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)

BALLARD, Frank E., Jr., 61, St. Augustine, Jeffersonville, Dec. 29. Husband of Patricia Ballard. Son of Mary Jane Ballard. Father of Frank Ballard III. Brother of Mary Brent, Diane Harbeson and Lynn Ray.

BATES, Robert E., 76, St. Gabriel, Connersville, Jan. 1. Father of Laura Myers, Thomas and Timothy Bates. Brother of Sue Ann Pea. Grandfather of eight. Great-grandfather of seven.

BERLIER, Lenora E., 94, St. Luke the Evangelist, Indianapolis, Dec. 16. Mother of Paula Miller and Edward Berlier. Grandmother of five. Great-grandmother of six.

BLAKE, Dorothy M., 87, St. Lawrence, Indianapolis, Dec. 22. Mother of Pamela West, Dale and Dennis Blake. Grandmother of 11. Great-grandmother of five.

BOEDING, Mark W., 82, St. Michael the Archangel, Indianapolis, Jan. 5. Father of Cynthia Christensen, Lisa, Mark and Randell Boeding. Brother of John Boeding. Grandfather of eight. Great-grandfather of two.

BURNS, Gladys Marie (Mezepella), 84, Our Lady of the Greenwood, Greenwood, Jan. 2. Wife of John Burns Sr. Sister of Olyne Hill. Stepmother of Cheryl Russell, John and Richard Burns. Grandmother of three.

CARDINAL, Kent Louis, 52, St. Mary, North Vernon, Nov. 14. Husband of Karen Cardinal. Father of Kelsi, Jackson, Jon and Josh Cardinal. Brother of Paulette Alquist, Greg, Jude, Mike and Pat Cardinal. Grandfather of one.

CASSIDY, Mary Helen, 84, St. Isidore the Farmer, Bristow, Jan. 2. Mother of Linda Dauby, Virginia Gerstenschlager, Patty Jarvis, Mary Lee Smith, Duane and Richard Cassidy. Sister of Donald and Kenny Cronin. Grandmother of 15. Great-grandmother of 23.

CHEESEBREW, Mary A., 95, St. Mary, North Vernon, Dec. 22. Father of Edythe Stilwell, Mary Jean Todd and Floyd Cheesebrew. Grandfather of 16. Great-grandfather of 35. Great-great-grandfather of 11.

DALTON, MaryAnn, 79, Annunciation, Brazil, Dec. 8. Mother of Vonna Harper, Colleen Kellum, Sharlene Shillings and Tony Dalton. Grandmother of 11. Great-grandmother of seven.

DAVIS, Henry, 78, St. Paul, Tell City, Jan. 2. Husband of Janice Davis. Father of Sonnie Simmons, Hugh and Glenn Davis. Brother of Barbara Eckstein, Brenda Phelps, Charles, Gary, Scott and Tom Davis. Grandfather of four.

DORGAY, Peggy A., 86, Our Lady of Perpetual Help, New Albany, Dec. 23. Mother of Susan Mullins, Deborah Powell, Paula Rotenberry, Daniel and Joseph Dorgay. Grandmother of nine. Great-grandmother of two.

ECKERLE, William H., 88, St. Gabriel, Connersville, Dec. 28. Husband of Frances (Price) Eckerle. Father of Jerald and Stephen Eckerle. Brother of Ruth Hauri and Rose Wagner. Grandfather of three. Great-grandfather of two.

ECKERT, Anna E., 92, St. Joseph, Clark County, Jan. 3. Mother of Jane Barnes, Judy Fuesting, Cindy Kleehamer, Mary Rager, Ed and Frank Eckert. Sister of Minnie Larson, Jane Naville and Pete Sprigler. Grandmother of 16. Great-grandmother of 25. Great-great-grandmother of two.

FARRELL, Mary Ellen (Stevens), 85, St. Michael the Archangel, Indianapolis, Jan. 4. Mother of Patricia Farrar, Rose Guidry, Irene Roseman, Kathleen Morgan, Mary Winkler and Paul Farrell. Sister of John Stevens. Grandmother of 13. Great-grandmother of 39.

FRIESEL, Marian Ellen, 86, St. Charles Borromeo, Bloomington, Jan. 5. Mother of Dennis and Michael Friesel. Grandmother of four. Great-grandmother of six.

GOOD, Lillian A., 80, St. Lawrence, Indianapolis, Dec. 24. Wife of Raymond Good. Mother of John, Kenneth and Mark Good. Grandmother of six.

HAUBER, Joann, 77, Our Lady of Perpetual Help, New Albany, Dec. 28. Mother of Chuck Hauber, Blain and Daniel Rosenberger. Sister of Darlene Coney, Gerry Seewer, David, George III, Ricky and Ronnie Banet. Grandmother of six.

HILL, Patricia, 75, SS. Francis and Clare, Greenwood, Dec. 31. Mother of Kathleen Phipps, Mark and Rob Hill. Sister of Skip Robinson. Grandmother of six.

KENNEDY, Marion C., 102, St. Bartholomew, Columbus, Jan. 2. Mother of Jack and William Kennedy. Grandmother of five.

KISH, Iola Fabiani, 90, St. Luke the Evangelist, Indianapolis, Dec. 4. Mother of John Kish Jr. Grandmother of four.

KITCHIN, Robert L., 88, St. Mary, Richmond, Dec. 17. Husband of Cheryl Kitchin. Brother of Samuel Kitchin.

KLEEMAN, Velma S., 90, St. Paul, Tell City, Jan. 3. Mother of Kathy Hammond. Sister of Joyce Baldwin. Grandmother of three. Great-grandmother of six.

KLEIN, Mark Robert, 51, St. Bartholomew, Columbus, Dec. 10. Husband of Maggie (Jackson) Klein. Brother of Susan Klein.

KNIGHT, Phyllis A., 84, St. Paul the Apostle, Greencastle, Dec. 13. Mother of Debra Jones, Elizabeth Rodeghiero and Carol Knight. Sister of Blanche DeBock. Grandmother of two. Great-grandmother of four.

McCONNELL, Brian, 59, St. Mary, North Vernon, Oct. 3. Son of Harold and Jacquelyn McConnell. Brother of Lucy Burns, Kathleen Lockhart, Annette Sanford, Mary and John McConnell.

McCONNELL, Jacquelyn, 85, St. Mary, North Vernon, Dec. 17. Wife of Harold McConnell. Mother of Lucy Burns, Kathleen Lockhart, and Annette Sanford, and Mary and John McConnell. Grandmother of seven.

MEDLEY, John, 84, St. Mary, Richmond, Dec. 12. Father of Michele Tejkl, John and Mark Medley. Stepfather of Alan and Randy Savage. Brother of Ida Isenhart. Grandfather of seven. Great-grandfather of several.

MILLS, Harriet F., 88, St. Vincent de Paul, Bedford, Jan. 4. Mother of Richard and Steve Mills. Grandmother of six. Great-grandmother of seven.

MOELLER, John W., 80, St. Mary, Greensburg, Dec. 19. Husband of Marilyn Moeller. Father of Karen Buening, Diane Burns, Nancy Ernstes, Jan Haskamp, Marsha Proffitt, Jane Smith and John Moeller. Brother of Henrietta Carroll, Marita Cherry and Norbert Moeller. Grandfather of 19. Great-grandfather of nine.

MORRIS, Constance D., 78, Holy Angels, Indianapolis, Dec. 4. Mother of Eric Anglin, Anita Bledsoe, Carol Grace, Marsha and Reginald Carter, Derek Tracy Sr., James, Jeffery and William Morris. Sister of Ruth Carter and Ella Mae Cunningham. Grandmother of 22. Great-grandmother of 42. Great-great-grandmother of one.

MUNCHEL, Rita A., 82, St. Michael, Brookville, Jan. 3. Mother of Linda Brattain, Darlene Hohman, Gary and Gerald Munchel. Sister of Dorothy Rennekamp and Al Erhart. Grandmother of 11.

MURCHIE, Donna, 51, SS. Francis and Clare, Greenwood, Dec. 22. Wife of William Murchie. Mother of Amanda, Billie and Jessica Murchie. (correction)

NAVILLE, Herbert F., 91, Our Lady of Perpetual Help, New Albany, Dec. 31. Husband of Rita Naville. Father of Ellen Coulter, Joan, John, Michael, Patrick and Timothy Naville. Grandfather of 15. Great-grandfather of seven.

PIRTLE, Mary (Ward), 97, Holy Cross, Indianapolis, Dec. 18. Stepmother of Bill Pirtle. Grandmother of two.

SABELHAUS, Robert R., Jr., 62, St. Mary, North Vernon, Nov. 29. Father of Tracy Jarrell and Kelly Sabelhaus. Brother of Terry Davis, Cindy Hunter, Barbara Lovegrove, Freida Lutgring, Sheryl Wheeler, Mark and Neil Sabelhaus. Grandfather of six.

SALLE, Ralph, 84, St. Jude, Indianapolis, Dec. 19. Father of Julie Bower, Cathy Loudenback and Mike Salle. Brother of Mildred Hallett. Grandfather of five.

SAUTER, Jessica Ann, 25, St. Simon the Apostle, Indianapolis, Dec. 30. Daughter of John and Veronica Sauter. Sister of Emily and Jake Sauter. Granddaughter of Walt Sauter and Bettie Whitney.

SCHERSCHEL, James F., 93, St. John the Apostle, Bloomington, Nov. 27. Husband of Blanche Scherschel. Father of Martha Becher, Jeannette Carr, Anthony, Daniel, Leo and Samuel Scherschel. Grandfather of 13. Great-grandfather of 32. Great-great-grandfather of three.

SCHMITT, John P., 69, St. Joan of Arc, Indianapolis, Dec. 25. Brother of Alice Houff.

SCHNEIDER, Dorothea M., 86, St. Joan of Arc, Indianapolis, Dec. 23. Wife of Louis O. Schneider. Mother of Debra Back, Stephanie Bowers, Linda Farrell, Susan Lopez, Esther Stroh, Chris, Louis, Mark and Matthew Schneider. Sister of Peggy Havelin, Ruth Hock, Carolyn Shelby and Michael Raftery.

SCHNEIDER, Wilfred W., 87, Holy Family, Oldenburg, Jan. 3. Husband of Anna Mae Schneider. Father of Carol, Andrew, Stanley and Stephen Schneider. Brother of Clarissa Kist. Grandfather of 10. Great-grandfather of 11.

SCHULER, Carl, 59, St. Joseph, Clark County, Dec. 26. Father of Carla Duke and Jacob Schuler. Brother of June Cooke, Barbara Nalley, Joanna Waggoner and Donald Schuler. Grandfather of one.

SERGESKETTER, Frank, 92, St. Pius V, Troy, Dec. 15. Husband of Imogene

Sergesketter. Father of Lynn Goss, Kathy McDaniel, Cheryl Wetzel and Danny Sergesketter. Grandfather of nine. Great-grandfather of two.

SERGI, Dominic J., 89, St. Bernadette, Indianapolis, Jan. 1. Father of Anthony, Francis and Joseph Sergi. Brother of Maria Lorenzano, Frank, Joseph and Michael Sergi. Grandfather of seven.

Providence Sister Theresa Rose Butts was a teacher and principal

Providence Sister Theresa Rose Butts died on Dec. 15 at Mother Theodore Hall at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods. She was 95.

The Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated on Dec. 20 at the Church of the Immaculate Conception at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods. Burial followed at the sisters’ cemetery at the motherhouse.

Rosemary Butts was born on April 7, 1915, in Galesburg, Ill. She joined the congregation of the Sisters of Providence of Saint Mary-of-the-Woods on July 15, 1934, and professed her first vows on Jan. 23, 1937, and her final vows on Aug. 15, 1942.

Sister Theresa Rose earned a bachelor’s degree in biology at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College and a master’s degree in English at Xavier University in Cincinnati.

During 76 years as a Sister of Providence, she ministered in education for 59 years at Catholic schools in Indiana, Illinois, Maryland and Washington, D.C.

In the archdiocese, Sister Theresa Rose taught at St. Patrick School in Terre Haute from 1948-52 then served as the principal of the former St. Benedict School in Terre Haute from 1952-58.

After retiring from teaching in 1988, Sister Theresa Rose served as a school librarian for eight years before returning to Saint Mary-of-the-Woods.

For the next 10 years, she assisted with activities at the motherhouse.

In 2006, Sister Theresa Rose began her ministry of prayer full-time with the senior sisters.

She is survived by a brother, Cyril Butts of Galesburg, Ill.

Memorial gifts may be sent to the Sisters of Providence, 1 Sisters of Providence Road, Saint Mary-of-the Woods, St. Mary-of-the-Woods, IN 47876. †