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)
BENCKART, Fleurette M. (McMillin), 96, St. Charles Borromeo, Bloomington, June 30. Mother of Nancy Benchart Ohlmann, Sara Weil, Amy and Ted Benckart. Sister of Jane Bubier, Michael and Nugent McMillin. Grandmother of five. Great‑grandmother of three.
BRUHN, Petrina, 57, Nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, Indianapolis, June 7. Wife of Tom Bruhn. Mother of James and John Bruhn. Sister of Betty Bruno.
COLEMAN, Lois, 95, St. Bernard, Frenchtown, June 12. Mother of Dee McCully, Jeffrey and Myron Briscoe. Grandmother of five. Great-grandmother of four.
COMBS, Virginia L., 84, Our Lady of Perpetual Help, New Albany, July 1. Wife of Leonard Combs. Mother of Terri Day, Bridget Wilson, Brian, Edward and Richard Combs. Sister of Joyce Gibbons and Lennie Reinhardt. Grandmother of 11. Great‑grandmother of three.
DURM, Christopher, 25, Nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, Indianapolis, June 16. Son of Jeff Durm and Kelly Durm. Stepson of Amy Durm. Brother of Samantha, Colton and Joseph Durm. Grandson of Edward and Joyce Buckley, Richard and Josette Randolph and John and Deloris Durm.
GOEBEL, Kimberly F., 54, Prince of Peace, Madison, July 9. Daughter of David and Jean Goebel. Sister of Mark Goebel. Aunt of several.
LOWER, Barbara A., 53, St. Mary, Rushville, July 2. Wife of Tim Lower. Mother of Alysia Coburn, Ciara Walton, Samantha and Dustin Lower. Sister of Beth Meyer‑Burns and David Meyer. Grandmother of four.
MEISBERGER, Arthur E., 65, Prince of Peace, Madison, June 30. Father of Brandon, Drew and Tony Meisberger. Brother of Mary Hilton, Dolores Souder, Charlie, David, Donald, Dwight, John, Mark and Melvin Meisberger. Grandfather of three.
MEYER, James A., 77, Immaculate Conception, Millhousen, June 17. Husband of Rita Meyer. Father of Kelli Cobler and Kevin Meyer. Brother of William Meyer. Grandfather of four.
NAGLE, Roselyn Schneider, 77, Nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, Indianapolis, June 30. Mother of Theresa Marlin, Jim and Michael Schneider. Sister of Beverly Easton. Grandmother of nine. Great‑grandmother of 10.
PIETRYKOWSKI, Joanne M. (LaPorte), 89, Prince of Peace, Madison, June 30. Mother of Sharon Pietrykowski Peak, David, James, John, Patrick, Robert and Thomas Pietrykowski. Grandmother of 16. Great-grandmother of nine.
SCHOETTMER, Carolyn A., 81, Immaculate Conception, Millhousen, June 26. Sister of Susan Buening, Mary Jane Roberts, Dorothy Snyder, Helen Wagener, Norbert and William Schoettmer. Aunt, great‑aunt and great-great-aunt of several.
SEDLACKO, Stephen R., 77, St. Anne, New Castle, June 29. Father of Linda Hutton. Brother of Regina Bridge, Dolores Starkey, Donald, Eugene, Louis and Thomas Sedlacko. Grandfather of two.
SMITH, Bonnie J., 96,
St. Bernard, Frenchtown, July 2. Mother of Betty House and Phyllis Wernert. Sister of Helen Leszcynski. Grandmother of seven. Great‑grandmother of 13.
VIELLIEU, Walter R., 88, Immaculate Heart of Mary, Indianapolis, June 30. Husband of Rita Viellieu. Father of Brigitte Davis, Beth Fischer, Julie Thompson, Nanette, Ben, Dennis and Ken Viellieu. Grandfather of 13. Great‑grandfather of four.
Franciscan Sister Sharon Marie Blank served in Catholic education for 53 years
Franciscan Sister Sharon Marie Blank died on July 5 at St. Vincent Hospital in Indianapolis. A member of the Congregation of the Sisters of the Third Order of St. Francis in Oldenburg, she was 72.
The Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated on July 11 at the Motherhouse Chapel in Oldenburg. Burial followed at the sisters’ cemetery.
Sandra Anne Blank was born on Aug. 1, 1946, in Louisville, Ky. She entered the Sisters of St. Francis on Sept. 8, 1964, and professed final vows on Aug. 12, 1972.
During her 53 years of ministry in Catholic education, Sister Sharon Marie served in schools in Indiana, Kentucky and Missouri.
In the archdiocese, she served as principal at Our Lady of Perpetual Help School from 1985‑2000. While there, she also ministered as the parish’s organist.
Sister Sharon Marie is survived by her sisters, Franciscan Sister Sharon Blank and Sharlene Bruns.
Memorial gifts may be sent to the Sisters of St. Francis, P.O. Box 100, Oldenburg, IN 47036-0100. †