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)

DRAPER, Michelle D. (Wolz), 63, St. John Paul II, Sellersburg, June 15. Mother of Lunden Barnes, Elise Syoen and Benjamin Draper. Grandmother of seven.

FRALEY, Mary L., 87, St. John Paul II, Sellersburg, June 9. Mother of Pamela Antonucci, Monica, Bryan, Donald and Rob Fraley. Sister of Joann Coomer and Henrietta Fraley. Grandmother of nine. Great-grandmother of 10.

GINN, Virginia M.A. (Sontag), 86, St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross, Bright, June 15. Mother of Michelle Murray, Deborah Wassler, Daniel, Gerald, Jr., Jeffrey and William Ginn. Grandmother of 12. Great-grandmother of 18. Great-great-grandmother of one.

HEILERS, Kayla, 39, Christ the King, Indianapolis, April 12. Wife of Shawn Heilers. Mother of Lucy and Benjamin. Daughter of Michael and Karla. Sister of Ashley. Granddaughter of Judy Lathrum.

HENSON, Jeanne M., 71, St. Mary-of-the-Knobs, Floyd County, June 18. Wife of Paul Henson. Mother of Brandon and Brian Henson. Sister of Marilyn Banet-Moore, Karen Miller, Suzanne Summers, Jimmy, Mark and Nick Banet. Grandmother of two.

HESS, Dennis, 88, St. Paul, Tell City, June 18. Father of Kathy and Denny Hess. Brother of Mike and Steve Hess. Grandfather of five. Great-grandfather of six.

HOTEL, Janet M., 89, St. Lawrence, Lawrenceburg, June 24. Mother of Jane Crotty, Jeannie Jansen, Anne Willmann, Katherine, Daniel, David, Joseph, Michael, Paul and Steven Hotel. Sister of Jack Schramm. Grandmother and great-grandmother of several.

JACKSON, Janet M., 78, Christ the King, Indianapolis, May 19. Sister of Jeanne Brady. Aunt and great-aunt of several.

KELTER, Rita M., 93, St. Mark the Evangelist, Indianapolis, June 14. Mother of Christine Fricke, Michael, Paul and Steven Kelter. Grandmother of 18. Great-grandmother of 16.

KOONS, Patricia A., 81, St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, Richmond, June 18. Mother of William Koons. Sister of Carl King. Grandmother of three. Great-grandmother of six.

KOZUBAL, Walter P., 83, Annunciation, Brazil, June 23. Husband of Mary Lou Kozubal. Father of Eve Fears and Anne Jalk. Brother of Michael Kozubal. Grandfather of three. Great-grandfather of two.

LAAZ, Angel F., 56, St. Joseph, Corydon, June 15. Husband of Deyanira Laaz. Father of Natalie and D’Angelo Laaz. Brother of Lidia Tacuaman and Lizardo Laaz.

LONG, Joyce M., 91, St. Christopher, Indianapolis, June 20. Sister of Janet Faulstich, Jane Kreighbaum and Judith Sullivan.

LUKEN, James, 72, St. Mary, Greensburg, June 21. Father of Brent and Matthew Luken. Brother of Linda Reiger, Bill, Tom and Michael Luken. Grandfather of four.

MACKE, Elizabeth L., 87, St. Louis, Batesville, June 22. Mother of Kevin and Stephen Macke. Grandmother of six. Great-grandmother of four.

MATHIS, Sondra T., 82, St. Bartholomew, Columbus, June 18. Wife of Earnest Mathis. Mother of Pam Bannister, Tammy and Anthony Tungett. Stepmother of Shannon Allen, Ernest, Jr., Lee, and Wesley Mathis and Wayne Speers. Sister of ElyJahta Jahn. Grandmother of 12. Great-grandmother of eight.

MAYER, Mary Ann, 95, St. Jude, Indianapolis, June 18. Mother of Denise Todd, Kathy Zimmer, Becky, Diane, Dan, David, Kevin, Steve and Tim Mayer. Sister of Tom Sanders. Grandmother of eight. Great-grandmother of seven.

MURPHY, James C., 63, St. Therese of the Infant Jesus (Little Flower), Indianapolis, June 2. Stepson of Carol Murphy. Brother of Patty Oskay, Jackie, Danny, Joe and Kevin Murphy. Uncle and great-uncle of several.

NAGEL, Kathleen F., 81, Holy Spirit, Indianapolis, June 11. Sister of Mary Castaldo. Aunt and great-aunt of several.

OBERMEIER, Marie O., 93, St. Boniface, Fulda, June 15. Mother of Vicki Brzezinski, Gina Flynn-Mier, Fred and Rick Obermeier. Grandmother of seven. Great-grandmother of 18. Great-great-grandmother of three.

PALMER, Richard L., 77, St. Martin of Tours, Martinsville, June 14. Husband of Dorothy Palmer. Father of Lori Smith, Brian and Gary Palmer. Brother of Jeanne Poindexter and Patricia Venturo. Grandfather of five.

PERRY, Barbara, 75, St. Bartholomew, Columbus, June 19. Wife of James Perry. Mother of Curt, T.J. and Tony Perry. Sister of Linda Burkart, Ellen Reinhart, Kathy Ward, Denny, Gary and Tom Wade. Grandmother of five.

POPP, Ilona, 78, St. John Paul II, Sellersburg, June 14. Mother of Sonja Popp. Sister of Klaus Reuter. Grandmother of three.

POPP, Mary, 84, St. John Paul II, Sellersburg, June 18. Mother of Kelly Miller, Kerry, Mark and Trey Popp. Sister of Louise Ryland. Grandmother of eight. Great-grandmother of 13.

PRZYBYLSKI, Lawrence, 70, Christ the King, Indianapolis, April 28. Father of Cailin, Jarret and Travis Przybylski. Son of Arlene Cairns. Brother of Carol Kappes and Marion Stout.

QUEISSER, Helen L., 101, Christ the King, Indianapolis, June 13. Mother of Kelly, Quentin and Tim. Grandmother of 10. Great-grandmother of 11.

RAVAZZOLI, Anne E., 71, St. Lawrence, Lawrenceburg, June 21. Wife of Carl Ravazzoli, Sister of Bill Wunderlich. Aunt and great-aunt of several.

SCHNEIDER, Betty, 86, St. Mary, Greensburg, June 28. Mother of Michelle Laudick, Jennifer, Company of Mary Sister Kathy, David, Robert and Ronald Schneider. Sister of John Nieman. Grandmother of 21. Great-grandmother of 25.

SCHELLER, Donna M., 86, St. Christopher, Indianapolis, June 19. Wife of Ralph Scheller. Mother of Susan Breuer, Christina Legge, Curt and Rob Scheller. Sister of Henry and Kenneth Sandhage. Grandmother of eight.

SMITH, Jerome E., 92, St. Michael, Bradford, June 11. Husband of Margaret Smith. Father of Karen Funk, Ken and Kevin Smith. Brother of Marvin Smith. Grandfather of four. Great-grandfather of four.

SOTTONG, Joanne, 72, St. Michael, Brookville, June 18. Mother of Heather Sottong. Sister of Paul Harnishfeger.

STOW, Gertrude A., 86, Christ the King, Indianapolis, May 25. Mother of Julie Bailey, Becky Frank, Susan Keller and David Stow. Sister of Frank Gellinger. Grandmother of eight. Great-grandmother of four. Great-great-grandmother of one.

TILLMAN, Thomas N., 55, St. Lawrence, Lawrenceburg, June 22. Brother of Terri Bandenburg, Tiffany Wise and Timothy Tillman. Uncle and great-uncle of several.

WALTERS, Michael R., 80, St. Bartholomew, Columbus, June 4.

WILSON, Stella A. (Singer), 86, St. Mark the Evangelist, Indianapolis, June 10. Wife of Elbert Wilson. Mother of Sharie Feldman and David Wilson. Sister of Vicki Roper, Brenda Spry, Johnetta Stringfellow, Nancy Underwood, Charles and Jim Singer. Grandmother of five. Great-grandmother of one.

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Providence Sister Kathleen Dede served as an educator, social worker and in parishes

Providence Sister Kathleen Dede (previously Sister Marie Arthur), a member of the Sisters of Providence of Saint Mary-of-the-Woods in St. Mary-of-the-Woods, died on June 25 at Mother Theodore Hall on the campus of her religious community’s motherhouse. She was 89.

The Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated on July 10 at the Church of the Immaculate Conception at the motherhouse in St. Mary-of-the-Woods. Burial followed at the sisters’ cemetery.

Sister Kathleen was born on Sept. 25, 1935, in Terre Haute, where she was a member of the former St. Ann Parish. She grew up in a family notable for a number of priestly and religious vocations. Preceding her in death were three archdiocesan priests: Father James Dede, Father John Dede and Father Paul Dede.

Sister Kathleen entered the Sisters of Providence on Feb. 2, 1954, and professed final vows on Aug. 15, 1961.

She earned a bachelor’s degree in education at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College and master’s degrees in social work and theological studies respectively at St. Louis University in St. Louis and the Franciscan School of Theology in San Diego.

During her 71 years as a member of the Sisters of Providence, Sister Kathleen ministered as an educator in Catholic schools for 13 years in Illinois and Indiana. After receiving training in social work, she ministered in that field for 11 years in Illinois, Indiana and Missouri. Sister Kathleen then did graduate studies in theology, followed by ministering in campus ministry in California and at parishes and schools in Florida and Mississippi.

After retiring in 2004, she continued in ministry in Florida and in volunteering in Indianapolis at the motherhouse. In 2020, Sister Kathleen committed herself entirely to prayer.

In the archdiocese, she served in Indianapolis at St. Anthony School from 1956-58, at the former St. Andrew the Apostle School in Indianapolis from 1964-67, as principal and a teacher at the former St. Mary Village School in St. Mary-of-the-Woods from 1968-69, as a social worker at the Katherine Hamilton Center in Terre Haute from 1978-79, and as an instructor at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College from 1979-82.

She is survived by three sisters: Providence Sister Eileen Dede, Providence Sister Mary Mark Dede and Benedictine Sister Patricia Dede of Our Lady of Grace Monastery in Beech Grove.

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.

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Providence Sister Joan Kirkpatrick served as an educator, counselor and administrator

Providence Sister Joan Kirkpatrick (previously Sister Joan Patrice), a member of the Sisters of Providence of Saint Mary-of-the-Woods in

St. Mary-of-the-Woods, died on July 9 at Lourdes Hall on the campus of her religious community’s motherhouse. She was 92.

The Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated on July 16 at the Church of the Immaculate Conception at the motherhouse in St. Mary-of-the-Woods. Burial followed at the sisters’ cemetery.

Sister Joan was born on June 1, 1933, in Walsenburg, Colo. She entered the Sisters of Providence on July 22, 1956, and professed final vows on Jan. 23, 1964.

Sister Joan earned a bachelor’s degree in mathematics at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College and master’s degrees in administration and counseling psychology respectively at the University of Notre Dame in northern Indiana and at Santa Clara University in Santa Clara, Calif.

During her 69 years as a member of the Sisters of Providence, Sister Joan ministered as an educator in Catholic schools for 18 years in California, Illinois and Indiana. After receiving training in social work, she ministered in that field for 11 years in Illinois, Indiana and Missouri. After graduate studies in counseling psychology, she served as a counselor at Providence Self-Sufficiency Ministries in

New Albany before returning to the motherhouse to serve on its Ministry of Care team. Sister Joan retired from ministry in 2021 and dedicated herself entirely to prayer a year later.

In the archdiocese, she served in her community’s aspirancy program at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods from 1959-61, as provincial treasurer at the motherhouse from 1974-82, as a counselor at Providence Self-Sufficiency Ministries in New Albany from 1998-2003 and in the Ministry of Care at the motherhouse from 2004-21.

She is survived by a sister, Lynn Poole of Bend, Ore., and a brother, Rob Kirkpatrick of St. George, Utah.

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. †