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)
ADAMS, Irene B., 79, St. Vincent de Paul, Shelby County, Nov. 23. Mother of Marla Comstock, Tanna McDonald, Ann, David, Gerry and Jason Adams. Sister of Ruth Poland, Diana Robertson, Judy Shafer, Pauline Smith, Ralph and Raymond Weintraut. Grandmother of 11. Step-grandmother of six. Great-grandmother of nine.
BILLMAN, Eugene J., 84, St. Louis, Batesville, Dec. 2. Husband of Ruth (Weisenbach) Billman. Father of Lynn Howe, Kay Lohmeier, Brent, Dale and Luke Billman. Grandfather of eight.
BURKETT, Theresa, 79, St. Mary, Mitchell, Oct. 28. Mother of Linda Neves, Michele Shampine, Kathleen Valancius, Patricia and Michael Burkett. Grandmother of eight. Great-grandmother of two.
BURKHART, George, 69, St. Mary, Greensburg, Nov. 25. Brother of Anna Buening, Lucy Meyer, Mary Summers, Dottie and Norman Burkhart. Uncle of several.
COLLINS, Ira H., 90, St. Mary, Navilleton, Nov. 26. Husband of Mary (Cook) Collins. Father of Madonna Gammel, Michelle Spooner, Connie, Ira and Ted Collins. Brother of Betty Jo Keadle. Grandfather of 15. Great-grandfather of 17.
CORRAO, Jane L., 85, Holy Family, New Albany, Nov. 24. Sister of Bettye Corrao. Aunt of several.
CRONE, Ralph J., 83, Holy Family, New Albany, Nov. 21. Brother of Margaret Carnes, Winnie and Eugene Crone.
DOUGLAS, Robert Gene, Sr., 80, St. Anthony of Padua, Clarksville, Nov. 18. Husband of Amy Douglas. Father of Michael and Robert Douglas Jr. Brother of Ed Douglas.
DWENGER, Harold B., 104, St. Roch, Indianapolis, Nov. 29. Father of Jean Bohn, Martha Curd, Linda Kestler and Joseph Dwenger. Grandfather of 16. Great-grandfather of 28. Great-great-grandfather of two.
EHRINGER, Carolyn Rose, 73, St. Joseph, Clark County, Nov. 29. Sister of Mary Lou Baumann and Paul Ehringer. Aunt of several.
GRISBY, Mayme Elizabeth, 79, Holy Trinity, Indianapolis, Nov. 17. Mother of Christine Hunt, J. T. Jackson, Steven Taylor, George, Steven and William Grisby. Sister of Edna Fischer, Betty Grandprix, Ella Thompson, Mildred Upshaw, Henry, James and Norman Fischer. Grandmother of 16. Great-grandmother of 18.
HYDE, Minnie, 96, Sacred Heart, Clinton, Nov. 27. Mother of Joe Hyde. Grandmother of three. Great-grandmother of four. Great-great-grandmother of three.
JACKSON, Mary, 83, St. Mary, Richmond, Nov. 23. Aunt of several.
JOHNSON, Reta (Anderson), 86, St. Andrew, Richmond, Nov. 23. Mother of Anita Loudy, Jene and Henry Anderson. Grandmother of seven. Great-grandmother of several.
McDONALD, Sandy (McNally), St. Gabriel, Connersville, Nov. 24. Mother of Ellen Rose, Allen and Bill McDonald. Sister of Mary Porter and Linda Pritchard. Grandmother of several.
MORIARTY, Patrick Francis, 88, St. Mark the Evangelist, Indianapolis, Nov. 30. Father of Kelly Rolfsen, Dennis, Patrick and Tim Moriarty. Stepfather of Laura Morris, Nancy Pflanzer, Georgianne Smith and Steve Rolfsen. Grandfather of 17. Great-grandfather of several.
PEDUTO, Angelo J., 51, St. Simon the Apostle, Indianapolis, Nov. 17. Husband of Deirdre Peduto. Father of Adrian and Gia Peduto. Son of Louis and Mary Peduto. Brother of Michelle Berry, Gina Coombs and Michael Peduto.
RIEHLE, Rita, 87, St. Michael, Brookville, Nov. 28. Wife of Elmer Riehle. Mother of Renee Metcalf, Brent and Dane Riehle. Sister of Donna Back, Dottie Boyle, Norma Knecht, Ruth Kirschner and Ray Amrhein. Grandmother of nine. Great-grandmother of 11.
ROGERS, Brandon Daniel, 29, St. Jude, Indianapolis, Nov. 23. Father of Isiah Hastings-Rogers and Gavin Rogers. Son of Daniel and Mary Jo Rogers. Brother of Sheli Majerczyk, Heidi Weiler, Danielle and Danton Rogers. Grandson of Julius Kohl.
SHIELDS, Kenneth F., 89, St. Barnabas, Indianapolis, Nov. 30. Father of Diane Gardner and Jim Shields. Grandfather of four. Great-grandfather of one.
STILLWELL, Chelsea Gail, 22, St. Jude, Indianapolis, Nov. 27. Daughter of Bryan and Gina Stillwell. Sister of Sydney Stillwell. Granddaughter of Rose Dearing, Roy and Brenda Rich and Norman and Judy Stillwell.
SYKES, Kathryn, 95, Holy Family, Richmond, Nov. 25. Mother of Pat Fessler. Grandmother of five. Great-grandmother of 14.
WATHEN, Martha Catherine, 96, St. Paul, Tell City, Nov. 25. Mother of Barbara Alvey, Mary Blunk, Martha Scheible, David and Greg Wathen. Grandmother of nine. Great-grandmother of 11.
WOOD, Carl E., 87, St. Barnabas, Indianapolis, Nov. 28. Husband of Edwina (Eddleman) Wood. Father of Paulette Brown, Linda Franklin and Ron Wood. Brother of Imogene Murphy, James, Michael and Richard Wood. Grandfather of six. Great-grandfather of two.
Providence Sister Eleanor Pierce taught in Catholic schools for 49 years
Providence Sister Eleanor Pierce, formerly Sister Reparata Marie, died on Nov. 23 at Mother Theodore Hall at St. Mary-of-the-Woods. She was 90.
The Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated on Dec. 3 at the Church of the Immaculate Conception at the motherhouse. Burial followed at the sisters’ cemetery.
Eleanor Pierce was born on Aug. 29, 1923, in Chelsea, Mass.
She entered the Sisters of Providence of Saint Mary-of-the-Woods on July 20, 1942, and professed final vows on Aug. 15, 1950.
Sister Eleanor earned a bachelor’s degree in education at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College in St. Mary-of-the-Woods, and a master’s degree in education administration at the Rivier College in Nashua, N.H..
During 71 years as a member of the Sisters of Providence of Saint Mary-of-the-Woods, Sister Eleanor ministered in Catholic education for 49 years in schools in Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Oklahoma and Washington, D.C.
In the archdiocese, she ministered at the former St. Mary School in Richmond from 1947-50 and at St. Patrick School in Terre Haute from 1961-63.
Sister Eleanor retired from education in 1994. She then ministered for 15 years at St. Rose of Lima Parish in Chelsea, Mass., the parish in which she grew up. She returned to the motherhouse in 2009, where she dedicated herself entirely to prayer.
She is survived by a sister, Patricia Pierce of Chelsea, Mass..
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.
Providence Sister Mary Margaret Quinn ministered at Holy Angels Parish for 34 years
Providence Sister Mary Margaret Quinn, formerly Sister Charles Agnes, died on Nov. 29 at Mother Theodore Hall at St. Mary-of-the-Woods. She was 78.
The Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated on Dec. 7 at the Church of the Immaculate Conception at the motherhouse. Burial followed at the sisters’ cemetery.
Mary Margaret Quinn was born on May 27, 1935, in Indianapolis and grew up as a member of Holy Cross Parish in Indianapolis.
She entered the Sisters of Providence of Saint Mary-of-the-Woods on Jan. 6, 1953, and professed final vows on Aug. 15, 1960.
Sister Mary Margaret earned a bachelor’s degree in music at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College in St. Mary-of-the-Woods, and a master’s degree in music at Butler University in Indianapolis.
During 60 years as a member of the Sisters of Providence of Saint Mary-of-the-Woods, Sister Mary Margaret ministered in Catholic education for 17 years in schools in Illinois, Indiana and Texas.
In the archdiocese, she ministered at the former St. Joseph School in Indianapolis and at St. Malachy School in Brownsburg from 1967-69, at the former St. Andrew School in Indianapolis from 1969-71 and at Holy Angels School and St. Thomas Aquinas School from 1971-72.
Beginning in 1972, Sister Mary Margaret ministered as a pastoral associate at Holy Angels Parish in Indianapolis—a ministry she continued until 2006. In 2007, she returned to the motherhouse where she volunteered at Woods Day Care/Preschool. In 2012, she dedicated herself entirely to prayer.
She is survived by a brother, Michael J. Quinn of Fishers, Ind.
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. †