
She entered the Sisters of St. Francis on Sept. 5, 1944, and professed final vows on Aug. 12, 1951.
During 69 years as a Sister of St. Francis, Sister Carmen ministered for 43 years in Catholic schools in Illinois, Indiana and Ohio, teaching Spanish, biology and religion in several high schools.
In the archdiocese, she taught at the Oldenburg Academy of the Immaculate Conception in Oldenburg, the former St. Mary Academy in Indianapolis and Father Thomas Scecina Memorial High School in Indianapolis.
Following her ministry in Catholic education, Sister Carmen founded the Casa Franciscana de Alegria in Chicago. It was a house for Hispanic women discerning possible vocations to religious life. She ministered at the Casa for 14 years and then retired to the motherhouse.
She is survived by several nieces and nephews.
Memorial gifts may be sent to the Sisters of St. Francis, Oldenburg, IN 47036-0100.
Providence Sister William Eyke ministered for 45 years at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College
Providence Sister William Eyke died on June 19, 2014 at Mother Theodore Hall at St. Mary-of-the-Woods. She was 91.
The Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated on June 26 at the Church of the Immaculate Conception at the motherhouse. Burial followed at the sisters’ cemetery.
Dorothy Eyke was born on June 12, 1923, in Muskegon, Mich.
She entered the Sisters of Providence of Saint Mary-of-the-Woods on July 22, 1958, and professed final vows on Aug. 15, 1966.
Prior to entering the Sisters of Providence, Sister William earned bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees in chemistry at the University of Michigan. She then took a position teaching chemistry at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College in 1951.
While teaching there, she discerned a call to religious life with the Sisters of Providence, but taught for a year at Marquette University in Milwaukee, Wis. before entering the community in 1958.
After completing her novitiate, Sister William returned to the Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College to teach chemistry and, for a period, to serve in its administration. She ministered full-time there from 1961-98. From then until 2005, she taught on a part-time basis. Beginning in 2011, Sister William dedicated herself entirely to prayer.
Sister William is survived by nieces and nephews.
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. †