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)
BILLERMAN, Agnes, 87, St. Jude, Indianapolis, Aug. 1. Mother of Jennie Barger, Francis Dotson, Bernadette Mooney, David, James, Joe, Mikey-John and William Billerman. Sister of Joan Crouch and Victor Russell. Grandmother of 20. Great-grandmother of 37. Great-great-grandmother of one.
DEAN, June, 87, St. Jude, Indianapolis, Aug. 6. Mother of Fay Schoettle. Sister of Julie Kieffer, Pearl Miller, Ralph and Ray Wilson. Grandmother of six. Great-grandmother of 15.
EURTON, Mary E., 80, St. Mary, New Albany, July 30. Mother of Lisa Blain, Vicki Campbell, Jannette McCormick, Mickie and Tony Eurton. Grandmother of nine. Great-grandmother of seven.
GEYMAN, Justin T., 23, Prince of Peace, Madison, Aug. 2. Son of Daniel and Robin Geyman. Brother of Erin Chandler. Grandson of Mary Geyman, Mary and Kenneth Steward.
GONZALEZ, Zachariah Jared, 23, St. Monica, Indianapolis, July 31. Son of Benedict and Laura (Galen) Gonzalez. Brother of Marina, Benedict and Seth Gonzalez. Grandson of Maria de Carmen Gonzalez, Luis and Josephine Galan.
GUBKA, Daniel, 71, St. Agnes, Nashville, July 14. Husband of Dianne Gubka.
HOWARD, Mona Rita, 81, Holy Family, New Albany, Aug. 6. Sister of Mary Dolan.
MEIER, Margaret C., 96, Good Shepherd, Indianapolis, Aug. 5. Mother of Thomas Meier. Grandmother of two. Great-grandmother of two.
MERKEL, Helen Barbara, 83, St. Roch, Indianapolis, Aug. 8. Mother of Rosemary Gravelie, Frederick, John, Michael and William Merkel. Sister of Virgil Haag. Grandmother of 14. Great-grandmother of one.
MURRAY, John Martin, 59, St. Luke, Indianapolis, July 27. Husband of Sharon Murray. Father of Molly and Brian Murray. Brother of Judy Grinler and Susie Hudziak. Grandfather of one.
NIEHAUS, Virginia Francis (Weber), 86, St. Roch, Indianapolis, Aug. 5. Mother of Marilyn Schuster, Dennis and William Niehaus. Sister of Margaret Stull. Grandmother of seven. Great-grandmother of 11. Great-great-grandmother of three.
PALMER, Laura Margaret, 80, St. Luke, Indianapolis, Aug. 2. Mother of Judith Palmer.
REUTER, Suzanne M., 38, St. Joseph, Shelbyville, Aug. 3. Daughter of Alfred and Margaret (Sahm) Reuter.
SCHMIDT, Mary Ann, 71, Our Lady of Perpetual Help, New Albany, July 25. Wife of Richard Schmidt. Mother of Claudia Hernandez, Jackie Karem, Brian and Tommy Schmidt.
SEMONES, Grace Elizabeth, 13, Sacred Heart, Indianapolis, July 27. Daughter of Tony and Julie Semones. Sister of Ann and Chris Semones. Granddaughter of Mary Lou Yount and Paul Semones.
STEFFEN, Elaine R., 61, Holy Name of Jesus, Beech Grove, July 23. Wife of Blaine Steffen. Mother of Lisa Ann Jones and Blaine Steffen. Sister of James and Wayne Denes. Grandmother of two.
STEINER, Margaret Jean (Crowley), 79, St. Lawrence, Indianapolis, Aug. 5. Mother of Chris, Fritzi and Wily Steiner. Grandmother of six.
THOMPSON, Lenora M., 90, St. Luke, Indianapolis, July 29. Mother of Gordon, Richard and Robert Thompson.
WALLPE, Lucille, 81, St. Mary, Greensburg, Aug. 2. Mother of Sarah Hogg, Jean Johannigman, Gary, Gregory and Karl Wallpe. Sister of Dolores Schoettmer and Carl Wenning.
WARD, Ronald W., 74, Holy Cross, Indianapolis, June 30. Husband of Betty Sue (Branham) Ward. Father of Cinda Dye, Brian, Garold, Jeffrey and Jerry Ward. Brother of Donald and Raymond Ward. Grandfather of six.
WHITAKER, James W., Jr., 77, St. Michael, Bradford, July 25. Husband of Shirley Alvey. Father of Marilyn Crumbo, J. Russell and James Whitaker III. Brother of Betty Lanham, Eddie and Tommy Whitaker. Grandfather of 13. Great-grandfather of nine.
WILLS, Eleanore, 78, St. Luke, Indianapolis, July 27. Wife of Henry Wills. Grandmother of one.
ZOELLER, Alma Lucille (Cummings), 88, Holy Family, New Albany, July 17. Mother of Beverly Giordano, Edward, Frank Jr. and Thomas Zoeller. Grandmother of 11. Great-grandmother of four.
ZOLLMAN, Katheryn, 82, St. Michael, Bradford, July 25. Wife of Stanley Zollman Jr. Mother of Jeannine Burchel, Cindy Linton, Mary Lou Rudolph, Sherry Wise and Jack Schmitt. Grandmother of 22. Great-grandmother of 17.
Providence Sister Ann Clare Lancaster
served as a principal, educator
Providence Sister Ann Clare Lancaster died on Aug. 4 at Mother Theodore Hall at St. Mary-of-the-Woods. She was 88.
The Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated on Aug. 8 at the Church of the Immaculate Conception at the motherhouse. Burial followed at the sisters’ cemetery.
The former Eva Sue Lancaster was born on Jan. 23, 1919, in Davies County, Ky.
She entered the congregation of the Sisters of Providence on Feb. 2, 1950, professed her first vows on Aug. 15, 1952, and professed her final vows on
Aug. 15, 1957.
During 57 years as a Sister of Providence, she ministered in education for 37 years in schools in Indiana, Illinois and Kentucky. For 26 of those years, she served as a principal, including from 1973-88 at Holy Family School in New Albany.
In the archdiocese, Sister Ann Clare also taught at Holy Cross School in Indianapolis from 1952-54, and at St. Matthew School in Indianapolis from 1961-67.
After retiring from education, she served from 1989-2002 as a staff person in the Central Business Office at St. Mary-of-the-Woods.
Sister Ann Clare then gave residential service at the motherhouse until 2005, the year she began her ministry of prayer.
Surviving is a sister, Evelyn Buchheit of New Albany.
Memorial gifts may be sent to the Sisters of Providence, Saint Mary-of-the-Woods, St. Mary-of-the-Woods, IN 47876. †