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)
BEMBENISTA, Fred, 95, St. Charles Borromeo, Bloomington, July 3. Husband of Lynda Bembenista. Father of Donna Panich and Thad Bembenista. Grandfather of five. Great-grandfather of seven.
BEZY, Mary B. (Ragains), 88, St. Mary-of-the-Knobs, Floyd County, July 4. Mother of Sheri Gahlinger and James Bezy. Grandmother of four. Great-grandmother of three.
BRANDENBURG, Hubert J., 90, St. Bartholomew, Columbus, June 28. Husband of Beverly Brandenburg. Father of Clayton Brandenburg. Stepfather of Dena Hasler, Beth Tomson and Rana Wetzel. Brother of Joyce Brandenburg. Grandfather of four. Great-grandfather of two. Step-grandfather of five. Step-great-grandfather of one.
CARR, Scot A., 60, St. Mary, Rushville, June 30. Husband of Linda Carr. Father of Harlie O’Dell and Ross Carr. Brother of Sandy Amenta, Kathy Stephens, Diane Stewart and Rick Carr. Grandfather of four.
CARROLL, Veronica, 67, St. Lawrence, Indianapolis, March 3. Wife of Mike Carroll. Mother of Alex and Doug Carroll.
CHENOWETH, Diana S., 88, St. Luke the Evangelist, Indianapolis, July 2. Mother of Kelly McCarthy Oxener and Colleen McCarthy Shapiro. Sister of Donna Weiler. Grandmother of 11. Great-grandmother of 15.
COGLIANESE, Mildred, 90, St. Matthew the Apostle, Indianapolis, July 7. Mother of Mary Antoni, Yvonne Scholl, Margaret Stempky, Anne, Elizabeth, Susan, John, Paul and Vincent Coglianese. Grandmother of 30. Great-grandmother of 37.
CORRIGAN, Jeannette M. (McCarty), 63, St. Therese of the Infant Jesus (Little Flower), Indianapolis, June 24. Wife of Brian Corrigan. Mother of Kaley Corrigan-Martin, and Colleen and Maureen Corrigan. Daughter of Inez McCarty. Sister of Marianna and Scott McCarty. Aunt of several.
DEVUONO, Hallie (Byron), 97, St. Augustine, Jeffersonville, March 15. Mother of Steve Byron. Grandmother of 10. Great-grandmother of 19.
FELIZ-VICTORIANO, Reynaldo, 37, St. Lawrence, Indianapolis, June 9. Son of Antonio Feliz Silvestre and Teofila Victoriano Cervantes.
FONTANELLA, Michelle M., 56, St. Therese of the Infant Jesus (Little Flower), Indianapolis, June 8. Sister of David, Patrick and Robert Fontanella. Stepsister of Joanne Sandy.
GARRETT, Jerry M., 79, St. Joseph, Crawford County, May 19. Husband of Mary Garrett. Father of Michael Garrett. Brother of Betty Horton, Durie, Jr., George and James Garrett. Grandfather of two. Great-grandfather of four.
GERTH, Janice A., 82, St. Bartholomew, Columbus, July 7. Wife of Larry Gerth. Mother of Gail Bryant, Julia Cowan, Melanie Hargis, Amy Thompson, Mark Brooks and Joe Gerth. Sister of Rita Roech, Gene and Keith Baker. Grandmother of 20. Great-grandmother of 21. Great-great-grandmother of four.
GRIFFITH, Theresa A., 35, St. Lawrence, Indianapolis, Feb. 3. Mother of Adeline Griffith. Daughter of Richard and Janice Griffith. Sister of Michael Griffith.
HILL, Judith C., 75, St. Luke the Evangelist, Indianapolis, June 12. Wife of John Hill. Mother of Timothy Hill. Sister of Marilyn Eelkema, Joyce Slawson, Bob and Larry Jansen.
HOFFMAN, Jean A., 88, Holy Spirit, Indianapolis, June 23. Mother of Andrew, Michael and Timothy Hoffman. Grandmother of one.
JOSEPH, Indrias, 68, Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, Jeffersonville, June 26. Husband of Catherine Joseph. Father of Robin Anthony, Rufi Benjamin, Ruby Kenneth, Rabi, Ravi and Roome Joseph. Grandfather of 16.
LINTZENICH, Theresa C., 68, Christ the King, Indianapolis, June 16. Mother of Clare Irvin. Sister of Stephanie Theil, Michelle Wildeman, Denise, Eric, Jeff, Joe, Philip and Tony Kohut.
LOCKER, Gene, 86, St. Michael the Archangel, Indianapolis, June 30. Father of Sarah Brown, Christina Zielinski, Elizabeth, Gregory and Michael Locker. Brother of Jetta, Nevah and William Locker. Grandfather of seven. Great-grandfather of one.
LOZIER, Ezra O., infant, All Saints Parish, Dearborn County, July 9. Son of Evan and Maleah Lozier. Grandson of Tom and Jane Fischer and Eric and Karen Lozier.
MARTIN, Leona E., 87, St. Augustine, Jeffersonville, June 27. Mother of Victoria Hield, Bruce, Danny, Francine, Francis, Kenny, Leopold, Roy, Terry and Tony Martin. Grandmother, great-grandmother, and great-great-grandmother of several.
MCKNIGHT, Judy, 81, St. Mary, New Albany, July 1. Mother of Jason McKnight. Grandmother of two.
MCMAHAN, Jimmie H., 90, Good Shepherd, Indianapolis, July 5. Husband of Rose Mary McMahan. Father of Elizabeth DeChant, Barbara Goelz, Brian, Robert and William McMahan. Grandfather of 10. Great-grandfather of 17.
MORRIS, Jim, 87, St. Augustine, Jeffersonville, June 11. Husband of JoAnn Morris. Father of Suzanne Johnson, Mary Ellen Trott, Dan and Steve Morris. Grandfather of seven. Great-grandfather of three.
PETERS, Patricia, 70, St. John Paul II, Sellersburg, July 2. Wife of William Peters. Mother of Becki Peters-Worth, Brian and Brent Peters. Grandmother of five.
POGUE, Jerome C., 81, SS. Francis and Clare of Assisi, Greenwood, June 26. Husband of JoAnn Pogue. Father of Michelle Grelle and Michael Pogue. Grandfather of nine.
POPP, Kenneth E., 90, St. Mary, New Albany, June 21.
Husband of Ruth Popp. Father of Cindy Bowling, Christopher, Kenneth and Kevin Popp. Brother of Barbara Beavin, Joanie Renn, Esther Wheatley, Bill, Maurice and Merlin Popp. Grandfather of seven. Great-grandfather of seven.
REYNOLDS, Mary A., 97, St. Anthony of Padua, Clarksville, June 28. Mother of Rebecca Blazek, Jeffrey and John Reynolds. Sister of Richard and Robert Andres. Grandmother of 10. Great-grandmother of four.
ROBSON, Bill, 82, St. Michael, Cannelton, July 4. Uncle of several.
SCHINDLER, Ann (Elliott), 92, St. Anthony of Padua, Clarksville, June 3. Mother of Phyllis Endris and Brad Schindler. Sister of William Elliott. Grandmother of two.
SELLMER, Bob, 88, St. Mary, New Albany, June 24. Husband of Maryann Sellmer. Father of Lovette Hall, Liesel LaMaster, David Krebs, Robert II and Todd Selmer. Brother of Susan Thompson. Grandfather and great-grandfather of several.
STIENS, Dorothy F., 95, St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, Richmond, July 4. Mother of Monica Gerstle, Shelley Mauger, Claudia Sell, Jessica and Peter Stiens. Grandmother of eight. Great-grandmother of 11.
TARTER, Mary, 92, St. Pius X, Indianapolis,
June 24. Sister of Sue Smith and Don Sorrell. Aunt and great-aunt of several.
TORLINE, Paul E., 82, Prince of Peace, Madison, July 10. Husband of Patricia Torline. Father of Angela Stockdale and Mark Torline. Brother of Charles and Dr. Phillip Torline. Grandfather of six. Great-grandfather of one.
WITT, Donald J., 96, Most Sorrowful Mother of God, Vevay, June 29. Father of Maribeth Duerstock, Donna, Carl, Eric and Kurt Witt. Grandfather of 14. Great-grandfather of 18.
XIQUE-CUAUTLE, Epifanio, 76, St. Lawrence, Indianapolis, Jan. 11. Father of Angelica, Artemia, Camila, Crispina, Domitila, Gudelia and Bernardo Xique.
Providence Sister Carolyn Kessler was a professor of applied linguistics for 25 years
Providence Sister Carolyn Kessler (previously Sister Ann Carolyn), a member of the Sisters of Providence of Saint Mary-of-the-Woods in St. Mary-of-the-Woods, died on July 7 at the Gibson Family Center in Terre Haute. She was 91.
The Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated on July 18 at the Church of the Immaculate Conception at the motherhouse in St. Mary-of-the-Woods. Burial followed at the sisters’ cemetery.
Sister Carolyn was born on June 19, 1932, in Evansville, Ind. She entered the Sisters of Providence on July 22, 1954, and professed final vows on Jan. 23, 1962.
Sister Carolyn earned a bachelor’s degree in French at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College and a master’s degree and doctorate in linguistics at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C.
During her 69 years as a member of the Sisters of Providence, Sister Carolyn ministered as an educator in Catholic high schools for 10 years in Illinois and Indiana. After earning a doctorate in linguistics, she served as a professor of applied linguistics on the faculty of the University of Texas at San Antonio from 1975-2000. From 2000-2015, she remained in Texas as a consultant in bilingual education. Sister Carolyn returned to the motherhouse in 2022.
In the archdiocese, she served at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College in St. Mary-of-the-Woods from 1971-72.
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.
Dominican Father Stanley Drongowski served at St. Paul Catholic Center in Bloomington
Dominican Father Stanley Drongowski, a member of the Dominican Province of St. Albert the Great based in Chicago, died on July 9 in Galena, Ill. He was 71.
The Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated on July 18 at St. Vincent Ferrer Church in River Forest, Ill. Burial followed at All Saints Cemetery in Des Plaines, Ill.
Father Stanley was born on Sept. 25, 1951, in Cleveland, Ohio. He entered the Dominicans after earning a bachelor’s degree in English at Kent State University in Kent, Ohio, professing first vows on
Oct. 4, 1975, and being ordained a priest on Oct. 6, 1979. After ordination, Father Stanley earned a doctorate in ministry with a focus on homiletics at the Aquinas Institute of Theology in Dubuque, Iowa (now in
St. Louis).
Father Stanley served in parish ministry in Wisconsin and as a novice master for his order. Beginning in 2005 until his death, he served in campus ministry. This included ministering to the students of Indiana University in Bloomington from 2005-12 as associate pastor of the St. Paul Catholic Center. From 2013 until his death, he served in campus ministry at Aquinas College in Grand Rapids, Mich.
A memorial Mass for Father Stanley will be celebrated at 10 a.m. on Aug. 12 at the St. Paul Catholic Center, 1413 E. 17th St.,
in Bloomington.
Father Stanley is survived by sisters Susan Barry, Laure Beal,
Mary Dworakowski, Amy Reilly and
Shari Chandra and a brother,
Steve Drongowski.
Providence Sister Margaret Heese served in Catholic schools for 33 years
Providence Sister Margaret Heese, a member of the Sisters of Providence of Saint Mary-of-the-Woods in St. Mary-of-the-Woods, died on July 21 at the Mother Theodore Hall on the campus of her religious community’s motherhouse. She was 91.
The Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated on July 27 at the Church of the Immaculate Conception at the motherhouse in St. Mary-of-the-Woods. Burial followed at the sisters’ cemetery.
Sister Margaret was born on Sept. 26, 1931, in Robstown, Texas. She entered the Sisters of Providence on June 17, 1947, and professed final vows on Jan. 23, 1955.
Sister Margaret earned a bachelor’s degree in education at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College and a master’s degree in art education at Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff, Ariz.
During her 76 years as a member of the Sisters of Providence, Sister Carolyn ministered as an educator in Catholic schools for 33 years in California, Illinois, Indiana, Oklahoma and Texas. She later served in parish ministry in California and Texas before returning to the motherhouse in 2001 where she assisted as a seamstress.
In the archdiocese, Sister Margaret served at St. Thomas Aquinas School in Indianapolis from 1958-60, at the motherhouse archives from 2001-02 and in the motherhouse sewing room from 2002-23.
She is survived by sisters Carolyn Heman of Monet, Miss., and Mary Rose Skrobarczyk of Kingsville, Texas, and a brother, James Heese of Tucson, Ariz.
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. †