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)

BEETZ, Barbara A., 75, St. Catherine of Siena, Decatur County, Dec. 31. Wife of George Beetz. Mother of Heidi Laudick and Jamison Beetz. Sister of Kathy Hewitt, Greg, Gus and Tom Litmer. Stepsister of David, Gary, John and Tim Grossman. Grandmother of six. Great-grandmother of five.

BENNETT, Raymond, 86, St. Joseph, Shelbyville, Jan. 4. Husband of Terri Bennett. Father of Annette Carpenter, Shelley Cazzell, Anthony and Michael Bennett. Grandfather and great-grandfather of several.

BLACKWOOD, Frances C., 80, Prince of Peace, Madison, Dec. 15. Sister of Carol Crays, Betty Gabbard, Monica Steidinger, Linda Wenning, Dan, Jimmy and Paul Little. Aunt of several.

BORDERS, Kerry, 75, St. Gabriel, Connersville, Dec. 7. Husband of Joann Borders. Father of Rob and Tony Borders. Grandfather of four. Great-grandfather of one.

BOUGHNER, Patricia, 96, St. Gabriel, Connersville, Dec. 5. Mother of Roger and Stephen Boughner. Sister of Marilyn Anderson, Phyllis Glaub, Carolyn Hall and Joyce Houseworth. Grandmother of two. Great-grandmother of four.

BUCKLEY, Carolyn, 87, St. Joseph, Shelbyville, Jan. 11. Mother of Alexis Green, Risé Smith and J. Craig Buckley. Sister of Dean and Kenneth Karmire. Grandmother of six. Great-grandmother of four.

COLLINS, Galley, 76, St. Anthony of Padua, Clarksville, Jan. 19. Husband of Cynthia Collins. Father of Jacquelyn Singleton. Brother of Eunice Bryant, Phyllis Laker, Earl and Earnest Collins. Grandfather of four.

DWIRE, Janice E., 71, Holy Name of Jesus, Beech Grove, Jan. 2. Sister of Kevin Dwire.

EAGAN, Gina, 75, St. Roch, Indianapolis, Jan. 1. Wife of Mike Eagan. Mother of Melissa Haller, Brad and Brian Eagan. Grandmother of nine.

FRIGAND, Leslie A., 79, Christ the King, Indianapolis, Jan. 1. Sister of Linda Frigand.

GEIS, Martin, 76, St. Bridget of Ireland, Liberty, Jan. 3. Husband of Sharon Geis. Father of Crystal Ramey and Trever Geis. Brother of Charlene Byrley, Carol Lecklider, Dennis and Rodney Geis. Grandfather of four. Great-grandfather of two.

GERO, James, 64, St. Gabriel, Connersville, Dec. 5. Brother of Amy Collins and Tami Gero. Uncle and great-uncle of several.

HALL, Virginia, 81, SS. Francis and Clare of Assisi, Greenwood, Dec. 5. Sister of Robert Smith. Grandmother of three. Great-grandmother of three.

HUDSON, Margaret, 91, St. Joseph, Shelbyville, Jan. 12. Mother of Carla and Kevin Metz.

IMEL, Michelle (Holtel), 40, Holy Spirit, Indianapolis, Jan. 3. Wife of Joshua Imel. Mother of Kylie and Parker Imel and Todd Tabor. Daughter of James and Jaclyn Holtel. Sister of Joseph Holtel.

JACOB, Bertie L., 86, All Saints, Dearborn County, Jan. 11. Mother of Theresa Macdonald and Gary Jacob. Sister of Dorothy Barth, Wilma Burkey, Anna Darling, Bonnie Mills, Billy, Lawrence and Paul Weldishofer. Grandmother of six. Great-grandmother of six.

KLUG, Rita, 98, St. Christopher, Indianapolis, Jan. 10. Aunt of several.

KNECHT, Jerry L., 63, St. Mary, Rushville, Dec. 29. Husband of Becky Knecht. Father of Mikaylee, Morgan, Mason and Mitchell Knecht. Son of Velma Knecht. Brother of Darlene and Julie Spaeth and Brenda and Jim Knecht. Grandfather of one.

MANN, Ashley N., 31, St. Mary, Rushville, Dec. 13. Mother of Kiley. Daughter of Scott and Tracey Spaeth and James and Misty Mann. Sister of Haley Trebley and Brady Williams. Granddaughter of Mike and MaryAnn Gibbons, Cindy Mann, Virgil and Becky Siefring, Robert and Jeanie Spaeth.

MARSHALL, Kathryn, 96, St. Vincent de Paul, Shelby County, Jan. 6. Mother of Susan Lee, Sheila Marshall and Sharon Scott. Grandmother of six. Great-grandmother of 18.

MCGINLEY, James M., 89, Holy Spirit, Indianapolis, Dec. 29. Father of Eileen McGinley Ford and James McGinley. Brother of Rosie Cadwallader, Nano Dillard, Chuck, Dan, Jack, Joe and Mike McGinley. Grandfather of four.

MITCHELL, Clarence B., 91, St. Gabriel, Connersville, Dec. 19. Husband of Mary Elizabeth Mitchell. Father of Gregory Mitchell. Grandfather of five.

MULLIS, Marilyn, 82, St. Meinrad, St. Meinrad, Nov. 30. Mother of Linda Bueltel, Darrell, Jerry, Kurt, Scott and Tim Mullis. Sister of Virlee Howe, Anna Jacob and Bill Kerstiens. Grandmother of 15. Great-grandmother of 20.

NASH, Thomas, 66, St. Christopher, Indianapolis, Jan. 9. Husband of Jean Nash. Father of Katherine and Sarah Nash. Grandfather of four.

PETTIT, Kenneth L., 71, St. John Paul II, Sellersburg, Jan. 6. Husband of Theresia Pettit. Father of Amber Celani, Gary, Joel and Joshua Pettit. Brother of Lori McVicker and Gary Pettit. Grandfather of seven.

PLUCKEBAUM, Maryann, 93, St. Luke the Evangelist, Indianapolis, Jan. 12. Mother of Anne Marie Cottrell, David, Michael, Paul and Steven Pluckebaum. Grandmother of 11. Great-grandmother of eight.

SCHOTT, Franklin M., 1, St. Roch, Indianapolis, Jan. 4. Son of John and Anne Schott. Brother of Bernadette, Rebecca, Veronica, Abraham, George, Joseph, Richard, Teddy and William Schott. Grandson of John and Peggy Klein and Joe and Bonnie Schott.

SMITH, Priscilla (Clements), 90, Nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, Indianapolis, Jan. 11. Mother of Catherine, Kenneth and Michael Smith. Sister of Beverly and Leo. Grandmother of eight. Great-grandmother of 14.

STUTES, Paul E., 87, St. Vincent de Paul, Bedford, Jan. 10. Husband of Jane Stutes. Father of Susan Diekhoff, Julie Galloway and Neil Stutes. Brother of Philip Stutes. Grandfather of eight. Great-grandfather of several.

WASHBURN, Mary Katheryn, 86, St. Louis, Batesville, Jan. 4. Mother of John Allen. Stepmother of Sheila Deikoff. Sister of Helen Ellinghausen, Sue Teasley and Anthony Gardner. Grandmother of six. Great-grandmother of four. Great-great-grandmother of two.

WEST, James C., 84, Our Lady of the Greenwood, Greenwood, Jan. 9. Father of Barbara Berta, Claire DeLano and Jeanne Phenany. Brother of Albert West. Grandfather of five.

WOOLEY, Susan, 69, St. Bridget of Ireland, Liberty, Dec. 27. Wife of Steven Wooley. Mother of Kelly Allen, Stephanie Coley, Stacey Green, Ashley McWhinney and Bradley Wooley. Grandmother of six.

WRIGHT, Jack W., 89, St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, Richmond, Jan. 7. Father of Joyce Deitz, Mary Fliehman, Beth Hester, Judy Houseman, Cindy Johnson and John Wright. Brother of Shirley Devin. Grandfather of 22. Great-grandfather of 31.

ZUTTARELLI, James L., 73, St. Vincent de Paul, Bedford, Jan. 12. Uncle and great-uncle of several.

Benedictine Father Germain Swisshelm ministered in Peru, worked as a carpenter

Benedictine Father Germain Swisshelm, a monk of Saint Meinrad Archabbey in St. Meinrad, died on Jan. 24, in the monastery’s infirmary. He was 91.

The Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated on Jan. 29. Burial followed at the Archabbey Cemetery.

Father Germain was born on April 6, 1934, in Orrville, Ohio, and was given the name William Oliver at his baptism.

After graduating from high school in the former St. Gregory Seminary in Cincinnati in 1952, he entered priestly formation at the former Saint Meinrad College in Saint Meinrad where he later earned a bachelor’s degree in philosophy and history in 1956.

That same year, Father Germain was invested as a novice of Saint Meinrad Archabbey on Aug. 14. He professed temporary vows on Aug. 15, 1957, and solemn vows on Aug. 15, 1960. Father Germain was ordained a priest on Sept. 25, 1960.

He pursued graduate studies at Indiana University in Bloomington, the University of Oklahoma in Norman, Okla., and at the University of San Marcos in Lima, Peru.

Father Germain taught from 1960-62 in the former St. Placid Hall at Saint Meinrad. In 1962, he became a founding member of Saint Meinrad’s former mission in Huaraz, Peru, San Benito Priory.

While in Peru, Father Germain taught at a high school and seminary operated by the priory. He also served as its prior from 1975-79. Additionally, Father Germain ministered as associate pastor of San Juan de Lurigancho Parish in Lima.

Quechua is a native language pre-dating Spanish colonization that is spoken by many of the people in and around Huaraz. While in Peru, Father Germain produced a Quechua-Spanish dictionary and a nine-volume New Testament manuscript in Quechua.

Returning to Saint Meinrad in 1979, Father Germain worked in the monastery’s carpenter shop for several decades, celebrated Mass at its Shrine of Our Lady of Monte Cassino and was involved in Hispanic ministry. He also served as the monastic community’s Mass secretary, coordinator of liturgical readings and custodian of Mass intentions.

Memorial gifts may be sent to Saint Meinrad Archabbey, 200 Hill Drive, St. Meinrad, IN 47577. †