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)
BARTH, Joan, 90, St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, Richmond, Nov. 27. Sister of Imelda Ramsey. Aunt of several.
BITTELMEYER, Christine (King), 66, St. Pius X, Indianapolis, Nov. 14.Wife of Joe Bittelmeyer. Mother of Elizabeth Searcy and David Bittelmeyer. Sister of Tom King. Grandmother of four.
BUTTICE, Joseph J., 71, SS. Francis and Clare of Assisi, Greenwood, Nov. 25. Husband of Mary Ellen Buttice. Father of Jennifer Pearsey. Brother of Judy Handshu, Patty Pinkard, Al and Michael Buttice. Grandfather of three. Great‑grandfather of one.
DAMIN, Irene (Early), 87, St. Paul, Tell City, Dec. 8. Wife of Tom Damin. Mother of Cheryl Sweeney, Barbara, Kerry and Tony Damin. Sister of Marge Petriello. Grandmother of seven. Great‑grandmother of five.
FELDHAUS, Pauline, 102, St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, Richmond, Dec. 3. Mother of Joyce Eubanks, Cecilia Melcher, Pam Mills, Mary and John Feldhaus. Sister of Bea Jessen. Grandmother, great‑grandmother and great‑great-grandmother of several.
FESSEL, Harold L., 66, St. Joseph, Corydon, Dec. 5. Husband of Pamela Fessel. Father of Jennifer DePriest and William Fessel. Brother of Beth Sharp, Elaine Tuchscherer, Dale, Dennis and Larry Fessel. Grandfather of four.
GILLESPIE, Michael C., 46, St. Therese of the Infant Jesus (Little Flower), Indianapolis, Nov. 17. Husband of Sondra Gillespie. Father of Cody and Ryan Looney and Riley Gillespie. Son of Margaret Gillespie. Brother of Tomi and Chris Gillespie.
HOLTEL, Rosemary R., 100, St. Louis, Batesville, Dec. 9. Mother of Debbie Lamping, Mary Jo Youngman and Jack Holtel. Sister of Barbara Heidlage and Betty Waters. Grandmother of five. Great-grandmother of nine. Great-great-grandmother of three.
JUDGE, Elizabeth A., 74, St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, Richmond, Dec. 1. Mother of Leslie Holbrook, Gabriel and Greg Asbury, Jay and Kit Judge. Sister of Robert Van Pelt. Grandmother of nine.
MARTINI, Ruth C. (Hoffmeier), 83, All Saints, Dearborn County, Dec. 4. Mother of Julie Crawley, Susan Roell, Mary, Dave, John, Joseph, Patrick and William Martini. Grandmother of 14.
MCNELIS, Eleanor P. (Mulig), 83, St. Anne, New Castle, Dec. 2. Mother of Amy Hollowell, Lisa McNelis‑Roselli and Kevin McNelis. Sister of Anthony Mulig. Grandmother of nine. Great-grandmother of one.
NIERSBACH, Mary E., 89, St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, Richmond, Nov. 25. Mother of Gretchen Murray and William Niersbach, Jr. Grandmother of five. Great-grandmother of five.
PLUCKEBAUM, Robert V., 85, St. Luke the Evangelist, Indianapolis, Nov. 10. Husband of Maryann Pluckebaum. Father of AnneMarie Cottrell, Dave, Mike, Paul and Steve Pluckebaum. Brother of Jack Pluckebaum. Grandfather of 11. Great-grandfather of three.
RIEHLE, Eunice M., 95, St. Peter, Franklin County, Dec. 10. Mother of Linda Fullenkamp, Cindy Nurrenberg, Kathy Tekulve, Francis, Jr. and John Riehle. Sister of Jinny Werner. Grandmother of 14. Great‑grandmother of 27. Great-great-grandmother of two.
ROSSITTIS, Emanuele, 77, St. Bartholomew, Columbus, Dec. 9. Husband of Donna Rossittis. Father of Mary, Eric and Damian Rossittis. Brother of Teresa Giroiami. Grandfather of seven.
SCHIAVONE, Lena M. (Gross), 83, St. Monica, Indianapolis, Dec. 9. Mother of Michael and Peter Schiavone. Sister of Louise Enrietti. Grandmother of five.
SCHOMACKER, Amy C., 41, St. Simon the Apostle, Indianapolis, Dec. 2. Wife of Geoff Schomacker. Mother of Hazel and Olive Schomacker. Daughter of Michael and Arlyn Meyer. Sister of Lisa Gunyon and Sarah Overpeck.
SCHWARTZ, Martin T., 95, St. Paul, Tell City, Dec. 8. Father of Laura Titzer, Barbara Weiserbs, Angela and Paul Schwartz. Grandfather of 11. Great-grandfather of 12.
SMITH, Nevada, 91, St. Anne, New Castle, Dec. 2. Mother of Patricia Bailiff, Mary Vance, Edward, Jr., Michael and Stephen Smith. Grandmother of 11. Great‑grandmother of 18.
TIMKE, Elvira F., 89, St. Louis, Batesville, Dec. 10. Mother of Joyce Gauck, Patricia Leffingwell, Jean Linkel, Carol Livers, Joan Thompson, Mary Vogelsang, David, James and Mark Timke. Sister of Shirley Laker. Grandmother of 15. Great‑grandmother of 11.
WILHELM-LOOS, Margaret M., 89, Prince of Peace, Madison, Dec. 1. Mother of Mark and Michael Wilhelm. Stepmother of Ellen Gill, Mary Kay Liverett and Phil Loos. Grandmother of two. Step‑grandmother of six. Step‑great-grandmother of five.
Providence Sister Kathryn Koressel served in Catholic schools for 39 years
Providence Sister Kathryn Koressel died on Dec. 7 at Providence Hall at St. Mary-of-the-Woods. She was 90.
The Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated on Dec. 14 at the Church of the Immaculate Conception at the motherhouse in St. Mary-of-the-Woods. Burial followed at the sisters’ cemetery.
Alfreda Kathryn Koressel was born on July 27, 1927, in Evansville, Ind. She entered the Sisters of Providence of Saint Mary-of-the-Woods on July 20, 1944, and professed final vows on Jan. 23, 1952.
Sister Kathryn earned a bachelor’s degree from Saint Mary‑of-the-Woods College in St. Mary-of-the-Woods and a master’s degree from Indiana State University in Terre Haute.
During her 73 years as a member of the Sisters of Providence, Sister Kathryn ministered for 39 years as a teacher in Catholic schools in Indiana, Illinois, Oklahoma and North Carolina. She retired from education in 1986, and then served for 12 years as a receptionist at the Providence Retirement Home in New Albany. She later ministered in the Evansville Diocese for seven years before returning to the motherhouse, where she served the community in several ways.
In the archdiocese, she served at Holy Cross Central School in Indianapolis from 1951-52 and at St. Paul School (now St. John Paul II School) in Sellersburg from 1959-65.
Sister Kathryn is survived by four sisters: Marie Gentry, Agnes Sammet and Margaret Will, all of Evansville, and Helen Klingle of Indianapolis; and three brothers: Father James Koressel of Montgomery, Ind., Joseph Koressel of Louisville, Ky., and Linus Koressel of Evansville.
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.
Providence Sister Agnes Mary Raetz served at her community’s motherhouse
Providence Sister Agnes Mary Raetz died on Dec. 7 at Mother Theodore Hall at St. Mary-of-the-Woods. She was 85.
The Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated on Dec. 15 at the Church of the Immaculate Conception at the motherhouse in St. Mary-of-the-Woods. Burial followed at the sisters’ cemetery.
Mary Agnes Raetz was born on April 10, 1932, in Toledo, Ohio. Her family later moved to Indianapolis, where they were members of St. Joan of Arc Parish. She entered the Sisters of Providence of Saint Mary‑of-the-Woods on Sept. 12, 1963, and professed final vows on Aug. 15, 1970.
During her 54 years as a member of the Sisters of Providence, Sister Agnes Mary ministered for 34 years as a secretary and clerical assistant in various offices in her community’s motherhouse. She also served as a clerical assistant to the president of Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College from 1987‑89. She retired in 2007, dedicating herself entirely to prayer.
Sister Agnes Mary is survived by two sisters, Elizabeth Vangordon of Greenwood, and Angela Danford of Toledo.
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. †