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, Virginia M., 82, St. John the Baptist, Starlight, Nov. 20. Wife of Richard J. Andres Sr. Mother of Lynn Donohue, Gregory, Michael and Richard Andres. Sister of Irma Bierman, Bonnie Huber, Norma Johns, Martha Schmidt, Edward Sr. and George Kruer Jr. Grandmother of 15. Great-grandmother of five.
BENEKER, Marie, 96, St. Joseph, St. Leon, Nov. 16. Mother of Frances Bischoff, Lillian Knue, Mildred and Rita Stenger. Grandmother of 24. Great-grandmother of 61. Great-great-grandmother of nine.
CAVARRUBIUS, Cindy L., 47, St. Anthony, Indianapolis, Nov. 19.
CLARK, Dennis Warren, 59, St. Mark, Indianapolis, Nov. 26. Husband of Dorothy Clark. Father of Denise Swineford, Dana and David Clark. Son of Josephine Clark. Brother of Paula McAfee.
EVANS, Betty J. (Knecht), 86, St. Mary, Rushville, Dec. 1. Mother of Margie Cordray, Bettigee Gilpin, Nancy Leising, Diane Stevenson, James and William Evans. Grandmother of 16. Great-grandmother of 27. Great-great-grandmother of several.
FAULKENBERG, Mary F., 77, St. Paul, Tell City, Nov. 26. Mother of Melinda Nugent. Sister of Louella Jarboe, Carol Perkins and Alex Newton. Grandmother of one.
FENTRESS, Yvonne M. (Venne), 52, St. Mary-of-the-Knobs, Floyds Knobs, Nov. 13. Mother of Nathan and Wade Fentress. Daughter of Theodore and Mary Venne. Sister of Eva Andres, Sara Edwards, Jane, Ernest, Felix, Mark and Timothy Venne. Grandmother of four.
GARTNER, Richard Benedict, 74, Our Lady of the Greenwood, Greenwood, Dec. 2. Husband of Jean (Edens) Gartner. Father of Richard B. Gartner Jr. Brother of Dorothy Allen and Robert Gartner. Grandfather of four.
GAULT, Raymond Edward, 60, St. Mary, North Vernon, Nov. 19. Husband of Dawn (Stroker) Gault. Father of Rebecca Eckles, Robin Hempstead, Tracy Vinson and Bryan Gault. Brother of Rosie Coleman, Barbara and Robert Gault. Grandfather of eight.
HAUCK, Rosemary Ellen, 83, Our Lady of Lourdes, Indianapolis, Nov. 21. Mother of Lou Hauck. Sister of Eileen Zalewski. Grandmother of two. Great-grandmother of one.
HOOVER, William Donald, 76, St. Joseph, Shelbyville, Nov. 22. Father of Stacy Hoover.
KAHLER, William J., 76, St. Paul, Tell City, Nov. 12. Husband of Patricia (Poehlein) Kahler. Father of Tabitha Brown, Shelley Gregory, Cindy Malone, Debbie Poehlein, Brenda Stephens, Todd Williams, Tamara and Mike Kahler. Grandfather of 18. Great-grandfather of 14.
KENNEY, Alice J., 76, St. Anthony, Indianapolis, Nov. 25. Mother of Michelle Biggerstaff, Denise Freeman, John and Tom Kenney, Grandmother of 14. Great-grandmother of one.
KRIER, Betty Jean, 80, Christ the King, Indianapolis, Nov. 29. Mother of Mary Clayton, Annie Drake, Carolyn Friedman, Suzanne Hewitt, George, James, John, Thomas and William Krier. Sister of Joanne Shelton. Grandmother of 20. Great-grandmother of one.
KURTH, Brent Andrew, 30, St. Roch, Indianapolis, Nov. 20. Son of Peggy Ann (Newman) Herrod and Dennis Kurth. Stepson of Doyle Herrod. Brother of Bridget, Kate and Rob Herrod. Grandson of Rosemary Magill, Ron and Margaret Forrester.
MIJARES, Joe I., 89, Sacred Heart, Indianapolis, Nov. 27. Husband of Gertrude Mijares. Father of Roy Mijares. Brother of Theresa Mijares.
MOORE, Mary M., 79, St. Paul, Tell City, Nov. 24. Mother of Donna Goffinet. Sister of Ed Marchand. Grandmother of one.
MULLIN, James Malachi Sr., 78, St. Patrick, Indianapolis, Oct. 22. Husband of Thelma (Wright) Mullin. Father of Maureen Reel, Therese, James and Michael Mullin. Grandfather of five.
NAY, Merle Lee Jr., 63, Prince of Peace, Madison, Nov. 10. Husband of Jean Nay. Father of Terri Deeg, Mary Dunn, Kimberly Moran, Sandra Shestina, Charles, Clifford, Merle and William Nay, Harold, James, Joseph and Shepherd Lefeber. Brother of Wendylen and Ralph Nay. Grandfather of 27. Great-grandfather of eight.
NELSON, Juanita Harris, 82, St. Rita, Indianapolis, Nov. 16. Wife of Charles Nelson Sr., Mother of Charles Jr. and Larry Nelson Sr. Sister of Wanda Smith. Grandmother of seven. Great-grandmother of 22. Great-great-grandmother of two.
PATTERSON, Roger A., 89, St. Rita, Indianapolis, Nov. 16. Husband of Norma Mae Patterson. Father of Joyce Harrison, Beverly Jackson, Rita, Mark, Paul and Roger Patterson Jr. Brother of William Patterson. Grandfather of 22. Great-grandfather of 20.
RADY, Fred, 83, Mary, Queen of Peace, Danville, Nov. 19. Husband of Betty (Williams) Rady. Father of Janette Milhon, Julia Miller and Pat Rady. Brother of Ethel Rainey. Grandfather of seven. Great-grandfather of four.
RICHARD, Duane F., 82, St. Paul, Tell City, Nov. 12. Husband of Wilma Richard. Father of Cathy Taylor, Holly, David, Rick and Roger Richard. Brother of Floyda Funderburke and Gary Richard. Grandfather of 10. Great-grandfather of four.
UBELHOR, Ronald W., 71, St. Michael, Greenfield, Nov. 11. Father of Rhonda Crosby and Martin Ubelhor. Brother of Carole Gilliland. Grandfather of eight. Great-grandfather of three.
WALKER, Raymond, 84, St. Jude, Indianapolis, Nov. 16. Husband of Clara Walker. Father of Claire Barron, Nancy Patterson, Elva Woodmansee and Robert Walker. Grandfather of five. Great-grandfather of seven.
WEISBACH, Eleanor M., 89, St. Mary, Greensburg, Nov. 19. Wife of John A. Weisbach. Mother of Pauline and Shirley Niese. Grandmother of two. Great-grandmother of one.
WERNER, Margaret (Winsted), 86, St. Mark, Indianapolis, Dec. 2. Mother of Jill Notter, Marie White and John Werner. Grandmother of six. Great-grandmother of three.
WIGHT, Rosemary, 76, St. Bernadette, Nov. 23. Mother of Gayle Walsh and Claire Elliott. Grandmother of three.
Franciscan Father Benno Heidlage was a native of Oldenburg
Franciscan Father Benno Heidlage, a native of Oldenburg and member of the Franciscan community at Holy Family Friary, died on Nov. 26 after a brief illness. He was 85.
The Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated on Nov. 29 at Holy Family Church in Oldenburg, with burial on Nov. 30 at Holy Family Cemetery in Oldenburg.
A spokesman for the Franciscan friars of St. John the Baptist Province in Cincinnati, Ohio, said Father Benno was highly regarded by the thousands of parishioners he served in decades of ministry and greatly respected by the hundreds of young friars who benefited from his spiritual direction during their years in formation.
The son of Theodore and Olivia (Scheidler) Heidlage, he began his education at Holy Family School in Oldenburg.
He started his life with the friars at St. Francis High School Seminary in Cincinnati, was invested as a friar in 1939 and ordained to the priesthood in 1948.
For 51 years, Father Benno served as a teacher at the seminary, a novice director for friars in formation, and a pastor or associate pastor.
He ministered at parishes in Fort Wayne, Ind.; Lafa-yette, Ind.; Louisville, Ky.; Metamora, Ill.; and Wash-burn, Ill.
Father Benno retired in 1999 and moved to St. Louis Friary in Batesville then returned to his home parish in Oldenburg in 2003.
He is survived by a brother, Robert Heidlage of Connersville, and great-nieces and great-nephews.
Memorial gifts may be sent to St. John the Baptist Province, 1615 Vine St., Cincinnati, Ohio 46202.
Providence Sister Jane Maher
was an educator and treasurer
Providence Sister Jane Maher died on Nov. 28 at Mother Theodore Hall at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods. She was 87.
The Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated on Dec. 1 at the Church of the Immaculate Conception at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods. Burial followed at the sisters’ cemetery.
The former Dorothy Jane Maher was born on March 10, 1919, in Indianapolis.
She entered the congregation of the Sisters of Providence of Saint Mary-of-the-Woods on Feb. 11, 1938, professed first vows on Aug. 15, 1940, and professed final vows on Aug. 15, 1946.
During 68 years as a member of the congregation, she ministered as a teacher and principal for 37 years at Catholic schools staffed by the sisters in Indiana, Illinois and California.
In the archdiocese, Sister Jane served at St. Joan of Arc School in Indianapolis from 1962-65, St. Patrick School in Terre Haute from 1965-68 and Our Lady of the Greenwood School in Greenwood from 1969-71.
Sister Jane also ministered in Indianapolis at the former St. Bridget School from
1971-72, St. Monica School from 1972-74 and St. Philip Neri School from 1974-77.
She served as business officer at the Providence Retirement Home in New Albany from 1977-84 then returned to the motherhouse to serve at the plant business office from 1984-85.
Sister Jane ministered as Sacred Heart provincial treasurer at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods from 1985-89, served on the province treasurer’s staff from 1989-90 then assisted with clerical service for the province staff treasurer from 1990-91.
From 1992-96, Sister Jane served as an office assistant at the central business office at the motherhouse. She began her prayer ministry in 1997.
Surviving are two
half-sisters, Irene Maher of Sarasota, Fla., and Norene Mara of Nashville; two half-brothers, James and Timothy Maher of Indianapolis; and many nieces, nephews, great-nieces and great-nephews.
Memorial gifts may be sent to the Sisters of Providence, Saint Mary-of-the-Woods, St. Mary-of-the-Woods, IN 47876. †