January 28, 2011

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)

OVERMYER, Cora Jane, 89, St. Charles Borromeo, Milan, Nov. 18. Wife of Robert Overmyer. Mother of Roberta Fischesser. Sister of Carol Loebig.

ROSENBERGER, Sylvia F., 64, St. Michael, Brookville, Jan. 6. Wife of John Rosenberger. Mother of Melanie Back, Bradley and Doug Rosenberger. Sister of Bernice Burkhart, Leona Martin, Roselyn Volz, Cliff, Greg, Leonard, Urban and Virgil Nobbe. Grandmother of three.

SHERLOCK, Shirley Ann, 72, St. Joan of Arc, Indianapolis, Nov. 26. Mother of Marsha Conley, Jacqueline Franklin, Lillian and Michael Baker. Sister of Shirlene Beemon, Homer and Paul Sherlock. Grandmother of 15. Great-grandmother of two.

SHIPLEY, Loretta, 82, St. Michael the Archangel, Indianapolis, Dec. 15. Mother of Carl Godzeski.

SHOPTAUGH, Robert, 79, St. Roch, Indianapolis, Dec. 18. Husband of Juanita Shoptaugh.

SPENCER, Edwin Barry, 62, Holy Spirit, Indianapolis, Dec. 7. Father of James Spencer. Brother of Linda Gritzer, Gail Roman and James Spencer. Grandfather of three.

STENGER, Elsie, 86, St. Joseph, St. Leon, Dec. 31. Sister of Alma Singer, Carl and Ralph Gillman.

STROM, Gerald F., 74, St. Paul, Sellersburg, Dec. 13. Husband of Jo Ann Strom. Father of Gordon Lee and Jerry Ray. Grandfather of four. Great-grandfather of two.

STUHRENBERG, Helen N., 82, St. John the Evangelist, Enochsburg, Jan. 11. Mother of Rose Feaster, Teresa Unseld, Anthony and Thomas Stuhrenberg. Grandmother of three.

SWEENEY, Loretta C., 82, St. Paul Hermitage, Beech Grove, Jan. 3. Mother of Kathleen Elliott, Karen Wildey, Kenneth, Kevin and Michael Sweeney. Sister of Martha Dalton, Joseph and Vincent Hickey. Grandmother of 12. Great-grandmother of three.

UNDERHILL, Mary, 91, St. Michael, Cannelton, Dec. 29. Mother of Michael Underhill. Aunt of several.

VanWINKLE, Frances R., 73, St. Pius V, Troy, Dec. 31. Mother of Carol Goffinet and Sheila Tempel. Grandmother of eight. Great-grandmother of six. Step-great-grandmother of one.

VEGA, Frank A., 51, SS. Francis and Clare, Greenwood, Jan. 3. Husband of Rhonda Vega. Father of Amanda and Matthew Vega. Brother of Deborah Edwards, Ava Marks, Toni McFarland, Jeanne Milini, Jim and John Vega.

WALKE, Margaret E., 96, St. Louis, Batesville, Dec. 24. Mother of Lea Bultman, Linda Forman, Sandra Labarbera, Margie and Ernie Walke Jr. Grandmother of six. Great-grandmother of nine. Step-great-grandmother of one.

WALTERMAN, Max S., 63, St. Mary, Greensburg, Jan. 9. Husband of Irene Walterman. Father of Marilyn Campos, Dawn Readnour, Tina Williams and Doug Bowen. Son of Lowell Walterman. Brother of Kathy Melcher. Grandfather of eight. Great-grandfather of 11.

WEATHERS, Doris (Kamber), 83, St. Anthony of Padua, Clarksville, Dec. 4. Mother of Debbie Alexander, Kathy Brown, Bedeva Steurer, Joe and Thomas Weathers. Sister of seven. Grandmother of 13. Great-grandmother of 12. Great-great-grandmother of one.

WHITESIDE, Rubye L., 93, Holy Trinity, Indianapolis, Nov. 30. Mother of Harriet Vaughn and Clifford Harris Jr. Grandmother of seven. Great-grandmother of 11. Great-great-grandmother of six.

WILSON, D. Keith, 72, Holy Cross, Indianapolis, Dec. 21. Husband of Noreen Wilson.

WISKER, Thelma J. (Chappelow), 80, St. Vincent de Paul, Shelby County, Jan. 3. Mother of Debbie Knopp, Linda, Dick, Don and Mike Wisker. Sister of Joan Elder, Clarence, Jack and Sanford Chappelow. Grandmother of six. Great-grandmother of three.


Providence Sister Mary Isabelle Welsh ministered at schools and Our Lady of Fatima Retreat House

Providence Sister Mary Isabelle Welsh died on Dec. 25 at Mother Theodore Hall at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods. She was 92.

The Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated on Jan. 4 at the Church of the Immaculate Conception at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods. Burial followed at the sisters’ cemetery at the motherhouse.

The former Isabelle Mary Welsh was born on June 30, 1918, in Scotland.

She entered the congregation of the Sisters of Providence on Jan. 11, 1936, professed her first vows on Aug. 15, 1938, and professed her final vows on Aug. 15, 1944.

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

During 74 years as a Sister of Providence, she ministered at Catholic grade schools in Indiana, Illinois, California and Washington, D.C., for 34 years.

In the archdiocese, Sister Mary Isabelle taught at the former St. Ann School in Terre Haute from 1951-54, the former St. James School in Indianapolis from 1960-63, the former

Holy Trinity School in New Albany from 1963-66, the former St. Andrew School in Indianapolis from 1966-68, and the former Central Catholic School in New Albany from 1972-73.

In 1972, she began ministering in a variety of administrative positions, including serving as the bookstore manager at Our Lady of Providence High School in Clarksville from 1973-79.

Sister Mary Isabelle also served at St. Elizabeth Home in Indianapolis and St. Philip Neri Parish in Indianapolis from 1979-81 then ministered as a secretary at Our Lady of Fatima Retreat House in Indianapolis from 1981-87.

In 1987, she moved to the motherhouse, where she served in a variety of ministries.

In 2001, Sister Mary Isabelle began her ministry of prayer full-time with the senior sisters.

Surviving are several nieces and nephews.

Memorial gifts may be sent to the Sisters of Providence, Saint Mary-of-the-Woods, 1 Sisters of Providence Road, St. Mary-of-the-Woods, IN 47876. †

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