September 17, 2021

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)

BAKER, Lowell E., 81, Good Shepherd, Indianapolis, Aug. 31. Husband of Bridget Baker. Father of Alice Alexander, Karen Quinlan, Tina Showecker, Briana West, Mary Jane, Rita, John and Lowell Baker, Jr. Brother of Constance Hughes, Jacqueline Mattingly, Martha Sparks, Doyle and Marion Baker. Grandfather of 29. Great-grandfather of 54.

BROADUS, Sr., Bernard R., 86, St. John Paul II, Sellersburg, Aug. 19. Husband of Emilia Broadus. Father of Maria Sellers, Carmela, Alan, Bernard, Jr. and Patrick Broadus. Brother of Ivan and Ronald Broadus. Grandfather of 12. Great-grandfather of 17.

DUERSTOCK, Ruth E., 88, St. Mary, Greensburg, Sept. 4. Mother of Joan, Carl, Deron, Keith, Mark, Randy and Wayne Duerstock. Grandmother of eight. Great-grandmother of three.

EVANS, Dorothy A., 85, St. Barnabas, Indianapolis, Aug. 31. Mother of Terese Frausto and Tim Evans. Grandmother of seven. Great-grandmother of five.

GERTH, James E., 87, St. Ambrose, Seymour, Aug. 28. Husband of Beverly Gerth. Father of Mary Rita Carlson, Beth Anne Schultz, Mike and Tony Gerth. Grandfather of 10. Great-grandfather of seven.

GERTH, Leroy, 83, St. Mary, Lanesville, Sept. 5. Husband of Susan Gerth. Father of Anita Skinner and Scott Gerth. Brother of Phyllis Combs. Grandfather of three. Great-grandfather of one.

GETTELFINGER, Joseph F., 86, St. Bernard, Frenchtown, Aug. 28. Husband of Helen Gettelfinger. Father of Mary Lesher, Jennifer O’Sullivan, Tricia, Brian, Frederick and Kevin Gettelfinger. Brother of Jean Batliner, Agnes Ernstberger, Mary Ruth Ernstberger, Joan Marguet, Anthony and Bishop Gerald A. Gettelfinger. Grandfather of 11.

HANSON, Joan M. (Jirschele), 92, Nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, Indianapolis, Aug. 28. Mother of Jerry, Joseph, Tim and Tom Hanson. Grandmother of seven. Great-grandmother of two.

HAPPEL, Patricia Mae (Brandenburg), 77, St. Mary-of-the-Knobs, Floyd County, Sept. 5. Mother of Marie Butler, Brian, Donald, Joseph, Matthew and Michael Happel. Sister of Martha Brandenburg and Anna Cannon. Grandmother of 23. Great-grandmother of seven.

HARRIS, Catherine, 97, St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, Richmond, Sept. 1. Mother of Kurt Harris.

LEAHY, J. Robert, 100, St. Ambrose, Seymour, Sept. 5. Husband of Mary Louise Leahy. Father of Patricia Beimesche, Kathryn Wayne, David, Michael and Thomas Leahy. Grandfather of 13. Great-grandfather of 32.

LEON, Maricela, 69, St. Anthony, Indianapolis, Aug. 30. Mother of Maricela del Pilar Pena Leon, Milagros del Rosario Pena Leon, Carlos Edgardo Leon and Juan Arturo Rubio Leon. Grandmother of nine.

REED, Jami E., 42, St. Mary, Rushville, Sept. 2. Wife of Jeremy Reed. Mother of Ian, Lance and Zakkary Reed. Daughter of Alan and Susie Odum. Sister of Heather Ballenger, Elisha Marcum, Christin Nicholls, Abbie Odum, and Becky Thompson.

RITZI, Gregory T., 70, All Saints Parish, Dearborn County, Aug. 30. Husband of Sandy Ritzi. Father of Ashley and Chris Ritzi. Brother of Karen Maushart and Mike Ritzi. Grandfather of four.

RUIZ, Jose J., 59, St. Bartholomew, Columbus, Aug. 17. Husband of Maria del Carmen Severiano Ledesma. Father of Guadalupe, Eric and Justino Ruiz Severiano. Son of Maria Guadalupe Moreno Jimenez and Arcardio Ruiz Sandoval. Brother of Hilda, Monica, Ermilio and Gilberto Ruiz Caballero and Monico, Elio and Gabino Ruiz Moreno. Grandfather of five.

SCHEIDLER, Maria de Refugio, 84, St. Michael the Archangel, Indianapolis, Aug. 27. Wife of Dr. James Scheidler. Mother of Elsa Hoffman, Rita Lyden, Alicia Nagy, Maria O’Rourke, Alex, Edward and James Scheidler. Sister of Beatriz León de Pérez Rocha, Alicia, Maria Eugenia, Rosalinda, Guillermo and Father Julio León Lomelí. Grandmother of 44. Great-grandmother of six.

THOMAS, Joan (Seipp Knable), 86, St. Mary, Navilleton, Sept. 3. Mother of Cheri Knable Bierman, Chris Knable Franz, Vicki, John, Rick Knable, Dennis, Joe, Jr. and Larry Thomas. Sister of Martha Mull. Grandmother of 21. Great-grandmother of 36. Great-great-grandmother of one.

VERKAMP, Mary Ann, 78, St. Simon the Apostle, Indianapolis, Aug. 28. Wife of Paul Brown. Mother of Sarah Klingler and Jeremy Brown. Sister of Carol Burger, Rachel Hurm, Ruth Wibbels, Dennis and Joe Verkamp. Grandmother of five.

YORK, Eleanor J., 87, St. Lawrence, Indianapolis, Aug. 20. Mother of Greg, Mark, Mike and Randy York. Grandmother of 12. Great-grandmother of 13. †

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