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)
BLEDSOE, Donald Raymond, 73, St. Christopher, Indianapolis, March 16. Husband of Trudy (Vaughn) Bledsoe. Father of Cheri Stinson and Donald Bledsoe. Stepfather of Tracy Stewart, Ronald Jr. and Terry Scanland. Brother of Jack and James Bledsoe. Grandfather of 11. Great-grandfather of two.
BROWNFIELD, Jean M. (Meyer), 87, Holy Name of Jesus, Beech Grove, March 26. Mother of Susan Sullivan, Michael and Paul Brownfield. Grandmother of seven. Great-grandmother of six.
BURKE, Donald Joseph, 74, St. Anthony of Padua, Clarksville, March 25. Husband of Carolyn Burke. Father of Dr. Angela Rearick, Pat Santistevan, Andrea Thames, Alanna, Alicia, Damian and Darren Burke. Brother of Mary Sue Mann, Ellen Simon, William Reynolds, Dr. Kevin and Shawn Burke. Grandfather of 13.
DECK, Bernard B., 92, St. Therese of the Infant Jesus (Little Flower), Indianapolis, March 8. Father of Julie Bingham and Charles Deck. Brother of Delores Fraizer and Virginia Necholson. Grandfather of three. Great-grandfather of two.
DIXON, Mary Louise, 87, Christ the King, Indianapolis, March 26. Mother of Sherry and Michael Dixon. Grandmother of eight. Great-grandmother of three.
GILLESPIE, Josephine Marie (Steigerwald), 90, Holy Name of Jesus, Beech Grove, March 21. Mother of Jo Ellen Paulson, Jack and Jerry Gillespie. Grandmother of nine. Great-grandmother of 17.
GRAHAM, Lois M., 90, St. Mary, New Albany, March 29. Mother of Marilyn Smitley, Michael and Stephen O’Bryne. Grandmother of eight. Great-grandmother of 12. Great-great-grandmother of one.
HANKOSKY, Ralph, 77, Holy Family and St. Andrew, Richmond, March 13. Husband of Mary Kay Hankosky. Brother of Julius and Robert Hankosky.
HARPE, Kathleen R. (Simon), 86, Holy Family, New Albany, March 28. Mother of Janice Beyl, Joy Day, Peggy Liebert, Sue Sieveking and Michael Harpe. Sister of Anna Belle Jackson and Magdelyn Kaper. Grandmother of 12. Great-grandmother of 28. Great-great-grandmother of one.
HUBLER, Catherine M., 88, St. Mary, New Albany, March 17. Sister of Clara Hock, Rita, Adolph and Victor Hubler.
KING, Christina Catherine, 87, Holy Cross, Indianapolis, March 30. Mother of Rose Schock. Grandmother of one.
LAUCK, John, 84, St. Matthew, Indianapolis, March 29. Husband of Mary Ann (Bush) Lauck. Father of Mary Barr, Carole Clark, Ann Mills, James, John, Joseph and Paul Lauck. Brother of Agnes Darko. Grandfather of nine. Great-grandfather of three.
LOUGHMILLER, Robert Lewis, 80, Holy Family, New Albany, March 28. Husband of Gertrude Loughmiller. Father of Linda Conely, Doris Copler, Donna Jenkins, Barbara Owen, Robert and Timothy Loughmiller. Grandfather of nine. Great-grandfather of one.
McCULLUM, Alma L., 93, St. Mary, New Albany, March 10. Mother of Judy Blankenship, Jerry, Richard and Sheldon McCullum. Brother of Clarence Merk. Grandmother of 15. Great-grandmother of 35. Great-great-grandmother of 13.
MULLIN, Sammie Josephine, 88, Holy Angels, Indianapolis, March 14. Mother of Eric, James Jr. and Samuel Mullin. Sister of Barbara Patton. Grandmother of five.
ROHANA, Dalel, 85, Christ the King, Indianapolis, March 28. Mother of Dr. Marcel and Raymond Rohana and Dr. Rudy Rouhana. Sister of Gloria, Mohsen and Pedro Abidaher. Grandmother of five.
SCOTT, William, 69, St. John the Apostle, Ellettsville, March 10. Husband of Donna Scott. Father of Tamara Willis and Timothy Scott. Grandfather of five.
Providence Sister Joseph Miriam Sheehan was 88
Providence Sister Joseph Miriam Sheehan died on March 29 at Mother Theodore Hall at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods. She was 88.
The Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated on April 2 at the Church of the Immaculate Conception at the motherhouse. Burial followed at the sisters’ cemetery.
The former Mary Elizabeth Sheehan was born on Sept. 3, 1918, in Brighton, Mass.
She entered the congregation of the Sisters of Providence of Saint Mary-of-the-Woods on Aug. 10, 1936, professed first vows on March 11, 1939, and professed final vows on
Jan. 23, 1945.
During 70 years of ministry, Sister Joseph Miriam served as a teacher and principal at schools staffed by the Sisters of Providence in Indiana, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, North Carolina and the District of Columbia.
In the archdiocese, Sister Joseph Miriam ministered at St. Joan of Arc School in Indianapolis from 1946-48 and St. Charles Borromeo School in Bloomington from 1948-50.
From 1978-99, Sister Joseph Miriam ministered in health care and at the business office at the motherhouse.
She served as a convent aide from 1978-80, in health care services from 1980-82 and
1988-99, as local treasurer from 1982-84 and in payroll accounts at the plant business office from
1984-88.
Surviving are 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.
Franciscan Sister Florence Marie Rose was a teacher
Franciscan Sister Florence Marie Rose died on March 17 at St. Clare Hall, the health care facility for the Sisters of St. Francis, in Oldenburg. She was 97 and was one month away from celebrating her jubilee of 80 years as a Franciscan.
The Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated on March 22 at the motherhouse chapel. Burial followed at the sisters’ cemetery.
The former Mary Agnes Rose was born on Oct. 21, 1909, in Cincinnati.
She entered the Oldenburg Franciscan community on Dec. 28, 1927, and professed her final vows on July 2, 1933.
Sister Florence Marie ministered as a mathematics teacher.
She taught at Our Lady of Lourdes School in Indianapolis, Little Flower School in Indianapolis and Oldenburg Academy of the Immaculate Conception in Oldenburg.
From 1958-88, Sister Florence Marie was a mathematics professor at Marian College in Indianapolis. She also taught at Catholic schools in Ohio.
Sister Florence Marie retired to the motherhouse in 1996.
Surviving are many nieces and nephews.
Memorial gifts may be made to the Sisters of St. Francis, P.O. Box 100, Oldenburg, IN 47036. †