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)
AGUIRRE, Albert R., 48, Holy Spirit, Indianapolis, June 11. Husband of Annette Mirasol. Father of Ava, Adan, Angel and Ashton Aguirre. Son of Esperanza Aguirre. Brother of Margarita Aguirre-Moreno, Brenda Ramirez, Hector Aguirre and Juan Carlos Aguirre Heras.
ANDERSON, Joel, 62, St. Michael the Archangel, Indianapolis, June 18. Husband of Barbara Anderson. Father of Hilary Adkins, Angel Thomas, Barbara Thompson, Tracy, Donald and Joshua Anderson. Brother of Maria Lee, Carla and William Anderson. Grandfather of 16. Great-grandfather of two.
ATKINS, Martha M., 85, St. Mary-of-the-Knobs, Floyd County, June 17. Mother of Theresa Harpenau. Grandmother of one.
COZART, Patrick, 31, American Martyrs, Scottsburg, June 11. Son of Richard and Patricia Cozart. Grandson of Earl and Judy Cozart and Howard and Janice Nowlin.
GALOFARO, Anita E. (Wernz), 100, Our Lady of Perpetual Help, New Albany, June 17. Mother of Julie Galofaro-Moore. Grandmother of two. Great-grandmother of two.
GERLACH, Mark, 67, St. Michael, Cannelton, June 8.
Father of Emily Klein, Maria Shouse and Eli Gerlach. Brother of Vickie Deom and Paul Gerlach. Grandfather of eight.
GRAF, Alvin L., 76, St. John Paul II, Sellersburg, June 13. Husband of Linda Graf. Father of Alissa Graf-Schad, Jeff and Scott Graf. Brother of Alice, Benedictine Sister Dorothy, Cletus, Elmer and Larry Graf. Grandfather of two.
GRAY, Rosa T., 82, American Martyrs, Scottsburg, May 23. Mother of Christine Napier and Tom Gray. Sister of Matilda Putman and Franz Teusel. Grandmother of two.
HALAS, James J., 92. St. Mary, Navilleton. June 16. Father of Victoria Dickinson and James Halas. Grandfather of four. Great-grandfather of five.
HARBESON, Roger A., 62, St. Michael, Bradford, June 23. Husband of Karen Harbeson. Father of Audrey Andres, David and Patrick Harbeson. Brother of Mary Smith, Donald, Kevin, Neil and Thomas Harbeson. Grandfather of four.
HOFER, Terence G., 58, St. Ambrose, Seymour, June 14.
Husband of Linda Hofer. Father of Alex, Anna and Emily Hofer. Son of LaVerne Hofer. Brother of Tifanee Johnson, Tracee Wuestewald, Tami and Trisha Voegeli.
KACZMARSKI, George L., 77, St. Luke the Evangelist, Indianapolis, June 9. Husband of Judith Kaczmarski. Father of Kathleen Bradley, Jake, Michael and Paul Kaczmarski. Brother of Cathy Starosta, John and Sandy Kaczmarski. Grandfather of five.
KAVATHAS, Mary, 89, St. Mary, New Albany, June 10. Mother of Debbie Dougherty and two other daughters. Sister of Betty Threlkel. Grandmother of six. Great-grandmother of six.
KIESLER, Kenny, 68, American Martyrs, Scottsburg, April 13. Husband of Linda Kiesler. Father of Tammy Grubbs, Tracy Howard and Larry Golden. Brother of Janet Arbuckle and Teresa Wheat. Grandfather of five.
KIRCH, Gwendolyn R., 73, St. Pius X, Indianapolis, June 14. Mother of Andrew and Thomas Kirch. Grandmother of two.
LUGAR, Teresa R., 57, Christ the King, Indianapolis, June 9. Wife of Scott Lugar. Mother of Ben and Megan Lugar. Sister of Susan Hill, Ann, Ellen and Patrick O’Connor.
MADDOX, Charles W., 82, St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, Richmond, June 12. Husband of Elizabeth Maddox. Father of Angela Dudas, Lisa Oliver, Maria Pipenger, Jim and John Maddox. Brother of Tom Maddox. Grandfather of nine.
MCKAY, Susie, 92, Prince of Peace, Madison, June 14. Mother of Chuck, David, Kevin, Michael and Steven McKay. Sister of Mary Ann Bear, Joan Tucker, Joe and Tony Hertz. Grandmother of 13. Great-grandmother of 21. Great-great-grandmother of one.
MCMAHON, Gerard V., 66, Holy Spirit, Indianapolis, May 28. Husband of Anna McMahon. Father of Kevin, Michael and Patrick McMahon. Brother of Kelle Hall, Jeff, Larry, Pat and Robert McMahon, Jr. Grandfather of four.
MEAGHER, Lois, 96, American Martyrs, Scottsburg, June 11. Mother of Jim, Mike and Paul Meagher. Sister of Joanne Pelle. Grandmother of 10. Great-grandmother of 17. Great-great-grandmother of two.
MEYER, Connie J., 88, St. Mary, Greensburg, June 13.
Mother of Kathy Campbell and David Meyer. Sister of Robert Navarra. Grandmother of four.
O’DROBINAK, Patricia, 90, St. Luke the Evangelist, Indianapolis, June 14. Wife of Charles O’Drobinak. Mother of Nancy Links, Susan Wright, Charles III and Richard O’Drobinak. Grandmother of five.
OVERBECK, Steven S., 79, St. Pius X, Indianapolis, June 13. Husband of Mary Kay Overbeck. Father of Mary Lynn Lesnick, Kassy McPherson, Dan and Scott Overbeck. Grandfather of 10.
PIERCE, Dan J., 68, St. Therese of the Infant Jesus (Little Flower), Indianapolis, June 6. Husband of Kathleen Pierce. Father of Rebecca Toney and Andrew Pierce. Brother of seven. Grandfather of six. Great-grandfather of five.
PORTER, W. Thomas, 82, St. Mary, Greensburg, June 22. Husband of Glenda Porter. Father of Diana Arnold, Cindy Reed and Mike Porter. Grandfather of five. Great-grandfather of six.
ROGERS, Basilla J., 92, St. Charles Borromeo, Bloomington, June 16. Mother of Randy Rogers. Sister of Ethel Knies, Ruth and William Schuetter. Grandmother of two.
ROGERS, Bruce, 82, St. Paul, Tell City, June 2. Husband of Judith Rogers. Father of Sheri Miller, Sheila Thompson and Kent Rogers. Stepfather of Bryon Lee. Grandfather of 10. Great-grandfather of four.
SCHIPPER, Doris A. (Gutzwiller), 79, St. Mary of the Immaculate Conception, Aurora, June 15. Mother of Angela Barrett. Sister of William Gutzwiller. Grandmother of one.
SCHNEIDER, Lawrence R., 83, St. Anthony of Padua, Morris, June 16. Brother of Joan Amrhein, Lill Ley, Franciscan Sister Laurina, Paul and Quirn Schneider. Uncle and great-uncle of several.
SITZMAN, Bonita S. (Meyers), 77, St. Meinrad, St. Meinrad, June 17. Mother of Debra Dauby and Stephanie Dilger. Sister of Judy Seifrig, Gary and Michael VanWinkle. Grandmother of seven. Great-grandmother of four.
SMITH, Robert F., 94, Holy Spirit, Indianapolis, June 2. Father of Sandra Ellis, Pat Horne, Debra Kinnick and Andrew Smith. Grandfather and great-grandfather of several.
SPAULDING, Dorothy, 92, St. Gabriel, Connersville, June 13. Mother of Marti and Ronald Spaulding. Sister of Richard Ramey. Grandmother of three.
STOUT, Ellen S. (Buckles), 72, American Martyrs, Scottsburg, Jan. 23. Wife of Larry Stout. Mother of Nancy, Jason and Larry Stout. Sister of Mary Proffitt, Gwendolyn Wright, Charles and Donald Buckles. Grandmother of four.
WEIMER, Mildred L., 98, Holy Spirit, Indianapolis, June 4. Mother of Karen Thomas. Grandmother of two. Great-grandmother of one.
Providence Sister Catherine Buster served a variety of ministries for 66 years
Providence Sister Catherine Buster (formerly Sister Joseph Norine), a member of the Sisters of Providence of Saint Mary-of-the-Woods in St. Mary-of-the-Woods, died on
June 26 at Mother Theodore Hall on the campus her religious community’s motherhouse. She was 85.
The Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated on July 9 at the Church of the Immaculate Conception at the motherhouse. Burial followed at the sisters’ cemetery.
Sister Catherine was born on Nov. 3, 1936, in Chicago. She entered the Sisters of Providence on Feb. 2, 1956, and professed final vows on Aug. 15, 1963.
During her 66 years as a member of the Sisters of Providence, Sister Catherine ministered in food service, maintenance and in service to senior citizens, the disabled, the poor and migrants in Florida, Indiana and Missouri. In the archdiocese, she served as a cook at the former Ladywood Academy in Indianapolis from 1960-67 and in maintenance and food services at the motherhouse from 1967-86.
Sister Catherine is survived by a brother, Thomas Buster of Hollister, Mo.
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. †