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)
BROWN, Joan S., 87, Annunciation, Brazil, July 23. Mother of Karen Kingery and Rebecca Pell. Grandmother of six. Great-grandmother of nine.
BUJNA, Andrew James, 20, St. Simon the Apostle, Indianapolis, July 14. Son of Jeff Bujna and Susan Bujna. Stepson of Candy Bujna. Brother of Holly, Kelly and Ryan Bujna.
CHASTAIN, Patricia, 64, St. Malachy, Brownsburg, July 31. Wife of Billy Chastain. Mother of Gretchen Zentz and Timothy Chastain. Daugher of Blanche Cunningham. Sister of Janet Rodgers and Curtis Cunningham. Grandmother of nine.
DIETIKER, Gladys V., 89, St. Lawrence, Indianapolis, July 22. Wife of Raymond Deitiker. Mother of Sheila Sterrett and Dale Vaughn. Sister of Elaine Baldwin, Carol Diemer, Beverly Osborn, Cecil Skanderup and Darlene Webb. Grandmother of six. Great-grandmother of 15.
DUGAN, Thomas M., 58, Our Lady of the Greenwood, Greenwood, July 3. Husband of Donna Dugan. Father of Joanie, Kaelin, Mary Kate, Joey, Kevin and Michael Dugan. Brother of Dr. Ellen Dugan-Barrette, Kathy Dugan Feldhake, Sharon Dugan Holmes, Patricia, John, Michael and Robert Dugan.
EDER, John G., 77, St. Rose of Lima, Franklin, July 31. Husband of Anne Eder. Father of Becky Bennett, Linda Schrimsher, Danny, Gary and Michael Eder. Brother of Elaine Babbs and Rev. Don Eder. Grandfather of eight.
EFFNER, Elizabeth, 92, St. Patrick, Terre Haute, July 12. Mother of Catherine Wien, Michael and Robert Effner. Grandmother of seven. Great-grandmother of 11. Great-great-grandmother of two.
FISHER, Patrick James, 99, St. Matthew the Apostle, Indianapolis, July 31. Father of Anne Fisher Campbell, Mary Fisher-Heath, Rosalie Fisher-Woodward, Frances Hodge, Grace Weber, Christopher, Joseph, Michael and Patrick Fisher Jr. Grandfather of 21. Great-grandfather of 12.
GEISS, Estelyn, 96, St. Bernadette, Indianapolis, July 9. Mother of Linda Hendrickson, Martha John, Emma Mason, Frank and William Geiss. Grandmother of 16. Great-grandmother of 33. Great-great-grandmother of seven.
GILES, Jack D., 74, St. Agnes, Nashville, July 30. Husband of Regina Giles. Brother of Trafina Bennett, Renda Lawson and Larry Giles.
GREENE, Robert D., 90, St. Pius X, Indianapolis, July 15. Husband of Rita (Bott) Greene. Father of Robin Hensley, Rita Linehan, Ruth Ann Resparc, Richard, Roger and Ronald Greene. Grandfather of eight.
HEDGES, Forest Don, 79, St. Therese of the Infant Jesus (Little Flower), Indianapolis, July 23. Husband of Linda Hedges.
HERZOG, Joyce Frances, 83, St. Joseph, St. Leon, July 27. Wife of Paul Herzog. Mother of Theresa Black, Dan, Don, Ed, Gary, Len and Tom Herzog. Sister of Justin and Ronald Auer.
HIGDON, James, 75, St. Francis Xavier, Henryville, Aug. 2. Husband of Charlotte Higdon. Father of Traci D’Angelo, Vicki Horine, Curt and Tom Higdon. Brother of Bonnie Burr, Joan Harvey, Judy Reed, Martha Thomas, Phil and Wendell Higdon. Grandfather of 10. Great-grandfather of two.
HOMMRICH, Gerald R., 71, St. Anthony of Padua, Clarksville, July 26. Husband of Ann Hommrich. Father of Susan Foster, Julie Snider and Tony Hommrich. Brother of Claire Frantz, Doris Hall, Jean Pitcock, Anita Thomas, Lois White, Jim, Richard, Steve and Rev. Thomas Hommrich. Grandfather of nine.
IRWIN, Donald, 87, St. Matthew the Apostle, Indianapolis, July 27. Father of Johanna Will and Donald Irwin. Grandfather of four. Great-grandfather of six.
MONCRIEF, Newton F., 99, Our Lady of Perpetual Help, New Albany, July 29. Father of Judith Moncrief.
ROBERTS, Marcella E., 88, Ss. Francis and Clare, Greenwood, June 17. Wife of Robert Roberts. Mother of Regina Westerfield Sublette and Bill Roberts. Sister of Patty Brosmer, Alice Childers, Doris Gehlhausen, Mary Hawley, Kathy Knies, Wilfred and David Hentrup. Grandmother of three. Great-grandmother of four.
SCHNEIDER, Alliene, 87, St. Mary, New Albany, Aug. 1. Mother of Elizabeth and Patrick Schneider. Grandmother of five. Great-grandmother of eight.
SHOCKENCY, Essie M. (Edwards), 87, St. Rita, Indianapolis, Aug. 1. Mother of Jonna Dukes. Grandmother of two. Great-grandmother of three.
TRACKWELL, Dennis Ray, 70, Most Holy Name of Jesus, Beech Grove, Aug. 1. Husband of Dorothy (Caudill) Treadwell. Father of Dawn Matheson, Devon Scott, Dione Taylor and Derek Trackwell. Brother of Peggy Kidwell. Grandfather of nine.
WEIDMAN, Alice Maxine, 83, Sacred Heart of Jesus, Indianapolis, Aug. 4. Mother of Mickey Dunbar, Debra Ford, Harold Jr. and Phillip Weidman. Sister of Sharon Dobbs, Barbara Reed and Paul May. Grandmother of seven. Great-grandmother of two.
WHITAKER, Mark E., 50, St. Joseph, Corydon, July 3. Son of Nancy (Greenwell) Whitaker. Brother of John, Joseph and Stephen Whitaker.
Marie Chlopecki was the wife of retired Deacon John Chlopecki
Marie Chlopecki, the wife of retired Deacon John Chlopecki, died on July 21 at the University of Cincinnati Health Center in Cincinnati, Ohio. She was 68.
The Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated on July 25 at St. Anthony Church in Morris. Burial followed at the parish cemetery.
Marie and Deacon Chlopecki were married on June 29, 1968. He was ordained a deacon for the Archdiocese of Chicago on April 27, 1991. They moved to Morris in 1995. Deacon Chlopecki was incardinated into the Archdiocese of Indianapolis in 2007, becoming the first permanent deacon in the history of the Church in central and southern Indiana.
Marie assisted Deacon Chlopecki in his ministry at St. Anthony Parish, especially in the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults.
In addition to Deacon Chlopecki, Marie is survived by her children, Cheryl Hall, Jeannette Toms and David and Kevin Chlopecki, and her brothers Clarence, Gerald and Ron Depasse.
Family members and friends remember her as a “loving, caring and gracious mother with a quiet strength and deep faith,” who smiled often.
Memorial gifts may be sent to Msgr. Bernard Schmitz Memorial Improvement Fund, P.O. Box 3, Morris, IN 47033.
Franciscan Sister Rita Musselman ministered in Catholic schools for 50 years in Indiana and Ohio
Franciscan Sister Rita Musselman, formerly Sister Robert Ann Musselman, died on Aug. 2 at St. Clare Hall, the health care facility on the motherhouse grounds of the Congregation of the Sisters of the Third Order of St. Francis in Oldenburg. She was 82.
The Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated on Aug. 6 at the Motherhouse Chapel. Burial followed at the sisters’ cemetery.
Sister Mary Patricia was born on Aug. 29, 1930, in Springfield, Ohio.
She entered the Sisters of St. Francis on Sept. 9, 1948, and professed final vows on Aug. 12, 1954.
During 65 years as a Sister of St. Francis, Sister Rita ministered in Catholic education for 50 years in schools in Indiana and Ohio. She also served as a receptionist and secretary in the St. Mary Development Corporation in Dayton, Ohio, for 15 years. She returned to the motherhouse in 2010 because of failing health.
In the archdiocese, Sister Rita taught at Father Thomas Scecina Memorial High School in Indianapolis from 1956-63 and from 1965-69.
Sister Rita is survived by two sisters, Marjorie Amend of Union, Ohio, and Bonnie Walling of Arlington, Va.
Memorial gifts may be sent to the Sisters of St. Francis, Oldenburg, IN 47030-0100. †