June 25, 2021

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)

ALVEAR, Kevin M., 15, Holy Spirit, Indianapolis, May 8. Son of Hipolito Estaban and Doris Alvear Lucio.

BAGADIONG, Azucena Soriano, 79, Holy Spirit, Indianapolis, May 29. Wife of Nick Bagadiong. Mother of Neil Bagadiong. Sister of Zenaida DeGuzman, Lorna Perada, Haymaline, Arthur, Charlie and Hajie Soriano. Grandmother of two.

BECKER, Kenneth W., 89, Holy Spirit, Indianapolis, May 21. Husband of Thelma Mae Becker. Father of Keith, Kenneth II, Vann, Vaughn, Vern and Vic Becker. Grandfather of nine. Great-grandfather of one.

BRUNNER, June I., 95, St. Bridget of Ireland, Liberty, April 3. Mother of Andrew, James, John and Thomas Brunner. Grandmother of three. Great-grandmother of six.

DANIEL, Rita A., 86, St. Gabriel, Connersville, Dec. 27, 2020. Mother of Brenda Hamilton, Becky Hanson, Beth Tipton, Barbara, Jeffrey and John Daniel. Sister of Shirley Champe, Anna Rose Grubbs, Susie Marowski, Mary McCormick, Agnes Munson, Jody Robeson, Chuck and Mike Frank. Grandmother of 11. Great-grandmother of 21.

DAVIDSON, Jennifer, 38, St. Gabriel, Connersville, April 10. Wife of Mikey Davidson. Mother of Lyla and Trot Davidson. Daughter of Robbie and Diane Gough. Sister of Michael Gough.

GRISSMER, Daniel J., 40, Christ the King, Indianapolis, May 23. Son of Tom and Alma Grissmer. Brother of Cristy Grissmer.

HAIGERTY, Thomas J., 77, Holy Spirit, Indianapolis, Jan. 12. Brother of Jeanine Haigerty Adkins, Janet Patterson and Joe Haigerty. Uncle of several.

HARTSELL, James L., 74, St. Ambrose, Seymour, May 7. Brother of Miki, Ernest and Jerry Hartsell. Uncle of several.

HARVEY, LaVerna, 89, St. Bridget of Ireland, Liberty, Dec. 17, 2020. Mother of Theresa Dorrell, Christine Logue and Darrell Harvey. Sister of Mary Taylor, Earl, Harold and Larry Richardson. Grandmother of 13. Great-grandmother of 39. Great-great-grandmother of one.

HENKLE, Daniel J., 73, St. Ambrose, Seymour, May 29. Husband of Deborah Meyers. Father of Kimberly Cochran, Kelly DuMond, Kristen Riecke, Katie Walls, D.J., Ted and Tyler Henkle. Son of Loretta Henkle. Brother of Debbie Miller, Karen Wilson, Robb and Tim Henkle. Grandfather of 25.

JERMAN, Roger E., 79, St. Ambrose, Seymour, May 31. Husband of Connie Jerman. Father of Joe Jerman. Grandfather of two.

KIRSCHNER, Norbert F., 88, Holy Family, Oldenburg, May 16. Husband of Ellen Kirschner. Father of Melissa Jacobs, Sharon Meier, Rosie Slagle, Susan Unkrich and Gerry Kirschner. Grandfather of 12. Great-grandfather of 28.

KUNKEL, Danny C., 69, St. Gabriel, Connersville, April 4. Brother of Carol Pflum, Sandy May, David, Donald and Richard Kunkel. Uncle of several.

LAMB, Helen T., 87, Holy Spirit, Indianapolis, April 24. Mother of Kathy Kozenski, Diane and Michael Lamb. Grandmother of two.

MCKINNEY, Emily, 70, St. Gabriel, Connersville, Jan. 20. Mother of Nikki Noah and Ryan McKinney. Sister of Patricia Raham and Kenneth Lane. Grandmother of six. Great-grandmother of one.

MEYER, Albert E., 76, St. Gabriel, Connersville, April 12. Father of Becky Hymer, Sarah Russel, David and Mike Meyer. Son of Estella Meyer. Brother of Della Dewees and Brenda Meyer. Grandfather of six. Great-grandfather of three.

PAULOSKI, Eleanor, 92, Christ the King, Indianapolis, April 25. Mother of Elyse Turula, Providence Sister Pam, James and Jeffrey Pauloski. Grandmother of six.

PETERS, Jane A., 68, St. Ambrose, Seymour, Feb. 22. Wife of Rick Peters. Mother of Andy, Jeff and Ryan Peters. Daughter of Loretta Henkle. Sister of Debbie Miller, Karen Wilson, Dan, Robb and Tim Henkle. Grandmother of two.

PIZZI, Antonio F., 85, Holy Spirit, Indianapolis, May 29. Husband of Antoinette Pizzi. Father of Carmelina Pizzi-Mills, Gino and Paolo Pizzi. Brother of Domenica Marino and Francesca Pizzi-Giunta. Grandfather of six.

RIEDLINGER, Jr., Joseph C., 86, Holy Spirit, Indianapolis, May 14. Father of Suzanne Allesee, Cathy Foreman, Michelle Linn, Lisa, Michael and Robert Riedlinger, III. Stepfather of Mike Fox. Brother of Mary Hall. Grandfather of five. Great-grandfather of two.

RISCH, Shirley J., 91, St. Gabriel, Connersville, March 31. Wife of Gene Risch. Mother of Susan Kiefer. Grandmother of two. Great-grandmother of four.

SANCHEZ, Arturo, 53, Holy Spirit, Indianapolis, May 15. Husband of Carrie Sanchez. Father of Savanah Sanchez. Stepfather of Amanda Potter. Son of Ana Sanchez Delgado. Brother of Ana, Bertha, Alfredo and Carlos Sanchez.

SHARY, Joseph, 95, Christ the King, Indianapolis, May 27. Husband of JoAnn Shary. Father of Cindy Cowdrey, Dee Dee Shary Connaughton, Lisa and Mark Shary. Grandfather of seven.

SCIARRA, Claude W., 86, St. Ambrose, Seymour, April 17. Husband of Jackie Sciarra. Father of Lisa Anderson and Jill Varnado. Brother of Peggy McClure. Grandfather of 14. Great-grandfather of three.

STERWERF, Mary B., 84, St. Gabriel, Connersville, Dec. 23, 2020. Mother of Kathy Kindsfather and Ruth Nutty. Stepmother of Pamela Rader, Anne Trent and Albert Sterwerf. Grandmother of five.

STOOPS, Virginia C., 96, St. Therese of the Infant Jesus (Little Flower), Indianapolis, May 24. Mother of Lillian Forster, Lenore Friedly, Diane Gibson, Edith Hastings, Janet Newland, Rebecca, Charles, Jr., Ernest and Joseph Stoops. Sister of Orville McKinney. Grandmother and great-grandmother of several.

WALSH, Margaret, 66, St. Roch, Indianapolis, May 25. Wife of John Walsh. Mother of Jennifer Tygrett and Meghan Wilson. Sister of Trena James, Tammy Johnson, Terri Ratliff and Jesse Denham. Grandmother of seven.

WEAVER, Derek E., 33, St. Joseph, Shelbyville, April 17. Father of Rachel and Logan Weaver. Son of Daniel and Dena Weaver. Brother of Drew Bowman and Danielle Weaver. Grandson of Edna Weaver and David Overbeck.

WILLHELM, James, 78, St. Gabriel, Connersville, Dec. 26, 2020. Father of Tricia Hughes, Lori Kennedy and Ryan Willhelm. Brother of Barbara Allen, Rita Erlewein, Joan Fearnow, Margaret Hamilton, Elizabeth Mains, Franciscan Sister Agnes, Francis, Joseph, Louis and Tommy Willhelm. Grandfather of 10. Great-grandfather of 10.

WILKINS, Whitney A., 26, St. Gabriel, Connersville, May 23. Daughter of David and Gay Wilkins. Sister of Tina Miller and Earnest Wilkins.


Franciscan Sister Mary Kathleen McCarthy served in Catholic schools for 55 years

Franciscan Sister Mary Kathleen McCarthy, formerly Sister Mary Agnes, died on June 12 at the motherhouse of the Congregation of the Sisters of the Third Order of St. Francis in Oldenburg. She was 91.

The Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated on June 17 at the Motherhouse Chapel in Oldenburg. Burial followed at the sisters’ cemetery.

Sister Kathleen was born on July 6, 1929, in Cincinnati. She joined the Sisters of St. Francis on Feb. 1, 1948, and professed final vows in on Aug. 12, 1953. Sister Kathleen earned degrees at Marian University in Indianapolis, Creighton University in Omaha, Neb., and received additional education at Franciscan University of Steubenville in Steubenville, Ohio, Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, and Xavier University in Cincinnati.

During 73 years as a member of the Sisters of St. Francis, Sister Kathleen ministered in Catholic education for 55 years in Indiana and Ohio before retiring to the motherhouse in 2006. In the archdiocese, she served in Indianapolis at St. Lawrence School from 1949-58 and at the former Holy Trinity School from 1958-61.

Sister Kathleen is survived by a brother, Jerry McCarthy of Kentucky.

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


William F. Staublin was father of Father Daniel Staublin, pastor of St. Ambrose Parish in Seymour

William F. Staublin, the father of Father Daniel Staublin, pastor of St. Ambrose Parish in Seymour, died on March 20 at his home in Columbus. He was 90.

Because of the coronavirus pandemic, a private Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated at St. Ambrose Church. Burial followed at St. Ambrose Cemetery in Seymour.

Staublin was born on Dec. 13, 1930, in North Vernon, the son of Martin and Adeline (Ebbing) Staublin. He married Helen R. Kocher on Nov. 4, 1951. She preceded him in death on Aug. 5, 2019.

A longtime member of St. Bartholomew Parish in Columbus, Staublin worked for 50 years in the southern Indiana town at Cosco (now Dorel). At the time of his death, he was a member of St. Ambrose Parish.

Staublin loved spending time with his family, watching Cincinnati Reds games, professional wrestling and Western movies.

Surviving are his children Nancy Morgan of Glasgow, Ky., Jenny O’Bryan of Mason, Ohio, Julie Settle of Columbus, and Father Daniel Staublin, David Staublin of Elizabethtown, Ind., and Tony Staublin of Scipio, Ind. Staublin had nine grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.

Memorial gifts may be sent to St. Ambrose Parish, 325 S. Chestnut St., Seymour, IN 47274-2329. †

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