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)
AVIS, Mary E. (Broderick), 65, St. Mary, Navilleton, Feb. 15. Wife of Frank Avis. Mother of Shannon Main, Mindy and Branden Avis. Sister of Annie Frank and Michael Broderick. Grandmother of five.
CLARK GOLDSWORTHY, JoAnn M., 91, St. Christopher, Indianapolis, Feb. 9. Mother of Susan Clark Collins, Bruce and David Clark. Grandmother of six. Great-grandmother of seven.
DAVIS, Betty, 87, St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, Richmond, Feb. 18. Mother of Jamie Smith and Brad Davis. Sister of Shirley Eikenberry, Connie Maxel and Roberta Montoney. Grandmother of two.
DAVIS, Scott H., 73, St. Mary-of-the-Knobs, Floyd County, Feb. 13. Husband of Janet Davis. Father of Lisa Barker, Missy Michal, Anita Richert and Julie Striegel. Brother of Kermit Davis. Grandfather of five.
GEIS, Keith D., 58, St. Gabriel, Connersville,
Feb. 15. Husband of Debra Geis. Father of Jennifer Geis Steele, Jason Smith and Gabriel Geis. Son of Joella Geis. Brother of Luanne Williams and Thomas Geis. Grandfather of eight. Great‑grandfather of one.
GESELL, Rita M., 89, All Saints, Dearborn County, Feb. 13. Wife of Robert Gesell. Mother of Ruth Burkhard and Cathy Huth. Grandmother of one.
GLOSSON, Helen, 83, St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, Richmond, Feb. 16. Mother of Kelly Helms and Kristy Geier. Grandmother of two.
HAAG, Kenneth D., 76, St. Vincent de Paul, Bedford, Feb. 18. Husband of Phyllis Haag. Father of Kimberly Baker, Karen Johnson and Rodney Haag. Brother of Steve and William Haag. Grandfather of 10. Great‑grandfather of 20.
HALAS, Margaret J. (Daw), 80, St. Mary, Navilleton, Jan 27. Wife of James Halas. Mother of Vikki and James Halas. Sister of Louann Bell, Virginia Connelly-Daw,
JT and Roy Daw. Grandmother of four. Great-grandmother of two. (Correction)
KEITH, Dolores, 79, St. Mary, New Albany,
Feb. 12. Wife of John Keith. Mother of Melissa Cotner, Doris Hampton, Cathy Kleinsmith and Jimmy Fetz. Sister of Connie McQuigg and Richard Baumgardner. Grandmother of 11. Great‑grandmother of seven.
KIRCH, Bernard F., 93, St. Christopher, Indianapolis, Feb. 12. Father of Debbie Hall, Denise Meldrum and Don Kirch. Brother of Phillip Kirch. Grandfather of seven. Great-grandfather of 13.
KOHARCHIK, Michael S., Jr., 85, St. Jude, Indianapolis, Jan. 18. Husband of Barbara Koharchik. Father of Christine Tomasic, Mikayla, Richard, Robert and Ryan Koharchik. Brother of Patricia Caton and Joseph Koharchik. Grandfather of six.
LANE-TODD, Angela K., 49, St. Jude, Indianapolis, Jan. 21. Daughter of N. Jean Fitzgerald. Stepdaughter of Pat Fitzgerald. Stepdaughter of Kathy Lane. Sister of Scott Lane. Stepsister of Sherry Greer and Teresa Kurnik.
LYNCH, Sharon K., 78, Christ the King, Indianapolis, Feb. 7. Mother of Mary Sommer and Terry Lynch. Sister of Janet Emery and Peggy Horvath. Grandmother of six.
MEEK, John J., 83, St. Mary, Greensburg, Feb. 15. Husband of Frieda Meek. Father of Kevin Meek. Grandfather of three. Great-grandfather of five.
MERVAR, Josephine, 95, Sacred Heart of Jesus, Indianapolis, Feb. 4. Mother of Michael Kuehn and Larry Mervar. Grandmother of seven. Great-grandmother of six.
MEYER, Thomas A., 54, St. Mary, Greensburg, Feb. 15. Husband of Mary Beth Meyer. Father of Aaron, Jeremy and Zachary Meyer. Son of Margherita Meyer. Brother of Ann Mathis, Alan, Dale and John Meyer.
PRICKEL, Albert A., 90, St. Louis, Batesville, Feb. 16.Father of Pat Hill, Janet Schumacher, Ron and Terry Prickel. Brother of Alma Obermeyer. Grandfather of 12. Great-grandfather of seven.
REISERT, Patricia, 83, St. Gabriel, Connersville,
Feb. 11. Mother of Susan Neese, Mark, Michael and Thomas Reiser. Grandmother of four.
RILLO, Joan C., 83, St. Charles Borromeo, Bloomington, Feb. 15. Wife of Thomas Rillo. Mother of Kathy, Kevin and Thomas Rillo. Grandmother of two.
SAULMAN, James F., 88, St. Joseph, Corydon, Feb. 13. Father of Jill Ann Delaney, Debbie Gresham and Kimberly Stewart. Brother of Susie Troncin, Carl and Kenneth Saulman. Grandfather of 11. Great‑grandfather of 21. Great-great-grandfather of two.
SCHUBACH, William J., Sr., 85, St. Jude, Indianapolis, Feb. 11. Father of Mary Johnson, Kristina Kirschner, Anne Wurtz, Michael, Patrick, Timothy and William Schubach, Jr. Grandfather of 17. Great-grandfather of six.
WICKETT, Patricia (Scott), 79, St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, Richmond, Feb. 11. Wife of Ronald Wickett. Mother of Vicki Holthouse, Valerie Windle and Douglas Wickett‑Grandmother of eight. Great-grandmother of 13.
Benedictine Sister Emily Emmert served in several schools in the archdiocese
Benedictine Sister Emily Emmert, a founding member of Our Lady of Grace Monastery in Beech Grove, died on Jan. 19 at the nearby St. Paul Hermitage where she was a resident. She was 93.
The Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated on Jan. 24 at the Monastery Chapel at Our Lady of Grace. Burial followed at the sisters’ cemetery.
Sister Emily was born on Oct. 19, 1924, in Haubstadt, Ind.
She was invested as a novice at the Benedictine Monastery Immaculate Conception in Ferdinand, Ind., now in the Evansville Diocese, on June 3, 1943. She professed her first vows on June 4, 1944, perpetual vows on Aug. 10, 1947, and became a founding member of Our Lady of Grace in 1960.
Sister Emily earned a bachelor’s degree in educational administration at the former St. Benedict College in Ferdinand. She also earned master’s degrees in educational administration at the University of Notre Dame and in English through studies at Ball State University in Muncie, Ind., and Indiana University South.
During her 75 years of vowed religious life, Sister Emily ministered in Catholic education for 50 years in schools in the Archdiocese of Indianapolis and the Diocese of Evansville.
In the archdiocese, she served at the former St. Michael School in Bradford, St. Anthony of Padua School in Clarksville, the former St. Paul School in Tell City, St. Mary-of-the-Knobs School in Floyd County, the former Our Lady of Grace Academy in Beech Grove, and in Indianapolis at Bishop Chatard High School, Roncalli High School and the former Latin School.
Sister Emily is survived by her brother, Robert Emmert of Ferdinand.
Memorial gifts may be sent to the Retired Sisters’ Fund, in care of Our Lady of Grace Monastery, 1402 Southern Ave., Beech Grove, IN 46107 or online at www.benedictine.com.
Franciscan Sister Geraldine Power ministered in Catholic education for many years
Franciscan Sister Geraldine Power died on Feb. 16 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 Feb. 20 at the Motherhouse Chapel in Oldenburg. Burial followed at the sisters’ cemetery.
Geraldine Marie Power was born on July 3, 1918, in Suttons Bay, Mich., and later grew up in Indianapolis where she was a member of the former Holy Cross Parish.
After graduating from the former St. Mary Academy in Indianapolis, she entered the Sisters of St. Francis on Sept. 8, 1935, and professed final vows on July 2, 1941.
During her 32 years of ministry in Catholic education, Sister Geraldine served in schools in Illinois, Indiana, Ohio and Missouri.
In the archdiocese, she served in Indianapolis at Our Lady of Lourdes School from 1950-54 and at Father Thomas Scecina Memorial High School from 1960-67. From 1993-2008, she ministered in motherhouse in Oldenburg.
Memorial gifts may be sent to the Sisters of St. Francis, P.O. Box 100, Oldenburg, IN 47036-0100. †