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)

ALBERS, Paul B., 80, Our Lady of the Greenwood, Greenwood, Oct. 23. Husband of Mary Ann Albers. Father of Elizabeth Henderson, Karen Ratliff, Ann Rose, David, Joseph and Paul Albers. Grandfather of 13. Great-grandfather of 11.

ALLEN, Ruby Joan, 84, St. Jude, Indianapolis, Oct. 25. Wife of Richard Allen. Mother of Diana Castner, Linda King, Nancy Mills, Daniel and David Allen. Sister of Sandy Cottey. Grandmother of seven. Great-grandmother of two.

BELCHER, Richard D., 70, St. Mary-of-the-Knobs, Floyd County, Oct. 19. Brother of Deborah Andres, Barbara Harlow and Donald Belcher.

COHOON, Stephanie (Surratt) Gratien, St. Jude, Indianapolis, Oct. 22. Mother of Karyn Gratien Bellamy and Kelly Gratien. Sister of Nancy Ahlrichs and Catherine Delaney. Grandmother of two.

CRONIN, Robert E., 89, St. Therese of the Infant Jesus (Little Flower), Indianapolis, Oct. 13. Husband of Ellen Cronin. Father of Susan Black, Sharon Galbo, Kathleen Lott, Karen, Robert and William Cronin. Stepfather of Karen Branson, Anne Burns, Maureen Carr, Kathy Forestal, Jean Greiner, Susan Lienhop, John, Joseph and Patrick Naughton, Brother of M. Patricia Cronin. Grandfather of 30. Great-grandfather of 25.

DIAS, Russell J., 76, St. Barnabas, Indianapolis, Oct. 26. Husband of Judith Anne (Couvillion) Dias. Father of Denise Broussard, Rhonda Spencer, Randy, Rick and Todd Dias. Brother of Alvin Dias, Jr. Grandfather of 16. Great-grandfather of three.

DUNHAM, Barbara A., 83, St. Lawrence, Lawrenceburg, Oct. 20. Mother of Suzanne Magisa, Jeannie and Patty Williams, Joe and Ron Stoneking. Sister of Larry Songer. Grandmother of 11. Great-grandmother of five.

FIELDS, Marguerite Louise, 82, Holy Family, Oldenburg, Oct. 21. Mother of Paula Johnson, Connie Johnston and Jane Weigel. Grandmother of eight. Great-grandmother of 10.

FRENZER, Antoinette Agnes, 87, St. Bartholomew, Columbus, Oct. 17. Aunt of several.

GULLETT, Wayne S., Sr., 70, St. Mary, New Albany, Oct. 27. Father of Donnie, Wayne Jr. and William Gullett. Brother of Sharon Gullett. Grandfather of five. Great-grandfather of two.

HADDIN, George R., 82, St. Therese of the Infant Jesus (Little Flower), Indianapolis, Oct. 12. Husband of Martha Haddin.

HAGERTY, Agnes C., 91, St. Mary, Greensburg, Oct. 26. Mother of Alice Back, Nancy Schroeder, Dorothy Scudder, Teresa Diedrich, Bernie, Dale, Dennis, Jim, John and Larry Hagerty. Sister of Viola McMillan. Grandmother of 36. Great-grandmother of 44.

HALL, Thomas E., 71, St. Bernadette, Indianapolis, Oct. 19. Father of Brian and Joseph Hall. Brother of Sally Bennett. Grandfather of two.

HEMME, Agnes Mary, 78, St. Lawrence, Lawrenceburg, Oct. 24. Wife of Richard Hemme. Mother of Bernadette, Michael and Pete Hemme. Sister of Paula Hulmeyer. Grandmother of 10.

HERKLESS, Margaret, 83, St. Gabriel the Archangel, Indianapolis, Oct. 19. Wife of Michael Herkless. Mother of Diane Gordon, Edward, James, John and Michael Herkless. Sister of Rosemary Johnson. Grandmother of six. Great-grandmother of one.

HESSLER, David, 71, St. Elizabeth of Hungary, Cambridge City, Oct. 17. Father of Scot and Sean Hessler. Brother of Mary Ann Hindman, Ken and Robert Hessler.

HIGGINS, June C., 86, St. Mary, Greensburg, Oct. 24. Mother of Theresa Williamson, Daniel, Michael and Paul Veerkamp. Sister of Edward Shoop.

HOPKINS, Mary M., 85, St. Rose of Lima, Franklin, Oct. 21. Mother of Rita Archer, Vicky Bundy, Linda Justice, Patricia Moore and Thomas Hopkins. Sister of Betty Hubner and James Flickinger. Grandmother of 18. Great-grandmother of 28.

JONES, Rita A., 56, St. Gabriel, Connersville, Oct. 24. Wife of Jeffrey Jones. Mother of Janet, Julie and Jeffrey. Daughter of Robert and Norma Evans. Sister of Cindy Barrell, Joan McDivitt, Pam Northern, Cathy Whitecotten, Danny David and Michael Evans.

LASKOWSKI, Patricia A. (Wegenka), 82, Prince of Peace, Madison, Sept. 30. Mother of Daniel, John and Michael Laskowski. Grandmother of 15. Great-grandmother of seven.

LOVISCEK, Apolona, 94, Holy Trinity, Indianapolis, Oct. 3. Mother of Madeline Barnette, Phyllis Fon, Arleen Krebs, Sheryl Thorpe, Louis Jr., Paul and Robert Loviscek. Sister of Margaret Ford and Mary Zupancic. Grandmother of 20. Great-grandmother of 30. Great-great-grandmother of four.

LUNDSTROM, Cecelia C., 79, St. Patrick, Terre Haute, Oct. 25. Aunt of several.

LUTTRELL, Mary C., 73, Our Lady of Lourdes, Indianapolis, Oct. 20. Mother of Debra Irwin and Mark Duncan. Grandmother of 10. Great-grandmother of 14.

MORRISON, John Henry, Jr., 91, St. Joan of Arc, Indianapolis, Oct. 10. Father of Sally Huber, Eileen, Michael and Tom Morrison. Grandfather of eight.

MURPHY, Mary Helen (Grinstead), 69, Nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, Indianapolis, Oct. 17. Wife of David Murphy Jr. Mother of Damian and David Murphy. Daughter of Helen Grinstead. Sister of Margie Stahley and Jo Ellen Thompson. Grandmother of three.

MURPHY, Paul J., 84, St. Vincent de Paul, Bedford, Oct. 18. Father of Karen Chase, Susan Moster, Daniel, Kevin, Michael, Richard, Tim and Thomas Murphy. Grandfather of 21. Great-grandfather of three.

NICHOLLS, John J., 56, Christ the King, Indianapolis, Oct. 23. Father of Cole and Kelsey Nicholls. Brother of Beth Yeadon, Bill, Bob, Don and Ron Nicholls.

O’CONNOR, Thomas J., 82, St. Michael, Brookville, Oct. 19. Husband of Joann O’Connor. Father of Patricia Hull, Therese Kettle, Brian and Kyle O’Connor. Brother of Anna Raja, Myra O’Connor and Barry O’Connor. Grandfather of nine.

O’LOUGHLIN, Margaret, 90, St. Lawrence, Lawrenceburg, Oct. 18. Mother of Barbara Turner, John, J. Patrick, Robert and Stephen O’Loughlin. Sister of Rose Guinnip and Carol Sullivan. Grandmother of nine. Great-grandmother of one.

POEHLEIN, Georgia Ann, 74, St. Paul, Tell City, Oct. 22. Mother of Kathy Voiles, Janie, Ed, Fred, Joe and Ted Poehlein. Sister of Marilyn Mogan, Margie Roberts, Carolyn Schmidt, Bill, Carl, John, Mark, Paul and Steve Biever. Grandmother of eight. Great-grandmother of nine.

SCHMEISSER, Dolores, 74, St. Anne, New Castle, Oct. 9. Wife of Richard Schmeisser. Mother of Barbara Budek-Schmeisser, Glen and Gregory Schmeisser. Sister of Garnet Damico. Grandmother of five. Great-grandmother of one.

TUNNY, Amalia, 82, St. Gabriel the Archangel, Indianapolis, Oct. 22. Mother of Charmaine Crosley, Carolyn Moore and Edward Tunny. Grandmother of five. Great-grandmother of two.

URBANCIC, Justin A., 94, Holy Trinity, Indianapolis, Oct. 14. Father of Kay DeHart.

WATSON, Josephine, 94, St. Mary, Richmond, Oct. 21. Sister of Virginia Cones and John Grasse.

ZIMMERMAN, Mildred L., 78, St. Gabriel, Connersville, Oct. 26. Wife of George Zimmerman. Mother of G. Ray Zimmerman. Stepmother of Kathy Lowe. Sister of Maynard Smullen. Grandmother of one. Step-grandmother of three. Great-grandmother of four. Great-great-grandmother of one.

Providence Sister Frances Joan Baker ministered in education for 52 years; taught in archdiocese

Providence Sister Frances Joan Baker died on Oct. 26 at Lourdes Hall at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods. She was 97.

The Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated on Oct. 31 at the Church of the Immaculate Conception at the motherhouse. Burial followed at the sisters’ cemetery.

Sister Frances Joan was born on Feb. 23, 1916, in Washington, Ind.

She entered the Sisters of Providence of Saint Mary-of-the-Woods on Jan. 27, 1932, and professed final vows on Aug. 15, 1939.

Sister Frances Joan earned a bachelor’s degree in education at St. Mary-of-the-Woods College and a master’s degree in education from Indiana State University in Terre Haute.

During 81 years as a Sister of Providence, Sister Frances Joan ministered as an educator for 52 years in Catholic schools in Illinois, Indiana, Massachusetts and North Carolina. She later ministered at Woods Day Care/Preschool in St. Mary-of-the-Woods and at her community’s motherhouse. Beginning in 2009, Sister Frances Joan dedicated herself entirely to prayer.

In the archdiocese, she served at the former St. Mary School in Richmond from 1939-41, and in the following schools in Indianapolis: St. Thomas Aquinas School from 1953-58; the former St. James School from 1965-67; Immaculate Heart of Mary School from 1967-68; St. Simon School from 1977-81; and Holy Spirit School from 1981-86.

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. †