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)

ASKINS, John M., Jr., 65, St. Paul, Tell City, Sept. 30. Husband of Mabel (Mills) Askins. Father of Brian Askins, Michelle Blunk, Denise, Danny and Duane Hosler, and Greg and Kevin Tate. Brother of Jean Clark and Richard Askins. Grandfather of 12. Great-grandfather of one.

BELL, Virginia A. (Ashton), 84, Our Lady of Perpetual Help, New Albany, Oct. 28. Mother of Mary Sue Gorseline, Charles Jr., Christopher, Glen and John Bell. Sister of Mary Bierly and Ralph Ashton. Grandmother of nine. Great-grandmother of 10.

BLACKWELL, Jerry, 46, St. Joan of Arc, Indianapolis, Sept. 17. Brother of Karen Blackwell Smith, Janet Deery and Kenneth Blackwell. Uncle of eight. (correction)

BOOSE, Raymond Frederick, 79, Annunciation, Brazil, Oct. 20. Husband of Mary Ann (Parrish) Villagran Boose. Father of Amy Cluck, Patricia Griffin, Rosemary Howlett, Anthony, Daniel, Joseph, Michael and Timothy Boose. Stepfather of Roy Villagran. Brother of Norbert Boose. Grandfather of nine. Great-grandfather of two.

BRUCE, Louise Simons, 92, St. Paul, Tell City, Sept. 30. Mother of Brenda Branscome, Jeanne, Susan, Gregg, John and Mark Bruce. Grandmother of nine. Great-grandmother of six.

COHAN, Margaret (O’Neal), 88, St. Christopher, Indianapolis, Oct. 18. Mother of Elizabeth Breen. Grandmother of three. Great-grandmother of one.

CORD, Edward J., 68, Immaculate Conception, Millhousen, Oct. 29. Father of Natalie Tinney, Melissa, Bill and Tom Cord. Grandfather of one.

EDSON, John B., 59, Holy Spirit, Indianapolis, Oct. 18. Husband of Rita Edson. Father of Anna Coleman, Sara Soultz and Paul Edson. Son of Paul and Laurette Edson. Brother of Vicki Arbuckle and Dale Edson. Grandfather of one.

ELLIS, Jan Arlene, 71, St. Mary, Mitchell, Oct. 27. Wife of John R. Ellis. Mother of Katherine Avery, Michael and Robert Ellis. Stepdaughter of Wayne Bass. Sister of Glenn Hoover. Grandmother of four. Great-grandmother of four.

GOSMAN, Margharita Ada (Gallo), 83, St. Jude, Indiana-polis, Oct. 20. Grandmother of two. Great-grandmother of two.

HAYWARD, Curtis Jon, 53, St. Joseph, Indianapolis, Oct. 23. Husband of Ann Hayward. Father of Mellissa Knauer and Kyle Hayward. Son of William and Wanda Hayward. Brother of Gerald, Kenneth and William Hayward. Grandfather of two.

HENTHORN, Mary Lou, 75, St. Lawrence, Indianapolis, Oct. 2. Wife of Jack Henthorn. Mother of Daniel, David and Michael Henthorn. Grandmother of five. Great-grandmother of one.

HIGGS, Mary (Deets), 82, St. Luke, Indianapolis, Oct. 17. Mother of Mary Jo Woodside, Margaret and Joseph Higgs Jr. Grandmother of five.

HUBER, Helen, 65, St. Joseph, St. Leon, Oct. 10. Wife of Elden Huber. Mother of Bob, Don and Jim Huber. Grand-mother of nine.

JOZSA, Helen Rose, 85, Sacred Heart of Jesus, Terre Haute, Oct. 23. Aunt of Nancy Altuve and Frank Jozsa.

KING, Oral D., 77, St. Paul, Tell City, Oct. 19. Husband of Fafe (Goffinet) King. Father of Jane Harth, Mark and Mike King. Brother of Iola Lasher and Lucille Peter. Grandfather of seven. Great-grandfather of two.

KLEAVING, Martha N., 89, St. Paul, Tell City, Oct. 22. Mother of Peggy Roberts, Betty Kessens, Brenda Olsen and Steve Kleaving. Grandmother of 12. Great-grandmother of 20.

KOCHERT, Irma, 97, St. Mary, Lanesville, Oct. 2. Sister of Herb and Father Ott Schellenberger. Aunt of Doris Nash.

KUNTZ, Irwin J., 95, St. Michael, Brookville, Oct. 22. Uncle of Barry and Detmar Roberts.

MARTELLA, Isabella T., 88, St. Bartholomew, Columbus, Oct. 24. Mother of Maria Houlberg, Terri Kelly and Tom Martella. Grandmother of 10. Great-grandmother of six.

MERKEL, Martin F., 86, Holy Family, Oldenburg, Oct. 26. Husband of Mary Ann Merkel. Father of Margie Kipsey, Ruth Roell, Jim, Joe, Larry, Marty and Tony Merkel. Brother of Loretta Bedel and Ed Merkel. Grandfather of 12.

MORAN, Louise, 82, St. Ann, Indianapolis, Oct. 30. Mother of Linda Schafer, Nicki Silcox and Jim Moran. Sister of Josephine Eup. Grandmother of seven. Great-grandmother of eight.

O’BRIEN, Mary (Davison), 80, Christ the King, Indianapolis, Oct. 25. Mother of Patty Banks, Anne, Mary Beth and James O’Brien. Sister of Charlotte Reynolds and Joseph Davison. Grandmother of four.

OHLEYER, Edward J., 78, Christ the King, Indianapolis, Oct. 26.

O’NEAL, Bernard Francis, 89, St. Maurice, St. Maurice, Oct. 29. Husband of Gloria O’Neal. Father of Karen Brookshire, Nancy Fry, Mary Pruett, David, James, Robert, Ronald and Timothy O’Neal. Grandfather of 16. Great-grandfather of two.

PEPPEL, Karen (Tom), 65, St. Mary, Lanesville, Oct. 10. Sister of Sally Anne Neiheisee and Marianne Will.

PHIELER, Edmund, 77, St. Mary, Lanesville, Sept. 14. Husband of Elsie (Meyer) Phieler.

RADULOVIC, Dorothy, 73, St. Mary, Mitchell, Oct. 21. Mother of Michele Braun, Renee Johnson, Denise and Robert Piver. Sister of Angela Toman and David Radulovic. Grand-mother of two.

WYATT, Georgia A., 80, Holy Trinity, Indianapolis, Sept. 30. Sister of Bonnie Berry. Grandmother of three. Great-grandmother of six.

ZUBER, Elizabeth, 98, Holy Family, Richmond, Oct. 11. Mother of Dorothy Dare. Grand-mother of four. Great-grandmother of four. Great-great-grandmother of four. †

Benedictine Father Ralph Lynch died on Oct. 19 at Saint Meinrad

Benedictine Father Ralph Lynch, a monk and priest of Saint Meinrad Archabbey in St. Meinrad and jubilarian of profession and priesthood, died on Oct. 19 at the monastery.

He was 86.

The Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated on Oct. 23 at the Archabbey Church. Burial followed at the monastery cemetery.

He was born on May 20, 1920, in Cleveland and attended Catholic schools in Cleveland and Akron, Ohio, before beginning his seminary studies at Saint Meinrad in the fall of 1939.

He was invested as a novice in August 1941 and professed his simple vows on Aug. 6, 1942. He was ordained to the priesthood on June 11, 1946.

Father Ralph earned a master’s degree in economics from the University of Notre Dame in 1954.

Among his early ministry assignments was service as secretary to former Abbot Ignatius Esser, instructor at Saint Mein-rad’s minor and major seminaries, director of parochial assistance, and registrar and assistant spiritual director at the major seminary.

From 1982-84, Father Ralph served as chaplain for the Sisters of St. Benedict at Holy Angels Convent in Jonesboro, Ark. He then became the assistant oblate director for the secular oblates, and was appointed one of the commuting chaplains for the Sisters of St. Benedict at Monastery Immaculate Conception in Ferdinand, Ind.

From 1997 until 2001, Father Ralph ministered to the residents of St. Paul Hermitage, the retirement community operated by the Sisters of St. Benedict of Our Lady of Grace Monastery in Beech Grove.

His last assignment away from the community was as chaplain for the St. Martin de Porres Lay Dominican Community in New Hope, Ky., from 2002-06.

Memorial gifts may be sent to the Benedictine monks in care of Saint Meinrad Archabbey, 100 Hill Drive, St. Meinrad, IN 47577. †