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)
BAIER, Christopher L., 44, Holy Name of Jesus, Beech Grove, April 24. Brother of Cindy Clark, Debbie Lynn, Dale and Mike Baier. Uncle of several.
BENTON, Rosemary, 72, St. Mary-of-the-Knobs, Floyds Knobs, April 21. Mother of Mary Benton and Dorothy Owen. Sister of Katherine Rissler. Grandmother of nine. Great-grandmother of three.
BUSSING, Bernard Vincent, 73, Annunciation, Brazil, April 24. Husband of Ruth Bussing. Father of Cindy Horton. Stepfather of Joe and John Mills. Brother of Margaret Dome, Joan, David, Raymond and Thomas Bussing. Grandfather of two. Step-grandfather of four.
CHILTON, Loretta, 93, Sacred Heart, Clinton, April 30. Mother of Beverly Allen, Nancy Miller, Marsha Vernon, Paula Vitalie and Philip Chilton. Grandmother of 10. Great-grandmother of 19.
CODDINGTON, Mary, 91, Holy Family, Richmond, April 29. Stepmother of Betty Burns. Sister of Ilona Benjamin, Olga Fuller, Irene Lohmeier, Ambrose, Anthony and George Svarczkopf. Grandmother of two.
DEVLIN, Anita Jeanette, 74, Holy Name of Jesus, Beech Grove, April 25. Wife of Bernard Devlin. Mother of Nanci Albrecht, Alisa Pittrizzi and Nikki Worstell. Sister of Sandra Davies and Daniel Gray. Grandmother of six.
DUNCAN, Marcia E., 93, St. Therese of the Infant Jesus (Little Flower), Indianapolis, April 18. Mother of Maureen Duncan. Grandmother of two.
EATON, Daniel T., 49, St. Agnes, Nashville, April 25. Husband of Linda Lou Eaton. Father of Kyle Tanner. Brother of Kathy Phillips, Marlene Reed, Patty Schnarr, Joe, John and Mike Eaton.
EDWARDS, Barbara J., 58, St. Rita, Indianapolis, April 28. Mother of Harold and Tim Edwards. Daughter of Jessie McClelland. Stepdaughter of Mary Brannon. Sister of Elaine Taedy and Robert Brannon Jr.
FELIX, Bettie J., 77, St. Gabriel, Connersville, May 1. Mother of Jon Felix.
FREEMAN, Marolyn Sue, 70, St. Pius X, Indianapolis, May 6. Aunt of several.
GEIGER, Louise C., 88, St. Bartholomew, Columbus, May 1. Mother of Judy Ulrey, John, Leonard and Paul Geiger. Sister of Lottie Skonieszki. Grandmother of eight. Great-grandmother of three.
GOEBEL, Adolf Lowell, 77, St. Michael the Archangel, Indianapolis, May 1. Husband of Sharon Goebel. Father of Debby Barber, Julie Goebel-Dixon, Brian and Kurt Goebel. Brother of five. Grandfather of seven.
HERMANN, Richard James, 55, Sacred Heart of Jesus, Indianapolis, April 30. Husband of Leigh Ann (Pierce) Hermann. Father of Amy Lawson, Jenny Logan and Gina Hermann. Son of Marianne Hermann. Brother of Beth Finney, Suzy Sahm, Dolores Thie, Donna Williams and Robert Hermann. Grandfather of four.
IVERSON, Margaret, 86, St. Barnabas, Indianapolis, April 28. Mother of Candace Barros, Patti Clarke and Robert Iverson II. Sister of Mary Lou Smith. Grandmother of eight. Great-grandmother of six.
KAISER, Louis A., 78, Our Lady of Perpetual Help, New Albany, April 23. Husband of Ozetta (Payne) Kaiser. Father of Shelly Kraft, Sandy Nance, Susan Waiz, Mark, Matt and Mike Kaiser. Brother of Joyce Kresementz, Darlene, George and William Kaiser. Grandfather of 15.
LAMBERT, Thorton, 79, St. Therese of the Infant Jesus (Little Flower), Indianapolis, April 25. Husband of Cecilia Lambert. Father of Patti Kissell, Mark and Mike Lambert. Brother of Dorothy Harold and Ruby Harrell. Grandfather of four. Great-grandfather of 11.
LUCAS, Carl T., 61, St. Vincent de Paul, Bedford, April 20. Husband of Mary E. Lucas. Father of David Basinger, Patricia Stalker, Angela and Lisa Lucas. Brother of Mildred Burton, Ruby Clark, Marie Sharp and Virginia Smith. Grandfather of nine. Great-grandfather of two.
MOORE, Helen Irene (Davenport), 79, St. Pius X, Indianapolis, April 30. Mother of Lourdes Daily-Pendon, Antonio Freire, Sonia Merriman, Irene, Judith and Rick Moore. Sister of Dorothy Barrett and Harold Davenport. Grandmother of six.
PAYNE, Erma E., 69, St. Augustine, Jeffersonville, April 28. Wife of Randall Payne. Mother of Veronica Hickson and Valerie Pierce. Sister of Joe Beavin. Grandmother of four.
POWELL, Bessie L., 82, Holy Angels, Indianapolis, April 25. Mother of Marilyn Crain and Olivia Dodson. Sister of Howard and John Bell. Grandmother of five. Great-grandmother of three.
PRILLER, Rose, 89, St. Therese of the Infant Jesus (Little Flower), Indianapolis, April 25. Mother of Theresa Borden, Louise Drake, Virginia LaFara, Roselyn Royce, Christine, James and Stephen Priller. Sister of Margaret Bythell. Grandmother of 17. Great-grandmother of 37.
RISCH, Catherine Ann, 80, St. Gabriel, Connersville, May 4. Wife of Lawrence Risch. Mother of Nancy Barr, Joann Borders, Rosemary Brown, Helen Edwards, Karen Lippincott, Judy Smith, Shirley Wise, Lois, Eddie and Lowell Risch. Sister of Lucille Heck, Virginia Myers, James and Kenneth Pflum. Grandmother of 21. Great-grandmother of 13.
ROPP, Donald G., 75, St. Mary, Richmond, May 5. Husband of Mary A. Ropp. Father of Kim Schull and Tom Ropp. Brother of Patricia Bell. Grandfather of four. Great-grandfather of three.
RYAN, Patrick Kevin, 53, Our Lady of Perpetual Help, New Albany, April 17. Father of Kelly Ryan-Miller, Christopher and Michael Ryan. Brother of Joan, John, Michael, Patrick and Timothy Ryan. Grandfather of three.
STILLIONS, Natasha Rose (Hatfield), 22, St. Vincent de Paul, Bedford, April 19. Wife of Ben Stillions. Mother of Lane Stillions. Daughter of Leonard Hatfield Jr. and Rhonda Weldon. Sister of Alicia and Kara Hatfield. Granddaughter of Alta Hatfield, Marvin and Angela Bowles.
TREADWELL, Ida Phillips, 81, St. Monica, Indianapolis, April 24. Wife of Robert D. Treadwell Sr. Mother of Teresa Brown, Renee Page, Kirsten, Marsha, Patricia, Robert Jr. and Ronald Treadwell. Sister of Alice Allen and Harry Phillips Jr. Grandmother of 23. Great-grandmother of 14.
TUOHY, James L., 79, St. Luke the Evangelist, Indianapolis, May 2. Husband of Frances (Carmody) Tuohy. Father of Mary Beth Lamberson, Sue MacGill, Brian and William Tuohy. Brother of Bernadette Cunningham and J. Joseph Tuohy. Grandfather of 12.
VOIGNIER, Richard Lee, 77, Our Lady of Perpetual Help, New Albany, April 26. Husband of Elizabeth (McGuire) Voignier. Father of Terry Barnes, Rose Lehman, Laura Sauer, Donna Smith, Betsy Young, Margie and Todd Voignier. Brother of Dorothy Lawrence. Grandfather of 15. Great-grandfather of 15.
WALK, Mary, 87, St. Paul, Tell City, April 2. Mother of Barbara Clemons, Mickey Fischer, Carol Heck, Suzanne Kennedy, Peggy Paulin, Bill and Vic Walk. Grandmother of several.
WREN, Thomas J., 59, St. Gabriel the Archangel, Indianapolis, May 1. Father of Andrew and Matthew Wren. Son of Elizabeth Wren. Brother of Jim Wren.
Providence Sister Delia Leonard
was a teacher and principal
Providence Sister Delia Leonard, formerly Sister Margaret Cecile, died on April 16 at Mother Theodore Hall at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods. She was 86.
The Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated on April 18 at the Church of the Immaculate Conception at the motherhouse. Burial followed at the sisters’ cemetery.
Delia Veronica Leonard was born on Sept. 17, 1921, in Indianapolis. She entered the congregation of the Sisters of Providence on July 22, 1949, and professed first vows on Jan. 23, 1952, and final vows on Jan. 23, 1957.
Sister Delia earned a bachelor’s degree at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College and master’s degree at De Paul University.
During 58 years as a Sister of Providence, Sister Delia ministered in education as a teacher and principal for 23 years at Catholic schools in Indiana and Texas. For nine of those years, she served as a principal.
In the archdiocese, Sister Delia served at St. Mary School in Richmond as principal from 1957-63, St. Joan of Arc School in Indianapolis from 1963-65, St. Simon School in Indianapolis from 1965-67 and the former All Saints School in Indianapolis from 1970-74.
Sister Delia also ministered at St. Anthony Parish in Indianapolis as parish secretary from 1974-75.
At Saint Mary-of-the-Woods, she was director of financial aid for the college from 1975-85 then served the congregation at the central business office and generalate office from 1985-92.
In 1992, Sister Delia retired, but remained active at the motherhouse by serving as a staff member in the activity room for 14 years. In 2006, she began her ministry of prayer full-time with the senior sisters.
Surviving are two brothers, William Leonard of Indianapolis and Benedictine Brother Sebastian Leonard of New Milford, Conn., as well as two sisters, Margaret Maxwell and Winifred Strack, both of Indianapolis.
Memorial gifts may be sent to the Sisters of Providence, Saint Mary-of-the-Woods, St. Mary-of-the-Woods, IN 47876. †