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)
ALBA, Trinidad M., 98, St. Jude, Indianapolis, March 14.
BENDER, Tammy Marie, 47, St. Nicholas, Ripley County, March 13. Daughter of Michael and Kathleen Bender. Sister of Kristen Zaffiro.
BROWN, Carroll Eugene, 91, St. Anthony of Padua, Clarksville, March 4. Father of Joyce Castillo, Carolyn Gisiner, Linda Herrell and Donna Palmer. Brother of Lucy Reed and Benjamin Brown. Grandfather of four. Great-grandfather of three.
BROWN, Marilyn, 70, St. Paul, Sellersburg, March 3. Wife of Thomas Brown. Mother of Leanne Sidebottom, Debbie Wood and Kirk Brown. Sister of Michelle Westmoreland, Deanna Wheeler, Jean Wittenburg and Bobby Noble. Grandmother of eight. Great-grandmother of three.
BUCKHORN, Florence, 89, St. Malachy, Brownsburg, March 3. Grandmother of one.
CURRY, Samuel Richard, 87, Sacred Heart, Clinton, March 11. Husband of Rose (Dirker) Curry. Father of Patrick Curry.
de ROSE, Eugene Joseph, 63, SS. Francis and Clare, Greenwood, March 13. Husband of Barbara Sue (Roman) de Rose. Father of Julie Souchon and Natalie de Rose. Son of Philomene de Rose. Brother of Maureen Paul, Gerard and Jerome de Rose.
DIERCKMAN, Joseph G., 91, Holy Family, Oldenburg, March 11. Brother of Cleora Kuntz and Ralph Dierckman.
DUGAN, Patricia Jane, 56, Our Lady of the Greenwood, Greenwood, March 10. Sister of Dr. Ellen Dugan-Barrette, Kathy Dugan Feldhake, Sharon Dugan Holmes, John, Michael and Robert Dugan.
EDWARDS, Kathyleen J., 65, St. Bartholomew, Columbus, March 9. Wife of Michael Edwards. Mother of Jennifer Meade and Michael Edwards. Daughter of Margaret Spanik. Sister of Ellen Kopetsky, Patricia Perry, Mary Smith, Karen, Dennis and Michael Spanik. Grandmother of four.
FOSTER, Ruth Margaret, 69, St. Gabriel the Archangel, Indianapolis, March 12. Mother of Dean Foster. Sister of Mary Lou, Pat, Herbert, Jerome and John. Grandmother of one.
FRENCH, Virginia M., 70, St. Louis, Batesville, March 14. Mother of Sonya Fischmer, Tina Wautelet and Edward French. Grandmother of 10. Great-grandmother of three.
GARRETT, Patricia A., 87, St. Pius X, Indianapolis, Feb. 20. Mother of Dr. Anne Sargent, Susan Van Wyck, Julie Woods and Dr. John Garrett. Sister of Marjorie Stevens. Grandmother of 12. Great-grandmother of four.
GERBERICK, Paul Anthony, 85, St. Jude, Indianapolis, March 18. Husband of Alma (Maxwell) Gerberick. Father of Dorothy Mroz, Marilyn Stuckert, Michael and Richard Gerberick. Stepfather of Sandi Jackson, Phyllis Lance, Donna Schulz, Randall and Steve Ritter. Grandfather of nine. Great-grandfather of six.
GILKEY, Anna Catherine, 88, St. Mary, New Albany, March 6. Mother of Anna Henson, Barbara Peper, John, Joseph II and William Gilkey. Sister of Charles Bischof. Grandmother of eight. Great-grandmother of 20.
HILTERMAN, John, 78, St. Mary, Richmond, March 8. Husband of Mary Hilterman. Father of Jacquie, Mary and John Hilterman Jr. Stepfather of Marc Lacy, Daniel and Matthew Smallwood. Grandfather of five. Great-grandfather of one.
HILTZ, Helen, 83, All Saints, Dearborn County, March 5. Mother of Melanie Gutzwiller, Cheryl Lieland, Lisa Nobbe, Rhonda Trabel, Gary and Tim Hiltz. Sister of Clifford, Francis, Lester and Lorne Hoffmeier. Grandmother of 13. Great-grandmother of 10.
HOLLINS, Barbara J., 54, Holy Family, Oldenburg, March 16. Wife of Ben Hollins. Mother of Adam and Chris Hollins. Sister of Carol Melcher, Donna Smith and Michael Ruth. Grandmother of four.
HUNTER, William I., 74, Our Lady of Perpetual Help, New Albany, March 18. Husband of Judith (Newell) Hunter. Father of Mary Ellen Stalnaker. Grandfather of two.
HYER, Lucille M., 96, St. Bartholomew, Columbus, March 13. Mother of Judith Ahrens, John Jr., Richard and Thomas Hyer. Sister of Lawrence Hitchcox. Grandmother of eight. Great-grandmother of four.
ILANO, Michael, 21, St. Andrew, Richmond, March 8. Son of Vicki Ilano. Brother of Noah Ilano. Grandson of Dr. Pablo and Montserrat Ilano Jr.
KRUPA, Lucinda, 91, St. Mark the Evangelist, Indianapolis, March 13. Mother of Monica Prizevoits, Joseph, Kevin and Thomas Krupa. Grandmother of 12. Great-grandmother of 13.
McGUIRE, Martha J. (Mattingly), 93, St. Jude, Indianapolis, March 13. Mother of Sarah Bixler, Cynthia Rudolph and Lucinda Snyder. Sister of Dora Heffner. Grandmother of seven. Great-grandmother of 11.
McNEW, Dale A., Sr., 68, St. Gabriel, Connersville, March 12. Husband of Pamela (Marcum) McNew. Father of Josephine, Dale II, Garlan and William McNew. Brother of Robin Barnes and William Cain. Grandfather of one.
MILLER, Eugene, 83, St. Patrick, Salem, Feb. 1. Husband of Lois (Vassie) Miller. Father of Brenda Hester, Brian, Michael, Robert and Steven Miller. Grandfather of 11. Great-grandfather of five.
MOHLER, Catherine Elizabeth, 92, St. Anne, New Castle, March 8. Mother of Joanne Barrett, Margaret Behnke, Rebecca Bryne, Judith Macy, Linda Rausch and Harold Mohler Jr. Grandmother of 11. Great-grandmother of eight.
PETERSON, Jay A., 87, St. Christopher, Indianapolis, March 7. Husband of Lois (Freitag) Peterson. Father of MaryKay Baker, RuthAnn Casselman, Jeannie Miele, Cathy Williams, Beth Workman, Dave and Thomas Peterson and Lakasha. Grandfather of several. Great-grandfather of several.
PFEFFER, Rita Ann (Foster), 94, St. Anne, New Castle, March 6. Mother of Julia Armstrong, Mary Clark, Christopher, Michael, Peter and Richard Foster. Grandmother of 16. Great-grandmother of 12.
PROFFITT, Richard, 72, Nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, Indianapolis, March 7. Husband of Teresa (Sheehan) Proffitt. Father of Kristina and Michael Miller, Kristin Woodruff, Shannon and Greg Proffitt. Brother of Shirley Landwerlin and Joyce Reiners. Grandfather of 12. Great-grandfather of six.
ROMERO, Trinidad Martinez, 91, American Martyrs, Scottsburg, March 13. Mother of Soledad Barclay, Ramona Barger, Rita Bields, Lupe Brunner, Janie Clouse, Armando, Rene, Rosie, Ricardo and Rosendo Romero. Sister of Rocha Sebastian and Ramon Camarillo. Grandmother of 28. Great-grandmother of 43. Great-great-grandmother of seven.
WALTER, Robert W., 86, St. Michael the Archangel, Brookville, March 14. Husband of Clare Walter. Father of Paula Eggleston, Brenda Leonard, Marcia Metz, Andrea Stewart, Adam and Neil Walter. Stepfather of Kathi Bradley, Teresa Mohl, Karen Perusek and Dennis Quinn. Brother of Ruth Dudley, Bill, Ed and Otto Walter. Grandfather of 28. Great-grandfather of 26.
WINDHOLTZ, Marion C., 77, St. Peter, Franklin County, March 12. Wife of Jim Windholtz. Mother of James Windholtz. Grandmother of four. Great-grandmother of two.
Franciscan Sister Laurita Kroger ministered in education and administration in Indiana
Franciscan Sister Laurita Kroger died on March 9 at the St. Clare Health Center at the motherhouse of the Congregation of the Sisters of the Third Order of St. Francis in Oldenburg. She was 99.
The Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated on March 12 at the Motherhouse Chapel. Burial followed at the sisters’ cemetery.
Ruth Katherine Kroger was born on Sept. 30, 1914.
She entered the Sisters of St. Francis on Oct. 2, 1936, after working in her family’s business for four years. She professed final vows on Aug. 12, 1944.
During 78 years as a Sister of St. Francis, Sister Laurita ministered at various levels of Catholic education and in administration in her community.
In the archdiocese, Sister Laurita served in Indianapolis at Father Thomas Scecina Memorial High School, Marian University and the former St. Mary Academy. She also served at the Oldenburg Academy of the Immaculate Conception in Oldenburg. She also served her order for six years as a community councilor and as treasurer.
Memorial gifts may be sent to the Sisters of St. Francis, Oldenburg, IN 47030-0100.
Providence Sister Marie Agatha Vonderheide taught in Catholic schools for 31 years in several states
Providence Sister Marie Agatha Vonderheide died on March 15 at Mother Theodore Hall at St. Mary-of-the-Woods. She was 92.
The Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated on March 20 at the Church of the Immaculate Conception at the motherhouse. Burial followed at the sisters’ cemetery.
Agatha Clara Vonderheide was born on April 24, 1920, in Indianapolis. She grew up as a member of Holy Angels Parish and graduated from the former St. John Academy, both in Indianapolis.
She entered the Sisters of Providence of Saint Mary-of-the-Woods on July 21, 1940, and professed final vows on Jan. 23, 1949.
Sister Marie Agatha earned a bachelor’s degree in English at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College in St. Mary-of-the-Woods, and a master’s degree in English and a doctorate in higher education at The Catholic University of America in Washington.
During 73 years as a Sister of Providence, Sister Marie Agatha ministered in Catholic education for 31 years in schools in Illinois, Indiana, Missouri and Washington, D.C.
In the archdiocese, she taught at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College from 1956-65 and 1971-73.
Sister Marie Agatha later served as a hospital chaplain in facilities in Indiana and Georgia. In the archdiocese, she ministered as a hospital chaplain at Methodist Hospital in Indianapolis from 1979-81. She also ministered at the Archbishop O’Meara Catholic Center from 2000-01 and helped care for a sister in Indianapolis from 2001-05. She returned to the motherhouse in 2006 and volunteered in health care, and then dedicated herself entirely to prayer beginning in 2007.
Sister Marie Agatha is survived by nieces and nephews.
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. †