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)
BAUER, Liberty Belle, 94, Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, Jeffersonville, Jan. 5. Mother of Carol and Donald Bauer. Stepmother of Robert Bauer. Grandmother of five. Great-grandmother of four.
BENZ, Mary Lou, 93, St. Luke the Evangelist, Indianapolis, Jan. 17. Mother of John, Paul and Dr. R. Daniel Benz. Grandmother of four. Great-grandmother of two.
BROUMUND, Fred J., 59, St. Pius X, Indianapolis, Jan. 13. Son of Margaret Bromund. Brother of Anne Miller, Jane, Carl, Dave, Mark and Paul Bromund.
COULTER, Robert Riddle, Jr., 57, Christ the King, Indianapolis, Jan. 17. Husband of Kelley Coulter. Father of Ashley Ryan, Dustin and Robert Coulter. Brother of Kathy Lehner and Nancy Wehrling. Grandfather of five.
DRYER, Louise M., 92, St. Christopher, Indianapolis, Jan. 17. Mother of Michael Dryer. Sister of Harriet Sladek. Grandmother of 17. Great-grand-mother of 26.
FREY, Lawrence, 88, St. Joseph, St. Leon, Jan. 19. Husband of Doris (Hahn) Frey. Father of Barbara Ault, Bev Stone, Betty, Bill, Brian and Robert Frey. Grandfather of 13. Great-grandfather of seven.
GAVETTE, Catherine (Brady), 65, St. Pius X, Indianapolis, Dec. 5. Mother of Angela and John Finney. Sister of Patsy Allen, Peggy Burke, Sarah Cannon, Louise Mayfield, Liz Scharf and Mike Brady. Grand-mother of six.
GREBEZS, Janis, 100, Most Holy Name of Jesus, Beech Grove, Jan. 17.
HANKINS, Mary Evelyn, 86, Mary, Queen of Peace, Danville, Dec. 28. Mother of Susie Crandall. Sister of Jack Eckert. Grandmother of five.
HOSTETLER, Michael Warren, 70, St. Charles Borromeo, Bloomington, Jan. 12. Husband of Barbara Hostetler. Stepson of Agatha Hostetler-Adams. Father of Nancy Archer. Brother of Cindy Brown, Cassandra Tomlinson-Adams, Lori Wilkerson, Joe and John Heagy. Grandfather of two.
KAISER, Jane (Corbin), 60, Holy Family, New Albany, Jan. 15. Wife of John Kaiser. Mother of Anna, John and Patrick Kaiser. Sister of Emilie Meldahl, Christie Wafford and Tom Corbin. Grandmother of four.
KNIGHT, Mary E., 97, Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, Jeffersonville, Jan. 4. Mother of Karen Lovan, Teresa Popp, Jacqueline Thomas, Charles, David and Thomas Knight. Sister of Jeanne Taflinger. Grand-mother of 20. Great-grandmother of 30.
LUND, Mary Margaret, 88, Holy Spirit, Indianapolis, Jan. 15. Mother of MaryAnn Barkes, Donna Stearley, Bill, Bob, Don, Jim, John, Patrick and Tom Lund. Sister of Jean McCaslin. Grandmother of 17. Great-grand-mother of 16.
MERCHO, Malak, 82, St. Simon the Apostle, Indianapolis, Jan. 15.
MORIARTY, Thomas, 81, St. Barnabas, Indianapolis, Jan. 17. Husband of Patricia Moriarty. Father of Patricia Janitz, Joan Tutino, Daniel, John, Kerry and Steven Moriarty. Brother of Patrick Moriarty. Grandfather of 11. Great-grandfather of six.
MUCKERHEIDE, Ralph E., 73, St. Mary, Greensburg, Jan. 18. Husband of Martha Muckerheide. Father of Michelle Gable and Scott Muckerheide. Brother of Carol Hahn, Marilyn Land, Dale, James and Robert Muckerheide. Grandfather of four.
PICH, Josephine M., 88, Most Holy Name of Jesus, Beech Grove, Dec. 29. Mother of Janie Killion, Mary Frances Moran, Nancy Prather and Kathleen Spotts. Grandmother of 14. Great-grandmother of 18.
SCHMIDT, Richard E., 80, Our Lady of Perpetual Help, New Albany, Jan. 22. Father of Claudia Hernandez, Jackie Karem, Brian and Tommy Schmidt. Brother of Evelyn Banet, Bill and Carl Schmidt. Grandfather of 15.
SCHWARTZ, Edward J., 86, St. Augustine, Jeffersonville, Jan. 10. Husband of Frances Schwartz. Father of Mary Kay Faith, Susan Shaughnessy and Linda Vittitow. Grandfather of eight. Great-grandfather of two.
SMITH, Florence (King), 90, Holy Spirit, Indianapolis, Jan. 21. Mother of Peggy Collins, Betsey Bergmeyer, Mary Pharis, James and Michael King. Sister of Betty Hull. Grandmother of 16. Great-grandmother of nine.
SPINA, Victor A., Sr., 73, St. Martin of Tours, Martinsville, Jan. 21. Husband of Mildred Spina. Father of Gregory, Victor Jr. and William Spina. Grand-father of eight. Great-grandfather of one.
VINCI, Mary Catherine, 91, Sacred Heart of Jesus, Indianapolis, Jan. 16. Aunt of several.
Providence Sister Catherine Mayer taught at Catholic schools for 35 years
Providence Sister Catherine Mayer died on Jan. 29 at Mother Theodore Hall at St. Mary-of-the-Woods. She was 82.
The Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated on Feb. 1 at the Church of the Immaculate Conception at the motherhouse. Burial followed at the sisters’ cemetery.
Barbara Ann Mayer was born on Jan. 23, 1931, in Evanston, Ill.
She entered the Sisters of Providence of Saint Mary-of-the-Woods on Jan. 6, 1949, and professed final vows on Aug. 15, 1956.
Sister Catherine earned a bachelor’s degree in education at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College.
During 64 years as a Sister of Providence, she ministered as an educator for 35 years in Catholic schools in Indiana, Illinois and Massachusetts. In the archdiocese, she ministered at the former St. Joseph School in Terre Haute from 1956-57.
After retiring as a teacher, Sister Catherine ministered as an administrative assistant for 16 years at Costa Catholic School in Galesburg, Ill. In 2005, she returned to the motherhouse and volunteered in a variety of ministries. Beginning in 2011, she dedicated herself completely to prayer.
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. †