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)
AUSTERMAN, Alice, 83, St. Andrew, Richmond, April 17. Mother of Ruth Alexandre, Marilyn Petty, Marjorie Schuck, Charlie, David, Fred, John and Raymond Austerman. Sister of Jane Johnson, Evelyn Williams, Carl, Edward, Elmer, Fred and Howard Turner. Grandmother of 14. Great-grandmother of 11.
BAKER, Frances (Wade), 87, St. Barnabas, Indianapolis, April 24. Mother of Rita Berning, Elizabeth Georg, Kathleen Johnson, Mary Patricia Kiefer, Susan Kirschner, Theresa Romer, Maureen, Hugh Jr., John and Vincent Baker. Sister of Joan Baker and Joseph Wade. Grandmother of 24. Great-grandmother of 23.
BENNA, Mary, 79, Sacred Heart of Jesus, Terre Haute, April 14. Wife of John J. Benna. Mother of Anita Martin, Frank, John Jr. and Mike Benna. Sister of Wesley Hall. Grandmother of eight.
BLANFORD, Virginia, 83, Holy Family, Richmond, April 13. Mother of Ann Adams, Barb Easley, Teri Sundine, Sue Westerman, Bill, Larry, Ron and Ted Blanford. Grandmother of 14. Great-grandmother of four.
BRINKSNEADER, Vernon, 78, St. Paul, Tell City, April 19. Husband of Norma Jean Brinksneader. Father of Vickie Schaefer and Mark Brinksneader. Brother of Shirley Garrett, Marilyn Lawson, Virginia Ramsey and Marvin Brinksneader. Grandfather of four.
BRUNNER, Mildred A., 82, St. John the Baptist, Osgood, and St. Monica, Indianapolis, March 25. Mother of Janet Christie, Bonnie Sue Cornn, Mary Mathis, Tammy, David and John Brunner. Grandmother of 17. Great-grandmother of 39.
BUCHANAN, Josephine, 90, St. Jude, Indianapolis, April 15. Mother of Charlotte Houser and Debra Wood. Sister of Sarah Clements and Joseph DeLuca. Grandmother of nine. Great-grandmother of 26. Great-great-grandmother of one.
BURKHARDT, Mary, 87, St. Mark the Evangelist, Indianapolis, April 2. Mother of Terrie Kremer, Toni Manley, Barbara Smith, Chris and Steve Burkhardt. Grandmother of 16. Great-grandmother of five.
COX, Joyce Ann, 75, Sacred Heart, Jeffersonville, March 31. Wife of Phillip R. Cox. Mother of Mike and Tim Cox. Sister of Lynn Barnes, Gale Kelly and Dale Flynn. Grandmother of four. Great-grandmother of two.
CRAIG, Nadene, 71, Holy Family, Richmond, April 16. Mother of Kim Benton, Vicki Madow, Jenni Mosier and Gregory Craig. Grandmother of seven. Step-grandmother of one.
DATTILO, Myrna L., 70, Prince of Peace, Madison, April 13. Wife of Anthony Dattilo. Mother of Lisa Morgan, Anthony Jr. and Philip Dattilo. Daughter of Emma Wise. Grandmother of six.
DRAGA, Thelma Alice, 87, St. Luke the Evangelist, Indianapolis, April 8. Mother of Edith Stevens and John Draga. Grandmother of four. Great-grandmother of one.
FELDHAKE, Mary Magdalene (Kelich), 88, St. Mark the Evangelist, Indianapolis, March 28. Mother of Barbara Stiegemeier, Bob, Greg, Jerry, Rick and Steve Feldhake. Sister of Jerry, Joe and Ted Kelich. Grandmother of 13. Great-grandmother of nine.
FOLKER, Edward J., 85, St. Luke the Evangelist, Indianapolis, April 1. Husband of Mercedes Folker. Father of Craig and Gary Folker.
HECKER, Thomas Daniel, 57, St. Paul, Sellersburg, April 14. Father of Kevin and Travis Hecker. Son of Dorothy Hecker. Brother of James Hecker, Harry and John Graham.
JOHNSTON, Juanita J., 81, St. Luke the Evangelist, Indianapolis, March 22. Wife of Fred Johnston. Mother of Susan Barber, Sally White and Fred Johnston. Sister of Don and Jerry Nichols. Grandmother of six.
MALICOAT, Sondra, 69, St. Andrew, Richmond, April 13. Wife of Delbert Malicoat. Mother of Pamela Dill, Lisa Fitzwater, Cynthia Manning, Brenda Musselman, Angela Ozbun and Debbie Wilson. Grandmother of 13. Great-grandmother of three.
MARREN, Frank, 55, St. Jude, Indianapolis, April 14. Husband of Nancy (Kirch) Marren. Father of Jennifer Andrews and Kathleen Boone. Son of Frank Marren. Brother of Michael Marren. Grandfather of one.
MYERS, Marie Frances, 89, St. Luke the Evangelist, Indianapolis, April 6. Mother of Eric Myers.
PARRISH, Steven Paul, 55, Nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, Indianapolis, April 17. Father of Sara Durbin and Jessica Parrish. Son of Joan Gootee. Brother of Jennifer Boggess, Pamela Noblet, Janice Ramsey, Denise Smoot and Lori Young. Grandfather of six.
PINTO, Betty (Gibson), 81, St. Luke the Evangelist, Indianapolis, April 15. Mother of Patricia Keiffner, Barbara Strassel and Charles Pinto Jr. Grandmother of three. Great-grandmother of two.
RICHTER, Frederick, 83, St. Andrew, Richmond, April 17. Husband of Shirla Richter. Father of Beth Bloomington, Linda Cohen, Marilyn Dann, Mary Johnson, Sandra Montgomery, John and P. Michael Richter. Brother of Joseph Richter. Grandfather of 17. Great-grandfather of five.
ROGERS, George, 88, Sacred Heart, Jeffersonville, March 22. Husband of Dorothy Rogers. Father of Mark, Michael and Kevin Rogers. Brother of Edward Rogers. Grandfather of nine. Great-grandfather of one.
SEABOLT, Arlie, 68, Holy Family, New Albany, April 17. Husband of Karen Seabolt. Father of four. Grandfather of four.
SMITH, Theodore, 50, Holy Spirit, Indianapolis, March 17. Brother of Pat Caskey, Sue Goodson, Barb Pellegrin, Bob, Danny, Donny, Phil, Rick, Steve and Tim Smith.
STEED, William Andrew, Jr., 82, St. Bartholomew, Columbus, April 15. Husband of Elaine Steed. Father of James, Dr. Joseph, Thomas and William Carpenter. Brother of Betty and Paul Steed. Grandfather of eight. Great-grandfather of three.
WERNER, Donald, 71, St. Mark the Evangelist, Indianapolis, March 4. Father of Carol Fisher, Valerie Miller and Michelle Werner. Brother of Barbara DeMasie, JoEllen Forestal and Marilyn May. Grandfather of three.
WHITE, Marjorie Ann, 71, St. Louis, Batesville, April 15. Mother of Terry Harmeyer and Michael White. Sister of Patricia Woolf, David and Ronnie Abplanalp. Grandmother of three. Great-grandmother of two.
WHITE, Mickie, 85, Holy Family, Richmond, April 6. Mother of Dennis White. Grandmother of one.
WILGUS, Harold, 84, St. Joseph, Shelbyville, April 20. Husband of Mabel (Schmidt) Wilgus. Father of Linda Graves and Donald Wilgus. Brother of Mabel Craig and Charles Wilgus. Grandfather of four. Great-grandfather of five.
Dorothy Joy Schaedel was the mother of the vicar general
Dorothy Joy Schaedel, the mother of Msgr. Joseph F. Schaedel, vicar general, died on April 24 at Forum at the Crossing in Indianapolis following a long illness. She was 87.
The Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated on April 28 at Holy Name of Jesus Church in Beech Grove. Burial followed at Holy Cross Cemetery in Indianapolis.
A graduate of the former St. John Academy in Indianapolis, Joy (Noone) Schaedel was the daughter of the late Dennis and Helen (McGinty) Noone and the widow of Joseph F. Schaedel Sr.
She worked at the L.S. Ayres credit department in Indianapolis for 25 years and retired in 1982.
Surviving are a daughter, Jan Marten; two sons, Msgr. Joseph F. Schaedel and John D. Schaedel; six sisters, Joellen Eckstein, Helen Gaspen, Mary Ann Grande, Betty Hoffman, Colette Philhower and Kay Woods; four brothers, Dennis, Francis, Stephen and Thomas Noone; and three grandchildren.
Memorial gifts may be sent to Holy Name of Jesus Parish, 89 N. 17th Ave., Beech Grove, IN 46107.
Providence Sister Rose Marie Thole
was a nurse and supervisor
Providence Sister Rose Marie Thole, formerly Sister Anthony Marie, died on April 20 at Mother Theodore Hall at the motherhouse in Saint Mary-of-the-Woods. She was 70.
The Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated on April 26 at the Church of the Immaculate Conception at the motherhouse. She donated her body to science, and burial will take place at the sisters’ cemetery at the motherhouse at a later date.
Rose Marie Thole was born on Sept. 15, 1937, in Evansville, Ind. She entered the congregation of the Sisters of Providence on Jan. 5, 1955, and professed first vows on Aug. 15, 1957, and final vows on Aug. 15, 1962.
Sister Rose Marie earned a bachelor’s degree in education at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College and a bachelor’s degree in nursing at St. Xavier University in Chicago.
During 53 years as a Sister of Providence, Sister Rose Marie ministered in health care for 46 years in Indiana, Illinois and California.
Sister Rose Marie served 10 years as a surgical nurse at Lutheran General Hospital in Park Ridge, Ill.; four years at the UCLA Medical Center in Los Angeles; and 10 years at the Christopher Center in Evansville, Ind.
She ministered in health care at the motherhouse for 29 years, and served as supervisor and assistant director of nursing for 13 years. She ministered at the infirmary from 1959-65 and at Providence Health Care from 1987-88.
Surviving are a sister, Sally Kroener of Los Angeles, and three nephews.
Memorial gifts may be sent to the Sisters of Providence, Saint Mary-of-the-Woods, St. Mary-of-the-Woods, IN 47876.
Providence Sister Catherine Ellen Joy
was a teacher for 48 years
Providence Sister Catherine Ellen Joy died on April 14 at Mother Theodore Hall at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods. She was 90.
The Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated on April 22 at the Church of the Immaculate Conception at the motherhouse. Burial followed at the sisters’ cemetery there.
The former Helen Veronica Joy was born on Feb. 7, 1918, in Chicago. She entered the congregation of the Sisters of Providence on Jan. 11, 1936, and professed first vows on Aug. 15, 1938, and final vows on Aug. 15, 1944.
Sister Catherine Ellen earned a bachelor’s degree in education at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College.
During 72 years as a Sister of Providence, she ministered in education for 48 years at Catholic schools in Indiana and Illinois.
In the archdiocese, Sister Catherine Ellen taught at St. Patrick School in Terre Haute from 1952-55. She taught at St. Joseph School in Jasper, Ind., in the Evansville Diocese from 1955-56.
In 1986, she retired from teaching and moved to the motherhouse, where she ministered in health care and at the resource center. Last fall, she dedicated herself full-time to the ministry of prayer.
Surviving are a sister, Catherine Kotnaur of Chicago, as well as several nieces and nephews.
Memorial gifts may be sent to the Sisters of Providence, Saint Mary-of-the-Woods, St. Mary-of-the-Woods, IN 47876.
Franciscan Sister Helen Lawrence
served as a teacher, administrator
Franciscan Sister Helen Lawrence, formerly Sister Cherubine, died on April 19 at St. Clare Hall, the health care facility for the Sisters of the Third Order of St. Francis, at the motherhouse in Oldenburg. She was 93.
The Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated on April 22 at the motherhouse chapel in Oldenburg. Burial followed at the sisters’ cemetery there.
She was born on Dec. 24, 1914, in Dayton, Ohio, and entered the Oldenburg Franciscan community on Dec. 29, 1934, then professed her final vows on July 2, 1940.
Sister Helen ministered as a teacher, principal and school supervisor.
In Indianapolis, she served at Little Flower School, the former Holy Trinity School, the former St. Mary Academy and St. Michael School.
Sister Helen also served in Cincinnati and Dayton. From 1968-84, she was the science coordinator for the Office of Catholic Education in the Archdiocese of Cincinnati.
In later years, she served the congregation as a grant writer for special projects then retired to St. Clare Hall in 1995.
Surviving are a sister, Franciscan Sister Mary Emmett Lawrence of Oldenburg, and several nieces and nephews.
Memorial gifts may be sent to the Sisters of St. Francis, P.O. Box 100, Oldenburg, IN 47036. †