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)
BODIKER, Nancy, 73, St. Mary, Richmond, April 23. Wife of Richard Bodiker Sr. Mother of Lisa Murray, Jerry Shinn, Cathy, Jack, Richard Jr. and Scott Bodiker. Sister of Dr. Jack Bandura. Grandmother of several. Great-grandmother of several.
BORGES, Frances Marie, 91, St. Martin of Tours, Martinsville, May 5. Mother of Monica Burgi, John and Tom Borges. Sister of Emma Kivett. Grandmother of eight. Great-grandmother of three.
BRAUN, Joseph Anthony, 72, Sacred Heart of Jesus, Indianapolis, May 3. Husband of Mary Ann Braun. Father of Ted and Tony Braun. Brother of Barbara May and John Braun. Grandfather of six. Great-grandfather of three.
BREEDEN, Rebecca Sue, 69, St. Agnes, Nashville, April 29. Mother of Emily Corn, Kim Graff, Jeff Hopkins, Rachel and Chris Cseszko. Daughter of Rex Breeden. Sister of Jeanne Matson. Grandmother of five.
DONLAN, Edward F., 92, St. Jude, Indianapolis, May 7. Husband of Rita Donlan. Father of Linda Erwin, Joanne Kinsman and William Donlan. Brother of Katherine Jackson. Grandfather of eight. Great-grandfather of 13.
EDER, Robert J., 85, St. Mary, Rushville, April 28. Husband of Betty (More) Eder. Father of Karen Harpring, Lisa Ruttenberg and Stephen Eder. Grandfather of seven. Great-grandfather of six.
FORTHOFER, Raphael Paul, 73, St. Nicholas, Ripley County, April 4. Husband of Rosina Forthofer. Father of Christy, Shelly and Nick Forthofer. Brother of several. Grandfather of several.
GALLAGHER, Marilyn J., 82, former member Sacred Heart of Jesus, Indianapolis, April 25. Wife of James Gallagher. Mother of Elizabeth Chipchak, Ann Watson and Mark Gallagher. Sister of Marjorie Lenahan, Alice Kilgore and Richard Wehlage. Grandmother of eight.
GRAVES, Richard, 78, St. Therese of the Infant Jesus (Little Flower), Indianapolis, April 26. Husband of Jessie Graves. Father of Dawn Wendel and Rick Graves. Brother of Mary Morgan and Robert Graves. Grandfather of four.
KIRCHGESSNER, Roberta Lee (Smith), 59, St. Joseph, Clark County, May 2. Wife of Merrell Kirchgessner Sr. Mother of Martin, Merrell Jr. and Patrick Kirchgessner. Stepmother of Rebecca Northern. Sister of Deborah Dreschel, Colleen Kirchgessner, Mary McKinley, Corlis Turner, Larry and Mark Smith. Grandmother of two.
KOPP, Howard A., 85, St. Vincent de Paul, Bedford, May 6. Father of Mary Ellen Graf, Catherine Young, Gregory and Stephen Kopp. Brother of Kathleen Freeman. Grandfather of four. Great-grandfather of one.
MAUER, Leonard J., 100, St. Mary, Greensburg, April 25. Father of Ruth Cook, Angela Kelly, Mary Jo Nieman, Judy, Nita, Larry, Mark, Michael, Roger and Timothy Mauer. Brother of Edwin and Louis Mauer. Grandfather of 21. Great-grandfather of six. (correction)
MILES, Margaret, 92, St. Mary, Richmond, May 2. Mother of Ann Rounds and Michael Miles. Grandmother of four. Great-grandmother of four.
MOODY, Kevin L., 59, St. Louis, Batesville, April 30. Father of Nicki Eichhold and Janel Norris. Brother of Beverly Jumper, Roseann Tousley, Cindy Weiler, Anita Zielinski, Keith and Ken Moody. Grandfather of five.
SIPES, Ruth Marie, 82, St. Paul, Sellersburg, April 22. Mother of Beverly Basham, Alice Oechslin, Richard and Robert Lewis.
SMITH, Marie Julia (Hess), 84, St. Mary, Navilleton, May 5. Mother of Margaret Hoffman, Therese Martin, Mary Jo Mayer, Doris Ooley, Connie Scilmiller, Eileen Schraffenberger, Denis, Nick, Sam and Conventual Franciscan Father Tom Smith. Sister of Irene and Marcella Naville and Rosetta Smith. Grandmother of 22. Great-grandmother of 13.
STRAHL, Joseph A., 91, St. Mary-of-the-Knobs, Floyd County, April 26. Husband of Celeste (Hanka) Strahl. Father of Mary Ewing, Celeste, Dolores, Joseph and Robert Strahl. Grandfather of eight.
STRUEWING, Stanley A., 69, St. Elizabeth of Hungary, Cambridge City, April 30. Husband of Patsy (Bragg) Struewing. Father of Travis Gabbard, Richai Morgan, Kara and Brent Struewing. Brother of Milli Hiday and Ruth Sweetwood. Grandfather of six. Great-grandfather of one.
WEILANDICH, George, 84, St. Mary, Richmond, April 17. Father of Dwan Doherty. Brother of Mary Wilde. Grandfather of four.
Zaharako, Ted D., D.D.S., 62, St. Agnes, Nashville, April 16. Husband of Alice Zaharako. Father of Anthony Zaharako.
Franciscan Sister Janet Brosnan ministered as an educator and hospital chaplain in Indiana and Ohio
Franciscan Sister Janet Brosnan, a member of the Sisters of the Third Order of St. Francis in Oldenburg, died on May 1 at St. Clare Hall on the campus of the community’s motherhouse. She was 79.
The Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated on May 3 at the motherhouse chapel. Burial followed at the sisters’ cemetery.
Sister Janet was born on June 17, 1933, in Indianapolis.
She entered the Oldenburg Franciscan community on Sept. 8, 1951, and professed final vows on Aug. 12, 1957.
Sister Janet, formerly Sister Terence, ministered as an educator in Catholic schools in Indiana and Ohio for 26 years. In the archdiocese, she taught at St. Andrew School in Richmond (now Seton Elementary School), St. Mary School in New Albany and the former Holy Trinity School in Indianapolis.
In 1976, she began ministry as a chaplain in hospitals in and around Cincinnati, retiring from that ministry in 2011.
Surviving are four sisters, Donna Monahan, Joanne Hutchinson, Mary Jane Owens, all of Indianapolis, and Marge Rieser of Avon, Ind., as well as two brothers, Dan Brosnan of Shoals, Ind., and Joe Brosnan of Freedom, Ind.
Memorial gifts may be made to Sisters of St. Francis, Oldenburg, IN 47036-0100.
Benedictine Brother Terence Griffin used business knowledge in ministry at Saint Meinrad Archabbey
Benedictine Brother Terence Griffin, a monk of Saint Meinrad Archabbey in St. Meinrad, died on May 5 in the monastery infirmary. He was 84.
The Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated on May 8. Burial followed at the Archabbey Cemetery.
Brother Terence was a jubilarian of monastic profession, having celebrated 52 years of monastic profession.
Daniel Rodgers Griffin was born on Feb. 15, 1929, in Bellevue, Pa.
He attended North Catholic High School in Pittsburgh, and then attended Robert Morris Business School, also in Pittsburgh.
Before joining the monastery, Brother Terence worked at the Pittsburgh Forging Company in Coraopolis, Pa., and at the Pittsburgh Coke and Chemical Company in Neville Island, Pa.
He was invested as a novice in 1959, professed simple vows on May 7, 1960, and professed solemn vows in 1963.
Brother Terence’s assignments included serving as an assistant in Saint Meinrad’s Business Office, working with the comptroller of Abbey Press, assisting in Saint Meinrad Health Services and infirmary and working at Abbey Caskets.
For many years, Brother Terence also helped arrange the rosary processions at the nearby Our Lady of Monte Cassino Shrine held on Sundays in May and October.
Surviving are two sisters.
Memorial gifts may be sent to Saint Meinrad Archabbey, 200 Hill Drive, St. Meinrad, IN 47577. †