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)

BOWLING, Dr. Richard P., 86, St. Mark the Evangelist, Indianapolis, Feb. 27. Father of Theresa Rodreguez, Frederick, Paul, Philip and Thomas Bowling. Grandfather of 13. Great-grandfather of five.

BULLEIT, Barbara Ann, 92, St. Mary, Navilleton, March 2. Mother of Angie, Debbie, Jackie, Jeannie, M. Angie, Terri, Charlie, Doug, James, Joseph, Mark, Matthew and Randy. Grandmother of 23. Great-grandmother of 20.

BURFORD, Gerard H., 92, Holy Spirit, Indianapolis, Feb. 15. Father of Karen Carter, Patricia Terry, Janet Vardaman, David and Steven Burford. Grandfather of 13. Great-grandfather of several.

CONN, George A., 91, All Saints, Dearborn County, Feb. 25. Father of Kelly Baker, Anne Saxton and Kevin Conn. Brother of Gary Conn. Grandfather of two.

EDGELL, Robert E., 89, St. Bartholomew, Columbus, Feb. 21. Husband of Judy Edgell. Father of Margaret Core, Ginger Lirette, Heather Whaley and John Edgell. Grandfather of seven.

GAROFOLA, Jr., Joseph, 91, St. Vincent de Paul, Bedford, Feb. 27. Father of Timothy and Tracy Joe Garofola. Grandfather of two. Great-grandfather of six.

GOBLE, Nathaniel, 36, St. Paul, Tell City, Feb. 22. Son of Daniel and Joan Goble. Brother of Julie Losurdo. Grandson of Dorothy Goble. Uncle of one.

GOUGH, Marilyn K., 88, SS. Francis and Clare of Assisi, Greenwood, Feb. 27. Mother of Kathleen Cox, Corlene Ray, Rhonda Teague, Albert, Jr., David, Larry and Tim Gough. Grandmother of 14. Great-grandmother of nine.

GROVES, Darla D., 89, St. Paul, Tell City, Feb. 29. Mother of Julie Dantic, Dean and Scott Groves. Sister of Barbara Ross and Dennis Mullis. Grandmother of five. Great-grandmother of four.

HARPENAU, Merle, 98, St. Paul, Tell City, Feb. 29. Husband of Madeline Harpenau. Father of Sharon Schneider. Brother of Mary Meunier and Leonard Harpenau. Grandfather of four. Great-grandfather of nine.

HECK, Peggy J., 89, St. Paul, Tell City, Feb. 22. Wife of Chris Heck. Mother of Cindy Cain, Mike and Todd Heck. Grandmother of six. Great-grandmother of six.

HENDRIX, Rylee M., infant, St. Vincent de Paul, Bedford, Feb. 25. Daughter of Brock Hendrix and Carli Fields. Granddaughter of Raymond and Tracy Fields, Aaron Hendrix and Amanda Hoffman. Great-granddaughter of Rhonda and Dwight Hendrix, John Clark and Jon Hoffman. Great-great-granddaughter of Judy Walters. Niece of several.

KAISER, Jessica L., 38, St. Michael, Brookville, Feb. 27. Mother of Jaden Kaiser. Daughter of Bruce and Cheryl Kaiser. Sister of Mary Jo Clark.

LANGDON, Donna, 88, St. Anthony of Padua, Clarksville, Feb. 27. Sister of Theresia Cunningham, Mary Shoultz, Bernadette Wheatley, Edward, Michael and Ronald Korte. Grandmother of three. Great-grandmother of eight.

LOYD, Keith, 67, Holy Angels, Indianapolis, March 1. Husband of Starling Loyd. Father of Krista Johnson, Starla Mathis and Keith Loyd, Jr. Brother of Deborah Graham and Denise Mills. Grandfather of six.

MERRILL, Maria, 62, St. Bartholomew, Columbus, Feb. 19. Wife of Gordon Merrill. Mother of Sarah and Matthew Kreitzer, and Bethany, Gregory and Jeremy Merrill. Sister of Mark and Mike Lane. Grandmother of one.

PIOTRZKOWSKI, Goldie, 91, Holy Spirit, Indianapolis, Feb. 17. Mother of Theresa Bailey, Bobbie Sigmund, Brian, Leonard, Jr., Richard and Timothy Piotrzkowski. Grandmother of 18. Great-grandmother of 11.

PREWITT, Matthew S., 51, St. Roch, Indianapolis, Feb. 21. Son of Charlie and Sue Prewitt. Brother of Haley Prewitt. Uncle of several.

RENN, Arlene E., 92, St. John Paul II, Sellersburg, Feb. 24. Mother of Rhonda Miracle, Barbara Spaulding, Charles and Eric Renn. Grandmother of eight. Great-grandmother nine.

ROBERGE, Lois A., 96, St. Luke the Evangelist, Indianapolis, Feb. 28. Mother of Susan McClain, Barbara Yeary, Elizabeth, Christopher and Paul Roberge. Grandmother of 10. Great-grandmother of eight.

SCHRECK, Joyce M., 72, St. Joseph, Corydon, Feb. 28. Wife of Richard Schreck. Mother of Anita Levin, Brian, James and Jeffrey Schreck. Sister of Barbara Bullington, Karen Smith, Gary, Gerald, Mickey and Randy Lowe. Grandmother of 12.

WALKER, Mary Lynn, 80, Holy Spirit, Indianapolis, Feb. 22. Mother of Dianna Higgenbotham, Monte, Jr., and Nicholas Walker. Sister of nine. Grandmother of 13. Great-grandmother of 18.

Providence Sister Grace Marie Meehan served in education and health care

Providence Sister Grace Marie Meehan, a member of the Sisters of Providence of Saint Mary-of-the-Woods in St. Mary-of-the-Woods, died on March 2 at Mother Theodore Hall on the campus of her religious community’s motherhouse. She was 93.

The Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated on March 12 at the Church of the Immaculate Conception at the motherhouse in St. Mary-of-the-Woods. Burial followed at the sisters’ cemetery.

Sister Grace Marie was born on Nov. 7, 1930, in Chicago. She entered the Sisters of Providence on Jan. 7, 1948, and professed final vows on Aug. 15, 1955.

Sister Grace Marie earned a bachelor’s degree in education at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College, a master’s degree in education at Indiana State University in Terre Haute and an associate degree in nursing at Lincoln Trails Community College in Robinson, Ill.

During her 76 years as a member of the Sisters of Providence, Sister Grace Marie ministered as an educator in Catholic schools for 22 years in California, Illinois, Indiana and Oklahoma. She also served in leadership and in health care in her community, and health care in Illinois and Maryland. After retiring from ministry in 2016, Sister Grace Marie volunteered in Chicago and Albuquerque, N.M. In 2023, she dedicated herself entirely to prayer.

In the archdiocese, Sister Grace Marie ministered at the former St. Agnes Academy in Indianapolis from 1950-51, at Our Lady of the Greenwood School in Greenwood from

1959-68, at St. Mary School in Richmond (now St. Elizabeth Ann Seton School) from 1968-69 and St. Michael School in Greenfield from 1969-72.

She served at the motherhouse on her community’s Corporate Renewal Team from 1972-76, as administrator of the infirmary from 1976-81 and as a nurse from 1983-84.

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. †