March 23, 2012

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)

BURNS, Robert J., 90, St. Barnabas, Indianapolis, March 5. Husband of Rita Burns. Father of Kathleen Beaton, Linda Dees, Donna Street, Daniel and Robert Burns. Brother of Jean Battle. Grandfather of 14. Great-grandfather of seven.

CARRANZA, Victor Armando Hernandez, 27, St. John the Baptist, Osgood, March 2. Son of Angel Hernandez and Catalina Carranza.

DENSFORD, Dennis Dowd, 39, Sacred Heart of Jesus, Jeffersonville, March 7. Father of Miranda Densford. Son of Mary Lou (Dieruf) Densford. Brother of Debbie Lester, Denise Spivey, Christina and Thomas Densford.

DRAGAN, Martin J., 90, St. Jude, Indianapolis, March 3. Husband of Angeline Dragan. Father of Josephine Thompson and Mary Dragan. Grandfather of three.

DURHAM, Donald, 64, St. Therese of the Infant Jesus (Little Flower), Indianapolis, Feb. 21. Father of Angela, Andrew, Matthew and Stephen Durham. Son of Dorothy Durham. Brother of Patricia, David, James and Robert Durham. Grandfather of two.

GENTILLE, Robert Michael, 70, Good Shepherd, Indianapolis, March 6. Husband of Patricia Gentille. Father of Kristina McAllister, Mary Morris, Mary Whitten and Michael Gentille. Grandfather of seven. Great-grandfather of one.

HERMSEN, Paul J., 90, St. Barnabas, Indianapolis, March 5. Father of Elizabeth, James, Paul and Robert Hermsen. Grandfather of seven. Great-grandfather of seven.

HODAPP, Alphons J., 88, St. Maurice, Napoleon, March 9. Father of Betty Fisse, Ruth Herbert and Arthur Hodapp. Grandfather of six. Great-grandfather of 14.

KEAL, Catherine Elizabeth, 84, St. Gabriel, Connersville, Feb. 26. Mother of Sandy Afdem, Jenny Cox, LuAnn Lakes and Rodger Keal. Sister of Lena Roach and Marie Wheeler. Grandmother of 11. Great-grandmother of nine.

KIEFER, Ruby Irene, 96, St. Mary, North Vernon, March 4. Mother of Peggy Cheesebrew and George Kiefer Jr. Grandmother of nine. Great-grandmother of 14. Great-great-grandmother of eight.

KING, Mary Ruth, 86, St. Charles Borromeo, Bloomington, March 6. Mother of Lara Bockrath and Ronald King. Sister of Uneda East, Helen Wittman and Leonard Doogs. Grandmother of four. Great-grandmother of four.

LAND, John F., Jr., 75, Christ the King, Indianapolis, March 3. Husband of Janice Land. Father of Karen Land and David Land-Closson. Brother of Dorothy Land. Grandfather of two.

LARDNER, Loretta R., 93, Our Lady of Perpetual Help, New Albany, March 4. Mother of Rita Allen, Mary Ann Morgan, Bonnie Murr, Frances Peyton and Donna Robb. Grandmother of 12. Great-grandmother of 20.

LAUGLE, Neal T., 83, St. Louis, Batesville, March 9. Husband of Billie (Moorman) Laugle. Father of Jenny Brebberman, Janice Cleary, Julie Donahue, Jill Konradi, Jane Norwold, Bob, Jack, Paul and Tom Laugle. Brother of Gene and John Laugle. Grandfather of 18. Great-grandfather of six.

LOYD, Edward, Jr., 88, St. Michael the Archangel, Indianapolis, March 3. Father of Deborah Graham, Denise Mills, Edward and Keith Loyd. Brother of Frank Loyd Sr. Grandfather of several.

MOORE, Sherida, 73, St. Mary, North Vernon, Jan. 31. Wife of Thomas Moore. Mother of Terri Leake, Tricia Losey, Tammy Minger, Trent and Trevor Miller. Sister of Dennis, Larry, Randy and Timothy Burgmeier. Grandmother of 14. Great-grandmother of two.

MORGAN, Martha, 88, St. Mary, Richmond, Feb. 17.

PAYNE, Mark R., 57, St. Pius X, Indianapolis, March 5. Husband of Jennifer Payne. Father of Ellie and Alexander Payne. Son of Sue Payne. Brother of Michael Payne.

RAY, Mary, 90, Sacred Heart, Clinton, Feb. 22. Mother of Patricia White, Charles and Michael Ray. Grandmother of seven. Great-grandmother of nine.

RENNIE, Beatrice Aileen, 87, St. Paul, Tell City, March 9. Mother of Kathryn Fisher, Rita Mahoney, Mary Sparrow, James and Justin Rennie. Sister of Clarice and Marie James. Grandmother of 12. Great-grandmother of 12.

ROSENBERGER, Eleanor M., 94, St. Mary-of-the-Knobs, Floyds Knobs, Jan. 23. Mother of Elaine Blunk, Don and Larry Rosenberger. Sister of Mary and John Peay. Grandmother of six. Great-grandmother of 13.

RUSSELL, Anna M., 98, St. Lawrence, Lawrenceburg, Feb. 25. Mother of Mary Lynn Phelps, Ann Rothan, Patty Squibb, J.F. and Mark Russell.

SAHM, Suzanne Marie, 58, Most Holy Name of Jesus, Beech Grove, March 10. Wife of Michael Sahm. Mother of Sara Klindt, Michelle Stanley, Stephanie Stapert, Mary, Mark and Matthew Sahm. Daughter of Marianne (Lowe) Hermann. Sister of Beth Finney, Dolores Thie, Donna Williams and Robert Hermann. Grandmother of six.

SANDHAGE, Laura, 101, St. Joseph, Jennings County, Feb. 24. Mother of Carolyn Prewitt, Martha Porter, Wilma Richart and Charles Sandhage. Grandmother of six. Great-grandmother of 14. Great-great-grandmother of 15.

SAUER, Gary Lee, 59, St. Gabriel the Archangel, Indianapolis, Feb. 28. Husband of Sarah Sauer. Father of Mary Adams and Barbara Runnels. Son of Carl Sauer. Brother of Stephen and Thomas Sauer. Grandfather of four.

SCHARRER, A. Keith, 77, Our Lady of Perpetual Help, New Albany, Jan. 31. Husband of Nancy (Kraus) Scharrer. Father of Angela Bouch and Karl Scharrer. Grandfather of two.

WALLPE, Esther C., 90, St. Maurice, St. Maurice, March 13. Mother of Rose Ann Rempe, Eugene, James, John, Philip and Stephen Wallpe. Sister of Roselyn Hoeing, Dorothy Scheidler and Hubert Raver. Grandmother of 19.


Providence Sister Alice Louise Potts served as a teacher, principal and hospital chaplain

Providence Sister Alice Louise Potts died on March 8 at Union Hospital in Terre Haute. She was 87.

The Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated on March 14 at the Church of the Immaculate Conception at the motherhouse. Burial followed at the sisters’ cemetery.

Alice Louise Potts was born on Aug. 3, 1924, in Chicago.

She entered the congregation of the Sisters of Providence on Feb. 2, 1943, and professed her first vows on Aug. 15, 1945, and her final vows on Aug. 25, 1950.

Sister Alice Louise earned a bachelor’s degree in education at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College.

During 69 years as a Sister of Providence, she ministered at Catholic schools in Indiana and Illinois for 23 years.

In the archdiocese, Sister Alice Louise taught at the former St. Ann School in Terre Haute from 1945-48, the former St. Joseph School in Indianapolis from 1950-53 and the former St. Leonard of Port Maurice School in West Terre Haute from 1953-55.

From 1955-56, she taught at Immaculate Heart of Mary School in Indianapolis then served as principal there from 1957-63.

In 1968, Sister Alice Louise was elected to the congregation leadership, and served on the provincial team in Chicago for seven years.

After completing training in clinical pastoral education in 1977, she ministered as a chaplain at the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston for 30 years.

In 2007, Sister Alice Marie returned to the motherhouse to minister to the needs of the infirm sisters.

Two years later, she began her ministry of prayer full-time with the senior sisters.

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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