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)

BLUNK, June E., 89, Our Lady of Perpetual Help, New Albany, June 14. Mother of Janis Kirk, Mary Lynn Petty and Joseph Blunk. Sister of Helen Ball and Agnes Lee. Grandmother of seven. Great-grandmother of 11.

BURKE, Robertine M., 94, St. Louis, Batesville, June 17. Mother of Barbara Eder, Christine Ruehl, Roger and Steven Burke. Grandmother of eight. Great-grandmother of eight.

GREEN, Rose M., 79, St. Michael the Archangel, Indianapolis, June 18. Mother of Patti Marsella and William Green. Sister of Marjorie Bedel, Martha Blankman and Marie Wolter. Grandmother of three.

MAUCK, Charles E., 86, St. Bernard, Frenchtown, May 30. Husband of Jolene Mauck. Father of Leisa Roll, Brian, Charles, Dale, David and Gregory Mauck. Brother of Ruby Snyder. Grandfather of 13. Great-grandfather of seven.

NAUGLE, Pamela J., 62, Good Shepherd, Indianapolis, June 13. Wife of Robert Naugle. Mother of Tabatha and Andrew Naugle. Sister of Linda Richardson, Alan, Jeff and Jerald O’Neal, Jr. Grandmother of four.

OTTO, Mary J. (Halloran), 97, St. Charles Borromeo, Bloomington, June 13. Mother of Mary Sudbury. Grandmother of one.

SCHMIDT, Carl F., 87, Our Lady of Perpetual Help, New Albany, June 17. Husband of Carolyn Schmidt. Father of Lezlie Barth, Cindy Orem and Laurabeth Schmidt. Brother of Evelyn Banet and William Schmidt. Grandfather of two.

SVARCZJKOPF, Ambrose, 89, St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, Richmond, June 14. Father of Andrea Mosey, Kyle and Timothy Svarczjkopf. Brother of Irene Lohmeier, Anthony and George Svarczkopf. Grandfather of 13. Great-grandfather of 14.

TRAUSCH, Harry M., 92, St. Luke the Evangelist, Indianapolis, June 13. Husband of JoAnn Trausch. Father of Stephanie Lorton, Julie Monahan, Mimsie O’Hara, Mark and Mike Trausch. Grandfather of 12. Great-grandfather of six.

UTTERBACK, Thomas R., 71, St. Barnabas, Indianapolis, June 18. Husband of Meghan Utterback. Father of Joseph Utterback. Stepfather of Nicholas Hubbard and A.J. Platt. Brother of Susan Dougherty, Sharon Jefry and William Utterback. Grandfather of five. Step-grandfather of three. Great-grandfather of one.

WEHR, Edna M., 91, St. Mary, Rushville, June 17. Mother of Donna Aulbach, Tim and Tom Wehr. Grandmother of 14. Great-grandmother of 12.

ZIPP, Charles L., 81, St. Mary-of-the-Knobs, Floyd County, June 17. Husband of Alberta Zipp. Father of Betty Batliner, Barbara Lamb, Larry and Ronald Zipp. Grandfather of seven. Great-grandfather of four.

Franciscan Sister Lavonne Long ministered in Catholic education for 66 years

Franciscan Sister Lavonne Long, formerly Sister Clara David, died on June 15 at the motherhouse of the Congregation of the Sisters of the Third Order of St. Francis in Oldenburg. She was 96.

The Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated on June 19 at the Motherhouse Chapel in Oldenburg. Burial followed at the sisters’ cemetery.

Mildred Clara Speed Long was born on May 1, 1922, in Rushville where she grew up as a member of St. Mary Parish.

She entered the Sisters of St. Francis on Sept. 9, 1941, and professed final vows on Aug. 12, 1947.

Sister Lavonne earned a bachelor’s degree in education at Marian University in Indianapolis and a master’s degree in English at John Carroll University in University Heights, Ohio. She later received certificates in guidance and administration at Butler University in Indianapolis.

During 76 years as a Sister of St. Francis, Sister Lavonne ministered as an educator for 66 years in Catholic schools in Indiana and Ohio. In the archdiocese, she served in Indianapolis at Holy Name School in Beech Grove from 1944‑45. In Indianapolis, she ministered as principal at the former St. Mary Academy from 1964-73, and at Father Thomas Scecina Memorial High School from 1956‑64 as an English teacher, from 1973-95 as the guidance director, and from 1995-2010 as administrative assistant.

In 2011, Marian University bestowed upon Sister Lavonne an honorary doctor of divinity degree in recognition of her extraordinary contributions to education.

Memorial gifts may be sent to the Sisters of St. Francis, P.O. Box 100, Oldenburg, IN 47036‑0100. †