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)

BEER, Patricia (Mason), 75, St. Monica, Indianapolis, Nov. 12. Wife of Jerry Beer. Mother of Therese McKinney, Terry and Tim Beer. Sister of Robert Mason. Grandmother of four.

BOWE, Aileen Marie, 82, St. Joseph, Sellersburg, Nov. 7. Sister of Martha, Carl and Herman Bowe.

BREHM, Thomas Thornton, 76, SS. Peter and Paul Cathedral, Indianapolis, Nov. 16. Father of Debra, Jody, Daniel, John and Michael Brehm. Brother of Gretchen Beck and Karen LaFuse. Grandfather of eight. Great-grandfather of two.

BUECHLER, John C., 87, St. Michael, Bradford, Nov. 5. Husband of Rita (Daus) Buechler. Father of Kathleen Black, Marilyn Craig, Dolores Martin, Darlene Smith and Larry Buechler. Brother of Valerie Daus, Geneva Smith and Herman Buechler. Grandfather of nine. Great-grandfather of six.

COLLINS, Joseph Lee, 62, Holy Spirit, Indianapolis, Nov. 11. Husband of Linda Collins. Father of Melissa Vail. Brother of Bridgette, Julie, Mary, Shannon, Mark and Tom Collins. Grandfather of three.

DRIVER, Vernon, 76, St. Rita, Indianapolis, Nov. 14. Husband of Dr. Robienetta Driver. Father of Damond and Kim Morris, Pauline Robinson, Virginia Wyatt, Elizabeth, Bryan and Mark Driver. Brother of Kanzetta Bernard. Grandfather of 17. Great-grandfather of two.

FAGAN, Jacquelyn (Niece), 77, Our Lady of Lourdes, Indianapolis, Nov. 17. Mother of Karen McLeish, John and Mark Fagan. Sister of Judy Smithart and Dale Niece. Grandmother of six.

GANZA, Elmer, 87, Christ the King, Indianapolis, Nov. 11. Husband of Donna Ganza. Father of Carol and Kenneth Ganza. Brother of Patricia Benedetto and Phillip Ganza. Grandfather of three.

GREEN, Vernon Joseph, 82, St. Mary, Mitchell, Oct. 27. Husband of Dymple Green. Father of Chris Green. Brother of Pauline Taylor. Grandfather of one.

GROSSMAN, Veronika Helena, 79, Christ the King, Indianapolis, Nov. 15. Sister of John Paberzs.

HERMESCH, Marie E., 78, Immaculate Conception, Millhousen, Nov. 24. Wife of Ralph Hermesch. Mother of Teresa Buening, Patricia Gray, Michelle Holcomb, Denise Powner, Alan, Dale, Gary, Mark and Paul Hermesch. Sister of Alvina Kress and Ralph Hodapp. Grandmother of 22. Great-grandmother of three.

KAISER, Ozetta J., 72, Our Lady of Perpetual Help, New Albany, Nov. 12. Mother of Shelly Kraft, Sandy Nance, Susan Waiz, Mark, Matt and Mike Kaiser. Sister of Evelyn Burgenheim. Grandmother of 15.

KECK, Theresa Marie, 58, St. Gabriel the Archangel, Indianapolis, Nov. 18. Mother of Jean Lowhorn and Angie McGuire. Daughter of Betty Reeves. Sister of Elizabeth Dininger, Mary Huber, Alice MacGruder, Patty Stephens, Bob, Charles, Mike, Steve and Tim Reeves. Grandmother of five.

LAKER, Rose M., 85, St. Mark the Evangelist, Indianapolis, Nov. 23. Mother of Susan Cline, Annette Conlon, Michele and Rick Laker. Sister of Theresa Bergman, Annie Glasgow and Joseph Zappia. Grandmother of eight. Great-grandmother of nine.

MASARIU, Elizabeth Lee, 85, St. Christopher, Indianapolis, Nov. 2. Mother of Diane Masariu-Carter, Nancy McGovern, Beth Ann, Danny, Mark and Mike Masariu. Grandmother of seven. Great-grandmother of five.

OSKAY, Matthew, 30, Nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, Indianapolis, Nov. 14. Husband of Erin (Bergeron) Oskay. Son of Eugene and Linda Oskay. Brother of Jason and Jeff Oskay.

PITSTICK, Florence C., 94, St. Gabriel, Connersville, Nov. 17. Mother of Lois Harmeyer, Mary Ellen Huffman, Elaine Sargent, David and James Pitstick. Sister of Alma Maxted and Paul Grogan. Grandmother of 16. Great-grandmother of several. Great-great-grandmother of several.

SMITH, Dennis E., 61, St. Mary, New Albany, Nov. 20. Father of Edward Smith. Brother of Teresa Clark and Steven Smith. Grandfather of one.

SMITH, Marguerite L., 70, St. Luke the Evangelist, Indianapolis, Nov. 13. Wife of Ronald Smith. Mother of Debbie Lacy and Ronald Smith.

VERNIER, M. Lorraine, 86, St. Lawrence, Indianapolis, Nov. 21. Mother of Vivi Mason, Vette Jennings, Vicki Rennier, Venetia Shultz and Vaughn Vernier. Grandmother of 17. Great-grandmother of 24.

WATTS, Betsy R., 79, St. Christopher, Indianapolis, Nov. 2. Mother of Robin Devine, Mickie Hoy, Deborah Smith, John, Michael, Raymond, Robert and Timothy Watts II. Grandmother of 19. Great-grandmother of two.

WHITE, John Vernon, 42, Good Shepherd, Indianapolis, Nov. 18. Husband of Audrey (Wheeler) White. Father of Elizabeth, Erica, Josi, Austin and Evan White. Son of Billie White. Stepson of Vicki White. Brother of Fay Boone, Sherry Dannattelle and Kay Stawick. Stepbrother of Chad, Matt and Rod Little.

ZIMMER, Lucille (Nix), 93, St. Pius X, Indianapolis, Nov. 17. Mother of Jeanne Remmers and Mary Jo Zimmer. Sister of Betty Beuligmann, Carolyn Lowe and Tom Nix. Grandmother of two. Great-grandmother of four.

Franciscan Sister Callista Rosenberger taught for 59 years

Franciscan Sister Callista M. Rosenberger died on Nov. 16 at St. Clare Hall, the health care facility of the Sisters of the Third Order of St. Francis, in Oldenburg. She was 101.

The Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated on Nov. 19 at the motherhouse chapel in Oldenburg. Burial followed at the sisters’ cemetery.

The former Elsie Margaret Rosenberger was born on May 29, 1907, in Cedar Grove.

She entered the Oldenburg Franciscan community on Dec. 7, 1925, and professed her final vows on July 2, 1931.

Sister Callista taught at Catholic grade schools in Indiana, Ohio, Missouri and Illinois for 59 years.

In the archdiocese, she taught at St. Nicholas School in Sunman, the former St. Martin School in Yorkville and the former St. Vincent de Paul School in Shelby County.

In 1990, Sister Callista retired to the motherhouse.

Surviving are a sister, Franciscan Sister Mary Helen Rosenberger of Oldenburg, and nieces and nephews.

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