August 23, 2019

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)

ANDRES, Jerry W., 69, St. Mary-of-the-Knobs, Floyd County, Aug. 9. Husband of Diane Andres. Father of Chad Andres. Brother of Phyllis and Dennis Andres, Sr. Grandfather of three.

ARATA-TUTTEROW, Virginia T., 72, St. Joseph, Shelbyville, Aug. 7. Sister of Rose Ann Thurston. Aunt and great-aunt of several.

BERGER, Romilda, 91, St. Joseph, Shelbyville, July 30. Mother of Kathy Creech, Rita Johnson, Ken, Ron and Tim Berger. Grandmother of 11. Great-grandmother of 18.

DAUGHERTY, Joyce C. (Banet), 83, St. Mary-of-the-Knobs, Floyd County, Aug. 10. Mother of Cynthia Baker, Lana Woodruff and Harry Daugherty II. Grandmother of nine. Great-grandmother of 12.

DRECHSEL, Deborrah A., 64, St. John Paul II, Sellersburg, July 29. Wife of Henry Drechsel, Jr. Mother of Christina Drechsel. Sister of Colleen Kirschgessner, Mary McKinley and Mark Smith.

FISHER, Mary Rose (Salamone), 94, St. Mark the Evangelist, Indianapolis, Aug. 9. Mother of Karen Firkins and Marcia Fisher. Grandmother of seven. Great-grandmother of 10.

KELLER, Robert L., 69, Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, Indianapolis, July 21. Husband of Anita Keller. Father of James, Morgan and Robert Keller, Jr. Grandfather of eight. Great-grandfather of two.

KERKER, William R., 69, Holy Family, Oldenburg, Aug. 12. Husband of Susie Kerker. Father of Katie Hunter and Jarod Kerker. Brother of Kathy Bohman, Dan and Steve Kerker. Grandfather of four.

KISTNER, Charles, 83, St. Roch, Indianapolis, Aug. 2. Husband of Maryanna Kistner. Father of Karen Duvall, Diane Oliver, Daniel, James, Mark and Steven Kistner. Brother of John Kistner. Grandfather of 11. Great-grandfather of two.

MEYER, Ronald C., 84, St. Meinrad, St. Meinrad, Aug. 1. Father of Debbie Stevens, Kathy Wirthwein, Rick and Rod Meyer. Grandfather of seven.

NEYENHAUS, Wilma R. (Hubert), 76, St. Paul, Tell City, Aug. 7. Wife of Charles Neyenhaus. Mother of Regina Sandage, Charlene and Tim Neyenhaus. Sister of Violet Beard and Sheldon Hubert. Grandmother of six. Great-grandmother of one.

NIESE, Pauline M., 98, St. Louis, Batesville, Aug. 13. Mother of Viola Billman, Lucille Honnert, Pat Schrank, Dale, Jim and Virgil Niese. Grandmother of 30. Great-grandmother of 75. Great-great-grandmother of eight.

SMITH-GUYNN, Bernice M., 92, St. Rita, Indianapolis, Aug. 5. Mother of Sheila Passley, Sandra, Sharon, Stanley and Steven Guynn. Sister of Aratha Smith. Grandmother of five. Great-grandmother of six.

VAAL, Johana G. (Bischof), 96, St. Meinrad, St. Meinrad, July 24. Mother of Georgia Tretter, Therese Windell, Bernard, Gene and Jack Vaal. Grandmother of 15. Great-grandmother of 21.


Franciscan Sister Francis Ann Lewis served in Catholic education for 28 years

Franciscan Sister Francis Ann Lewis died on Aug. 11 at the motherhouse of the Congregation of the Sisters of the Third Order of St. Francis in Oldenburg. She was 94.

The Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated on Aug. 16 at the Motherhouse Chapel in Oldenburg. Burial followed at the sisters’ cemetery.

Dorothy Ann Lewis was born on May 31, 1925, in Terre Haute where she was a member of the former St. Ann Parish. She entered the Sisters of St. Francis on Jan. 31, 1943, and professed final vows on Aug. 12, 1948.

During 76 years as a Sister of St. Francis, Sister Francis Ann ministered in Catholic education for 28 years in Catholic schools in Indiana and Ohio.

In the archdiocese, Sister Francis Ann served at St. Andrew School (now St. Elizabeth Ann Seton School) in Richmond from 1944-45, the Oldenburg Academy of the Immaculate Conception in Oldenburg from 1945-48, in Indianapolis at St. Therese of the Infant Jesus (Little Flower) School from 1949-52 and Our Lady of Lourdes School from 1952-53, St. Louis School in Batesville from 1967-70, and at the former St. John the Baptist School in Osgood from 1979-81. She also served at the motherhouse in Oldenburg from 1970-84 and 1986-87.

Memorial gifts may be sent to the Sisters of St. Francis, P.O. Box 100, Oldenburg, IN 47036-0100. †

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