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)
BACHUS, Joseph William, 17, Holy Guardian Angels, Cedar Grove, Dec. 7. Son of Thomas and Pam (Brown) Bachus. Brother of Elizabeth, Charles and John Bachus. Grandson of Jeroma Brown.
BOARMAN, David A., 59, St. Pius X, Indianapolis, Dec. 6. Husband of Stephanie Boarman. Father of Angela, Chad, Jason, Jonathon and Richard Boarman. Brother of Doris Hansert, Mary Jo Kaiser-Brown, R. Jeanne Kelley, Elenor Neth, Beverly Olsen, Mildred Parmenter, Margaret, Regina, Joseph, Paul and Ronald Boarman. Grandfather of two.
BUENING, Dennis, 40, St. Mary, Greensburg, Dec. 12. Husband of Susan (Lesnek) Buening. Son of Maurice and Mary Jane Buening. Brother of Julie Morris, Duane, Mark and Rick Buening. Grandson of Sylvia Ortman.
BUENNAGEL, Clare Mae, 96, St. Pius X, Indianapolis, Dec. 3. Mother of Lu Ann Lerchen. Grandmother of two. Great-grandmother of four.
BURKE, Margaret Jane (Wilson), 92, St. Barnabas, Indianapolis, Nov. 25. Mother of Kathleen Rice. Sister of Marian Dillion. Grandmother of two.
CLAFLIN, Thelma Joann, 77, Prince of Peace, Madison, Dec. 6. Wife of Daniel Claflin. Mother of Emma Deveary and Linda Sage. Sister of Mildred Miles and Betty Thacker. Grandmother of three. Great-grandmother of two.
CLARK, Thelma Julia, 94, Christ the King, Indianapolis, Dec. 5. Mother of Linda Lou Grosvenor, Connie Merkel, Virginia O’Connor and Thomas Clark. Grandmother of 12. Great-grandmother of seven.
CUNANAN, Adriano Y., 86, St. Monica, Indianapolis, Dec. 3. Father of Blessie, Gloria, Grace, Arnold, Dino, Johnny, Ramon, Renato and Wilfredo Cunanan. Grandfather of 17. Great-grandfather of four.
DEEM, Charles E., 61, Holy Name of Jesus, Beech Grove, Nov. 14. Husband of Patricia Deem. Father of Stephanie Minch, Charles, Patrick and Scott Deem. Brother of Carol Kirby, Louise Pedigo, JoAnn, James, John and Robert Deem. Grandfather of nine.
DERMANELIAN, Margie (McGuire), 48, St. Agnes, Nashville, Dec. 5. Wife of Michael Dermanelian. Mother of Marissa, McKenzie, Michaela and Miranda Dermanelian. Daughter of Pauline (McGuire) Thomson. Sister of Marianne Strzelecki, James McGuire and Johnny Rowe.
DRESCHER, Elizabeth, 86, St. Mary, New Albany, Nov. 28. Mother of Jeanne Potts, Bart, John, Michael and William Drescher. Sister of Helen Raber. Grandmother of 10. Great-grandmother of 11.
DUDLEY, Helen T., 86, St. Luke, Indianapolis, Nov. 27. Wife of Ralph Dudley. Mother of Cathy and Michael Dudley.
EMBORSKY, Raymond J., 52, St. Gabriel the Archangel, Indianapolis, Dec. 2. Husband of Gloria Emborsky. Father of Elizabeth, Christopher and Matthew Emborsky. Brother of Eugene and Rodney Emborsky.
FIELDS, Agnes M. Scheidt, 85, St. Agnes, Nashville, Dec. 8. Mother of Sandra May, Patricia Stotts, Frank, Robert and Steve Scheidt. Grandmother of 15. Great-grandmother of 15. Great-great-grandmother of five.
FREIBERGER, Betty Jean, 80, St. Mary-of-the-Knobs, Floyds Knobs, Dec. 9. Mother of Larry Proctor, Debra Thompson, Edward, Gerald, Ronald and Steven Freiberger. Grandmother of 11. Great-grandmother of 11.
GLADDEN, Katherine E., 87, St. Pius X, Indianapolis, Dec. 7. Mother of Kathy Duffin.
GORDON, Tamara Orton, 45, St. Thomas Aquinas, Indianapolis, Dec. 2. Wife of Lawrence Gordon. Mother of Ashley Orton. Daughter of Robert and Doris Kennie Sr. Sister of Rhonda Archey, Angela Milby, Bryan, David, John and Robert Kennie Jr.
HUMMELL, Mitchell, 78, Holy Family, Oldenburg, Dec. 11. Husband of Virginia Hummell. Father of Gloria Cowin, Donna Miller, Mark and Mike Hummell. Brother of Mary Gunter and Evelyn Osborne. Grandfather of eight. Great-grandfather of 12.
KERN, James P., 83, St. Michael the Archangel, Indianapolis, Nov. 30. Father of Dr. J. Paul and Philip Kern.
KLEEMAN, Ambrose J., 83, St. Paul, Tell City, Dec. 5. Father of Rosie Odle, Danny and Ronnie Kleeman. Brother of Mary Jarboe, Rosa Thaxton, Ferdinand and Norbert Kleeman. Grandfather of 18. Great-grandfather of 36. Great-great-grandfather of six.
KNARZER, Lolabelle (Sims), 88, Holy Name of Jesus, Beech Grove, Nov. 15. Mother of Phyllis King and Thomas Knarzer. Sister of Jean Wilson and Jack Sims. Grandmother of nine. Great-grandmother of 18. Great-great-grandmother of one.
KNIERIM, Robert H., 85, St. Anne, Hamburg, Dec. 11. Father of Sandy Meyer, Ken, Larry, Mike and Stan Knierim. Brother of Harriet Baldwin. Grandfather of eight. Great-grandfather of three.
KUSH, Frank W., 88, St. Lawrence, Lawrenceburg, Nov. 20. Husband of Margaret Kush. Father of Gloria Carter, Kathi Rowland, Gary and John Kush. Brother of Anna Allen, Sophie Balcerzak, Rose Whitter, Joseph and Walter Kush. Grandfather of eight. Great-grandfather of nine.
LAMPERT, Mary Margaret, 81, St. Gabriel, Connersville, Dec. 8. Wife of Jerry Lampert. Mother of Mary Copley, Carol Schuell and Susan Wulff. Sister of Ruth Bien. Grandmother of four. Great-grandmother of one.
MARSHALL, Paula J., 52, St. Malachy, Brownsburg, Dec. 4. Mother of Bridget Sommers and Erin Webb. Daughter of Rosemary (Graham) Hardesty. Sister of Julie Choate, Linda Hiatt, Susan Hott, Joseph and Thomas Hardesty. Grandmother of five.
MEYER, Ernest B., 79, St. Mary, Greensburg, Dec. 5. Brother of Velma Meyer and Mildred Nobbe.
MUCKERHEIDE, Leonard C., 91, St. Maurice, Decatur County, Dec. 4. Brother of Frances Hoog.
NAULT, Nina Lorraine, 76, St. Luke, Indianapolis, Nov. 28. Wife of Dwaine O. Nault. Mother of Jane and Stephen Nault.
NOE, Marie Caroline, 100, Immaculate Heart of Mary, Indianapolis, Dec. 11. Mother of James and Nicholas Noe. Grandmother of five. Great-grandmother of 10.
PHILLIPS, Joann C., 80, St. Luke, Indianapolis, Nov. 29. Mother of Georgia Palmer, Michele Spaulding, Ann Yoder, Bill and Joe Phillips.
ROGIER, Emogene, 78, St. Augustine, Leopold, Dec. 5. Mother of Norma Ramsey, Gary, Jim, Paul and Ray Rogier. Grandmother of eight. Great-grandmother of three.
ROTH, Eileen A., 85, St. Philip Neri, Indianapolis, Dec. 5. Aunt of one.
SALLEE, Kathryn, 94, St. Malachy, Brownsburg, Dec. 1. Mother of Stephen Sallee. Grandmother of three.
SPONSLER, Bernadine, 70, St. Margaret Mary, Terre Haute, Dec. 6. Mother of Jane Tardy, Evelyn Hood and Bryan Sponsler. Grandmother of five.
THOMAS, John C., 88, Our Lady of the Greenwood, Greenwood, Dec. 6. Father of Mary Ann Hightshue. Brother of Allie Helm and Margaret Wyman. Grandfather of three. Great-grandfather of six.
WEINTRAUT, Bernard I., 88, St. Joseph, Shelbyville, Dec. 2. Husband of Emojean Weintraut. Father of Choya Stroup. Brother of Ruth Brown and Mary Schutemeyer. Grandfather of one.
WHITTEN, Aloyse M., 81, St. Agnes, Nashville, Dec. 3. Mother of Hazel Brandenburg, Patty Hollingsworth and Jodie Tuttle. Sister of Mary Alsop and Victor Hennessy. Grandmother. of five.
YOUNG, William R., 60, St. Pius X, Indianapolis, Nov. 3. Stepson of Marilyn Young. Brother of Patricia Hodgson.
Providence Sister Mary Esther Larkin was a teacher and principal
Providence Sister Mary Esther Larkin died on Dec. 1 at Mother Theodore Hall at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods. She was 92.
The Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated on Dec. 5 at the Church of the Immaculate Conception at the motherhouse. Burial followed at the sisters’ cemetery.
The former Alice Muriel Larkin was born on Aug. 29, 1914, in Loogootee, Ind.
She entered the congregation of the Sisters of Providence on Aug. 15, 1932, professed first vows on Jan. 23, 1935, and professed final vows on Aug. 15, 1940.
During 74 years as a member of the congregation, Sister Mary Esther ministered as a teacher and principal for 52 years at Catholic schools staffed by the sisters in Indiana and Illinois.
In the archdiocese, Sister Mary Esther served at St. Charles Borromeo School in Bloomington from 1953-56, the former Holy Trinity School in New Albany from 1967-69 and St. Simon the Apostle School in Indianapolis from 1971-77.
She also ministered at St. Michael School in Greenfield from 1977-79, Immaculate Heart of Mary School in Indianapolis from 1979-81 and St. Lawrence School in Indianapolis from 1984-89.
At the motherhouse, Sister Mary Esther served in health care services from 1981-82, as a receptionist from
1982-83 and in the senior sisters’ prayer ministry from 2001 until her death.
Surviving are three sisters, Martha Keith of Punta Gorda, Fla.; Mary Pat Thompson of Largo, Fla.; and Dorothy Williams of Loogootee, Ind.; as well as several nieces and nephews.
Memorial gifts may be sent to the Sisters of Providence, Saint Mary-of-the-Woods, St. Mary-of-the-Woods, IN 47876.
Providence Sister Margaret Ellen O’Conner was a teacher, librarian
Providence Sister Margaret Ellen O’Connor died on Dec. 3 at Mother Theodore Hall at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods. She was 89.
The Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated on Dec. 7 at the Church of the Immaculate Conception at the motherhouse. Burial followed at the sisters’ cemetery.
The former Ellen Margaret Mary O’Connor was born on June 24, 1917, in South Bend, Ind.
She entered the congregation of the Sisters of Providence on July 19, 1934, professed first vows on Jan. 23, 1937, and professed final vows on Jan. 23, 1943.
During 72 years as a member of the congregation, Sister Margaret Ellen ministered as a teacher for 43 years at Catholic schools staffed by the sisters in Indiana, Illinois, Maryland and the District of Columbia.
She also served as a circulation librarian at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods from 1981-92.
From 1992 until 2000, Sister Margaret Ellen ministered in residential services at the motherhouse then began her prayer ministry with the senior sisters.
In the archdiocese, Sister Margaret Ellen taught at St. Joan of Arc School in Indianapolis from 1943-45, the former Cathedral Grade School in Indianapolis from 1948-50 and St. Andrew School in Indianapolis from 1959-61.
Surviving are two sisters, Elizabeth O’Bastien of Oakbrook Terrace, Ill., and Providence Sister Ann Kevin O’Connor of Saint Mary-of-the-Woods; and two brothers, Donal O’Conor of Normal, Ill., and Maurice O’Connor of Overland Park, Kan.
Memorial gifts may be sent to the Sisters of Providence, Saint Mary-of-the-Woods, St. Mary-of-the-Woods, IN 47876. †