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)

BENEDIK, Peter Rajko, 96, St. Luke the Evangelist, Indianapolis, May 28. Husband of Louise Benedik. Father of Andrew and Michael Benedik. Grandfather of five. Great-grandfather of one.

BORDENKECHER, Michael A., 39, Nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, Indianapolis, June 14. Son of William Bordenkecher and Patricia Trent. Brother of Theresa, David, James and Thomas Bordenkecher.

CALLAHAN, John Francis, 80, Good Shepherd, Indianapolis, June 13. Father of Mary Kay Robinson, Margaret, David, Tim and Tom Callahan. Brother of Mary Ann Dickey and Dorothy Ferguson. Grandfather of 10. Great-grandfather of one.

GARZA, Aurora, 83, Good Shepherd, Indianapolis, June 14. Wife of Servando Garza. Mother of Maria Short, David and Servando Garza Jr. Sister of David Rodriguez. Grandmother of five. Great-grandmother of two.

GLEASON, Mildred Ann, 90, Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, Jeffersonville, June 1. Mother of Marice Nettleship, Marcella Rumpel and Dennis Gleason. Sister of Ruth Harberson and Joyce Schuler. Grandmother of nine. Great-grandmother of 17.

HICKLE, Rosemary, 80, St. Therese of the Infant Jesus (Little Flower), Indianapolis, May 31. Mother of Dennis and Skip Hickle. Sister of Dorothy Langsford and Richard Lux. Grandmother of eight. Great-grandmother of four.

HORNUNG, William P., 76, St. Malachy, Brownsburg, June 14. Husband of Sharlene Hornung. Father of Julie Martin, Michael, Thomas and Timothy Hornung. Brother of Helen Headstream and John Hornung. Grandfather of two.

JUNGHAENE, Irvin S., 88, St. Augustine, Jeffersonville, June 5. Husband of Joan Junghaene.

KEMPE, George Carl, 81, St. Mark the Evangelist, Indianapolis, June 17. Father of Georgianne Pangallo, Gail, Gary and Greg Kempe. Brother of Delores Martin. Grandfather of six.

KEMPE, Shirley Joan, 75, St. Mark the Evangelist, Indianapolis, June 14. Wife of George Kempe. Mother of Georgianne Pangallo, Gail, Gary and Greg Kempe. Sister of Jerry Carmichael. Grandmother of six.

MOODY, Winferd, 87, St. Therese of the Infant Jesus (Little Flower), Indianapolis, June 12. Father of Barbara Lawless, Marilyn Zeilinga, Anita and Steve Moody. Brother of Joyce Leininger. Grandfather of four. Great-grandfather of two.

LONG, Anna Josephine (Costello), 90, Most Holy Name of Jesus, Beech Grove, June 13. Mother of Mary Cleary, Helen Moll and Judy Miller. Grandmother of seven. Great-grandmother of seven.

McMURRAY, Harry Forest, 83, St. Luke the Evangelist, Indianapolis, June 6. Father of Nancy Davis, Susanne Rya, James and William McMurray. Grandfather of 10.

NAVILLE, Doris J. (Johns), 78, St. Mary, Navilleton, June 19. Wife of Earl J. Naville Sr. Mother of Pamela Briles, Peggy Emerson, Patricia Kirchgessner, E. Joseph Jr., Gerald Sr., James, Jason, Jeffrey, John, Julian and Justin Naville. Sister of Rosalie Rose, Rozella Rose and Linda Miller. Grandmother of 41. Great-grandmother of 22.

PAYNE, Randall D., 71, St. Augustine, Jeffersonville, June 7. Father of Veronica Hickson and Valerie Pierce. Brother of Michele Trinkle. Grandfather of five.

RITZI, Andrew C., 64, St. Bridget of Ireland, Liberty, June 3. Husband of Pauline Ritzi. Father of Kevin Ritzi. Brother of Albert and Richard Ritzi. Grandfather of one.

WADE, Marie C. (Eckstein), 98, St. Joseph, Shelbyville, June 8. Mother of Sharon Moore. Sister of Loretta Eckstein. Grandmother of two. Step-grandmother of one. Great-grandmother of four. Step-great-grandmother of two. Step-great-great-grandmother of two.

WENNING, Everett Joseph, 94, Immaculate Conception, Millhousen, June 10. Husband of Mary Ann (Stuhrenberg) Wenning. Father of Martha Johnson, Mary Jo, Andrew and John Wenning. Brother of Bernice Hessler, Hilda Garrison and Edmund Wenning. Grandfather of nine.

WHEATLEY, Dorothy (Smith), 93, Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, Jeffersonville, June 3. Mother of Jane Clark, Jan, Bob, David and Gary Wheatley. Sister of Barbara Hayes. Grandmother of 15. Great-grandmother of 22. Great-great-grandmother of one.

Rita Nagel was mother of nine, registered nurse and dedicated community volunteer in Rensselaer

St. Augustine parishioner Rita Ann (Kerber) Nagel of Renssalaer, Ind., the mother of Father Rick Nagel, died on June 17 at Home Hospital in Lafayette, Ind. She was 75.

The Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated on June 20 at St. Augustine Church in Renssalaer in the Lafayette Diocese. Burial followed at Mount Calvary Cemetery in Rensselaer.

Rita Ann Kerber was born on Jan. 30, 1934, in Logansport, Ind. She graduated from Logansport High School in 1952 then the St. Elizabeth School of Nursing in 1955.

On Nov. 24, 1956, she was married to Gerald Nagel, who died on March 17, 1997.

Until her retirement in 1997, she helped her husband manage and operate their family farm.

She also worked as a registered nurse in surgery, recovery and obstetrics, and developed a health occupations class at Rensselaeer Central High School.

She also founded and directed the AlternaCare Unit at Jasper County Hospital, where she served until her retirement in 1997.

In addition to serving St. Augustine Parish as a member of the parish council and school board, she volunteered for the Christian Women’s Group, food pantry, local and state vocations cross project, prayer tree, Jasper County Hospital Hospice and Jasper County Hospital Auxiliary.

She taught religious education classes at St. Augustine Parish and Sacred Heart Parish in Remington, Ind.

She was a past member of the American Cancer Society, Jasper County Community Services board of directors, Knights of Columbus Women’s Auxiliary and Right to Life organization.

The Indiana Future Farmers of America awarded her an honorary degree, and she was an active supporter of the 4-H Club.

She is remembered as a generous and prayerful woman who loved to serve others.

Surviving are nine children, Kristina Dobson of Rensselaer, Judy Egan of Rensselaer, Lynn Eisberg of Dousman, Wis., Cathy Hanna of Rensselaer, Patty Kilmer of Brookston, Ind., Andy Nagel of Rensselaer, Doug Nagel of Rensselaer, Kurt Nagel of Rensselaer and Father Rick Nagel of Greenwood; a sister, Mary Louise Shenneman of Peru; a brother, Richard Kerber of Lafayette; 31 grandchildren; and five great-grandchildren.

Memorial gifts may be sent to St. Augustine School, 328 N. McKinley, Rensselaer, IN 47978 or Birthright of Rensselaer, 216½ W. Washington St., Rensselaer, IN 47978. †