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)

ARCHER, James E., 83, Most Holy Name of Jesus, Beech Grove, June 24. Husband of Josephine Archer. Father of Judith Ann Baugh, Mark and Mike Archer. Brother of Mary Louise Poynter. Grandfather of four.

BATES, Merlin L., 82, St. Gabriel, Connersville, July 29. Father of Tina Davis and Brian Bates. Brother of Nila Lawson. Grandfather of three. Great-grandfather of one.

COX, Mary E. (Reine), 92, St. Christopher, Indianapolis, Aug. 18. Mother of Patricia McNeely and Bette Schrage. Grandmother of four. Great-grandmother of nine.

DAULT, Raymond, 86, St. Christopher, Indianapolis, Aug. 14. Husband of Joyce (Martin) Dault. Father of Suzanne Mueller. Brother of Joan Gawron, Robert and Stanley Dault.

DELPHA, Mildred, 89, St. Vincent de Paul, Bedford, Aug. 22. Mother of James, John and Larry Delpha. Sister of Louise and Andrew Haungs.

EWING, Burma J., 62, Holy Angels, Indianapolis, Aug. 14. Mother of Kimberly and Steven Ewing. Daughter of Delois Ewing. Sister of Chattaun Ewing and Gregory Shelton. Grandmother of seven. Great-grandmother of one.

FEHLINGER, Veronica, 70, St. Christopher, Indianapolis, Aug. 14. Wife of Richard Fehlinger. Mother of JoAnn Drummond, Melissa Grabowski, Anita Sergi and Michael Fehlinger. Sister of Al, Dave, Gene, Joe and Ray Wuestefeld. Grandmother of 10.

FELLER, Marjorie M., 90, St. Michael, Brookville, Aug. 6. Wife of Robert Feller. Mother of June Mallett and Jerry Feller. Sister of Charles Lang. Grandmother of five. Great-grandmother of 15.

GIOVANONI, Mary Rebecca, 68, St. Vincent de Paul, Bedford, Aug. 23. Sister of John Giovanoni. Aunt of several.

KASHMAN, John L., Sr., 80, St. Michael the Archangel, Indianapolis, Aug. 13. Husband of Betty L. (Clifton) Kashman. Father of Mary Kay Frick, Greg, Jeff and Michael Kashman. Brother of Rosalie Ellis, Nancy White, Bill and Bob Kashman. Grandfather of 10. Great-grandfather of 15.

LINGEMAN, Madeline C., 86, St. Malachy, Brownsburg, Aug. 18. Mother of Monica Lackner, Cathy Pennycuff, Mary and David Lingeman. Grandmother of five.

McNAMARA, Virginia (Harrigan), 79, St. Bernadette, Indianapolis, Aug. 15. Mother of Karen Hilton, Toni Randolph, Hugh and Steven Harrigan. Grandmother of 11. Great-grandmother of five.

MINATEL, Marjorie, 82, St. Anthony, Indianapolis, Aug. 20. Mother of Diane Richards, Gary and Louise Minatel. Grandmother of five. Great-grandmother of two.

MOELLER, Paul W., 92, Most Holy Name of Jesus, Beech Grove, Aug. 10. Husband of Evelyn Moeller. Father of Andrea Vanoy, Rebecca, David, Dennis and Dick Moeller. Grandfather of 10. Great-grandfather of 16. Great-great-grandfather of one.

NORDMEYER, John W., 96, St. Anthony of Padua, Morris, Aug. 24. Father of Mary Beth Brunsman, Charles, Clifford, James, Kenneth, Michael and Paul Nordmeyer. Grandfather of 22. Great-grandfather of 23.

PLUTO, Joseph V., 76, St. Mary-of-the-Knobs, Floyds Knobs, Aug. 19. Husband of Rosemary Pluto. Father of Debra Houtaling, Michele Libs, Ricky Love and Daniel Seibel. Grandfather of 10. Great-grandfather of one.

SMITH, Loretta, 71, Sacred Heart, Clinton, Aug. 15. Wife of Wallace Smith. Mother of Kenneth and Kerry Smith. Grandmother of two.

WILHELM, Philip J., 67, St. Matthew the Apostle, Indianapolis, Aug. 28. Brother of Mary Ann Kenney, James and Lawrence Wilhelm. Uncle of many. Great-uncle of many.

Franciscan Sister Dolores Nellis served in Catholic education

Franciscan Sister Dolores Jean Nellis, formerly Sister Joseph Ann, died on Aug. 25 at St. Clare Hall, the health care facility for the Sisters of the Third Order of St. Francis, in Oldenburg. She was 81.

The Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated on Aug. 28 at the motherhouse chapel. Burial followed at the sisters’ cemetery at the motherhouse.

Sister Dolores was born on July 21, 1928, in Washington, Ind.

She entered the Oldenburg Franciscan community on Dec. 8, 1947, and professed her final vows on Aug. 12, 1953.

During more than six decades of ministry, Sister Dolores served as a teacher or principal at St. Gabriel School in Connersville, the former St. Rita School in Indianapolis, Our Lady of Perpetual Help School in New Albany, the Academy of the Immaculate Conception in Oldenburg and St. Anthony School in Evansville, Ind., in the Evansville Diocese.

She also ministered at Father Thomas Scecina Memorial High School, Cardinal Ritter Jr./Sr. High School and Cathedral High School, all in Indianapolis.

Sister Dolores also taught at Catholic schools in Ohio and Missouri.

Her teaching career in elementary and secondary education spanned 44 years from 1949 to 1993.

In addition to her teaching career, Sister Dolores spent 24 summers assisting as a nurse’s aide at the sisters’ infirmary at the motherhouse.

Sister Dolores was the first director of development for the Academy of the Immaculate Conception in Oldenburg in 1964. Two years later, she was appointed director of alumnae for the academy.

In later years, she ministered as a receptionist in the academic dean’s office at Marian College, now Marian University, in Indianapolis.

From 1995 until 2008, Sister Dolores served as the attendance secretary and receptionist at Cathedral High School in Indianapolis, where she was loved by the students, faculty and staff.

Stephen Helmich, president of Cathedral High School, said Sister Dolores “was a pure soul with a generous heart for all whom she encountered, though her true passion was found in helping educate young people.”

Surviving are a brother, Robert Nellis of Bloomington, and several cousins.

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