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)
ABELL, Louis, 92, Good Shepherd, Indianapolis, July 18. Husband of Patricia Abell. Father of Carolyn Jones, Alfred, George and Raymond Abell. Stepfather of Laura Plunkett, Gregory, Philip and Timothy Niggle. Brother of Mary Young, Frank, J.P., Pike and Wayne Abell. Grandfather of 16. Great-grandfather of four.
ALDIN, Allison, 19, St. Luke, Indianapolis, June 30. Daughter of Kevin and Kathryn (Muskat) Aldin. Sister of Christopher Aldin. Granddaughter of Ralph and Dona Muskat.
BAUMANN, Dorothy M., 63, St. Jude, Indianapolis, July 11. Mother of Theresa Lucas, Kathleen, Michelle and Mark Baumann. Daughter of June Hughes. Sister of Norma Henderson. Grandmother of three.
BOLLMAN, Ana Margaret, 70, St. Malachy, Brownsburg, July 17. Wife of Lawrence Bollman. Mother of Susan, Bill, David and Jeff Bollman. Grandmother of eight. Great-grandmother of one.
BRANNEN, John, 59, Annunciation, Brazil, June 27. Husband of Cathy (Cleghorn) Brannen. Father of Jennifer Majors and Kelly Brannen. Brother of Mary Alice Brannen and Martha Mancuso. Half-brother of Brad and Randy Love. Grandfather of three.
BRUNS, Robert J., 74, St. Mary, Greensburg, July 16. Husband of Delores (Hoeing) Bruns. Father of Kathy Flinn, Marge, Mike and Steve Bruns. Brother of Ralph Bruns. Grandfather of 10.
COBB, Leverta C. (Watts), 84, St. Michael the Archangel, Indianapolis, April 12. Wife of Richard Cobb. Mother of Bert Jackson, James Schaffer, Joyce Williams, Okosuia and Richard Cobb Jr. Sister of Anthony Watts. Grandmother of seven. Great-grandmother of 15. Great-great-grandmother of two.
COOPER, Gladys, 77, Our Lady of Perpetual Help, New Albany, July 13. Sister of Mary Hunter, Judy Jacobi, Earlene Montgomery, James and Joseph Batliner.
CRAFTON, Howard K., 82, St. Lawrence, Indianapolis, July 15. Husband of Esther M. Crafton. Father of Frank and Steve Crafton. Brother of Frankie Goss. Grandfather of eight. Great-grandfather of 12. Great-great-grandfather of one.
KRESS, Mary E., 89, St. Roch, Indianapolis, July 19. Mother of Ruth Marien, Barbara Meisberger, Robert and Thomas Kress. Grandmother of 14. Great-grandmother of 17.
Dale Bruns served Catholic Church in central and southern Indiana
Dale E. Bruns, a member of Immaculate Conception Parish in Millhousen and longtime supporter of Catholic education and Catholic charities in the archdiocese, died on July 27 at Margaret Mary Hospital in Batesville. He was 79 and had suffered a stroke.
The Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated on Aug. 1 at Immaculate Conception Church in Millhousen. Burial followed at the parish cemetery.
“Through the years as vicar general of the archdiocese,” Msgr. Joseph F. Schaedel said, “I can say that I never met such a devoted family man and devoted Catholic as Dale Bruns. He was always friendly, upbeat and so in love with his wife, his family and his faith. He was a daily communicant.”
Joseph Therber, executive director of the archdiocesan Secretariat for Stewardship and Development, said “Dale Bruns epitomized friendship, prayer and optimism” in his daily life.
“He will long be remembered as a true Christian gentleman,” Therber said. “Dale’s undying devotion to his Catholic faith and family made him a role model many years ago. He was a blessing and a joy to be with.”
Bruns was born on Nov. 24, 1927, in Millhousen. He served in the U.S. Army during World War II, and was assigned to Gen. Douglas McArthur’s Honor Guard during the occupation of Japan.
With brothers Ralph, Donald and Robert, he founded Bruns Brothers Masonry in 1950. He was a member of the Bricklayers Union for more than 50 years. Bruns Brothers later merged with W.A. Gutzwiller Co. into Bruns-Gutzwiller General Contractors of Indiana.
Bruns received the Catholic Career Achievement Award for distinguished service to the Church, and was a member of the Knights of St. John in Millhousen.
He served as president of the Batesville Deanery Board of Education as well as on the board of trustees for the Catholic Community Foundation.
Bruns was a former president of Immaculate Conception Parish Council and served as co-chair with his wife, Teresa (Wickens) Bruns, of the archdiocesan Called to Serve: Parish Stewardship and United Catholic Appeal for 2005-06.
He is survived by his wife; seven children, Tess Bruns-Boldrey, Dr. Donna Bruns-Stockrahm, Holly, Dr. Dale, James, Thomas and Timothy Bruns; one brother, Ralph Bruns; and 14 grandchildren.
Memorial gifts may be sent to Immaculate Conception Parish, the Oldenburg Academy of Immaculate Conception or the Marian College Seminarian Fund. †