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)
ADERS, Kenneth M., 84, St. Meinrad, St. Meinrad, Jan. 6. Brother of Judy Dial, Ida Kelly, Eleanor Lasher, Joyce Murphy, Ruth Werne, Gerald and Maurice Aders. Uncle of several.
ANDERSON, Harry, 81, St. Mary, New Albany,
Dec. 27. Father of Theresa Carroll and Kevin Anderson. Brother of Merlinna Dunn, Susie Jenkins, Linda Stinson, David, Dennis, Gary, Robert and Theron Anderson. Grandfather of three. Great-grandfather of seven.
ANDRETTI, Aldo, 80, St. Malachy, Brownsburg, Dec. 30. Husband of Carolyn Andretti. Father of Mary Jo Dial, Carolyn Molander, Adam and Mark Andretti. Brother of Anna Maria Burley and Mario Andretti. Grandfather of 11.
ARVIN, Millie A., 73, Holy Spirit, Indianapolis, Jan. 3. Wife of Edward Arvin. Mother of Jennifer Arvin, Katie Baugh and Cheryl Crum. Sister of Sharon Keilman. Grandmother of four.
BALDWIN, JoAn M., 94, Holy Spirit, Indianapolis, Jan. 5. Mother of Deborah Baldwin, Bonnie Payton and Susan Torzewski. Grandmother of six. Great-grandmother of 12.
BEIKMAN, Sharon A., 76, St. John the Apostle, Bloomington, Jan. 6.
BRINER, Robert D., 68, St. Jude, Indianapolis, Dec. 30. Husband of Sherry Briner. Father of Bethany Strother. Grandfather of three.
BUSALD, Kimberly A., 62, St. Jude, Indianapolis, Dec. 30. Wife of Garry Busald. Mother of Ashlie Busald Rafferty and Kyle Busald. Daughter of Patricia Hogan and Wayne Wolven. Sister of Karen Hogan and Debbie Russell. Grandmother of five.
DOLEHANTY, Joseph, 81, St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, Richmond, Jan. 4. Father of Carole, Casie, Darrin and Dennis Dolehanty. Grandfather of six.
DREHOBL, Robert, 90, St. Vincent de Paul, Bedford, Jan. 4. Husband of Beverly Drehobl. Father of Theresa Mason, Mike and Steve Drehobl. Grandfather of six. Great-grandfather of four.
DUERSTOCK, Gerald O., 74, St. Mary, Greensburg, Jan. 6. Husband of Paulette Duerstock. Father of Jennifer Hersley, Julie Nobbe, Cindy Slaven and Tim Duerstock. Brother of Robert Duerstock. Grandfather of 12.
FULTON, Robert A., 79, Our Lady of Lourdes, Indianapolis, Dec. 29. Father of Michael, Robert, Jr., and Sean Fulton. Grandfather of four. Great-grandfather of one.
GEIS, Janet S., 79, St. Michael, Brookville, Jan. 5. Mother of Jennifer Strohmier, Angela, Dr. Laura, Brian, Charles and Capt. Randall Geis. Sister of Angela Linkel, Drusilla Masters, Mary Margaret Thomas, David, Richard and William Ellis. Grandmother of 14. Great-grandmother of one.
GIBSON, Rita A., 91, St. Therese of the Infant Jesus (Little Flower), Indianapolis, Dec. 23. Mother of Catherine, David, Michael and Thomas Pfarr. Stepmother of Sherry Bernal, Vickie Doenges and Valorie Shutt. Grandmother of seven. Great-grandmother of 10.
GRANNAN, J., Lloyd, 87, Holy Spirit, Indianapolis, Dec. 31. Father of Jill Schultz, David and Michael Grannan. Grandfather of seven.
JOHNSTON, Patricia, 86, St. Roch, Indianapolis, Jan. 5. Sister of Kathleen Cecil, Maureen Green, Sharon Piazza, Danny and Terry Johnston. Aunt of several.
KEENAN, Carl E., 84, St. Mary, Navilleton, Dec. 28.
Father of Brian, Kelly, Kevin and Shawn Keenan. Grandfather of 12. Great-grandfather of four.
KNUEVEN, Mary C., infant, All Saints, Dearborn County, Dec. 29. Daughter of Brian and Jill Knueven. Sister of Catherine Knueven. Granddaughter of Bill and Bev Knueven and Bill and Geraldine Kuntz.
KUNKLER, Barbara (Hole McElroy), 91, St. Luke the Evangelist, Indianapolis, Jan. 3. Mother of Mary Hole and Daniel McElroy. Grandmother of 13. Great-grandmother of six.
LEBANO, Edoardo A., 86, St. John the Apostle, Bloomington, Nov. 28. Father of Tito and Mario Lebano. Grandfather of two. Great-grandfather of two.
MCCARTY, Mary Therese, 89, Holy Spirit, Indianapolis, Jan. 6. Mother of Kathryn, David, Dennis, Michael and Thomas McCarty. Sister of Eileen White. Grandmother of 13. Great-grandmother of seven.
MEANS, Jayne A., 85, St. Mary, Rushville, Dec. 28. Wife of Bill Means. Mother of Chris Gindling, Cathy Lewis, Julie Reynolds and Lora Vaughn. Grandmother of seven. Great-grandmother of eight.
MELLOH, Jo Ann M., 74, Nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, Indianapolis, Dec. 29. Wife of Art Melloh. Mother of Amy Kitley, Tara Spencer, Tina Stephens, David and Paul Melloh. Grandmother of eight. Great-grandmother of two.
MOODY, John D., 68, St. Louis, Batesville, Jan. 5. Husband of Elaine Moody. Father of Desiree and Sean Moody. Brother of Gretchen Cline, Bonita Hobbs, Melinda Trenkamp, Bryan and Michael Moody. Grandfather of two.
PADGETT, Ruth E., 73, St. Vincent de Paul, Bedford, Jan. 4. Mother of Elizabeth Craig, Meg Jackey and Joe Padgett. Sister of Mary and Perry Edwards. Grandmother of two.
PICKERILL, Ruth E., 84, St. John Paul II, Sellersburg, Jan. 4. Mother of Lisa Vanover, Brian, David, Ken and Loren Pickerill. Sister of Helen Lindsay and Ron Voyles. Grandmother of eight.
SCHNEIDER, Flora Belle, 84, St. Mary, Lanesville, Dec. 19. Mother of Joy Ewing, Julie Weathers, Kerry, James, Pete and Richard Schneider. Grandmother of eight.
SCHUMAN, Richard, 87, All Saints, Dearborn County, Dec. 8. Husband of Pat Schuman. Father of Connie Hornbach, Regina Kamos, Marilyn White, Joan, Cliff, John and Rick Schuman. Brother of Joe Schuman. Grandfather of 16. Great-grandfather of seven.
(correction)
SNYDER, Dorothy M., 83, St. Mary, Rushville, Dec. 31. Mother of Debra Banks, Mark and Matt Snyder. Grandmother of seven. Great-grandmother of one.
SUMMERS, Matthew K., 31, St. Joan of Arc, Indianapolis, Dec. 31. Son of Kevin and Kay Summers. Brother of Chuck Summers. Grandson of Kirby Julian.
SWANSON, Flostella, 93, St. Therese of the Infant Jesus (Little Flower), Indianapolis, Jan. 2. Mother of Dewey Swanson. Sister of Patsy Hall. Grandmother of two. Great-grandmother of two.
TALLANT, E. Ann, 86, St. Mary, North Vernon, Jan. 2. Mother of Jenny Brown, Mary Cross, Elise Wade, Bryce,
J.C. and William Tallant. Sister of Dorine May, Louise Reichert, Joan, Charles and Paul Miller. Grandmother of 12. Great-grandmother of eight.
TREJO, Matias Martinez, 79, Prince of Peace, Madison, Jan. 6. Father of Rosalva and Francisco Roman Martinez. Grandfather of 11.
WESSELER, Ann M., 78, St. Rose of Lima, Franklin, Dec. 28. Wife of Thomas Vernon. Mother of Jean Ryan, Lynn Seufert and Allen Wesseler. Stepmother of Carol, Nancy, James and Raymond Vernon. Sister of Carol Nowlin, Connie Nobbe and
Dr. Richard Moeller. Grandmother of five. Step-grandmother and step-great-grandmother of several. †
Providence Sister Martha Ann Rifner served in Catholic schools for 32 years
Providence Sister Martha Ann Rifner, a member of the Sisters of Providence of Saint Mary-of-the-Woods in St. Mary-of-the-Woods, died on Jan. 16 at Methodist Hospital in Indianapolis. She was 95.
Because of the coronavirus pandemic, a virtual funeral service was held on Jan. 22. Burial followed at the sisters’ cemetery.
Sister Martha Ann was born on March 1, 1925, in Muncie, Ind. She entered the Sisters of Providence on Feb. 2, 1953, and professed final vows on Aug. 15, 1960.
Sister Martha Ann earned a bachelor’s degree at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College and a master’s degree at Indiana State University in Terre Haute.
During her 68 years as a member of the Sisters of Providence, Sister Martha Ann ministered as an educator for 32 years in schools in Illinois and Indiana. She later served at the motherhouse in transportation. Most recently, during the coronavirus pandemic, she volunteered up until a week before her death to sanitize one of her community’s kitchens.
In the archdiocese, Sister Martha Ann served at St. Michael School in Greenfield from 1966-68, at the former St. Margaret Mary School in Terre Haute from 1968-77 and at the motherhouse from 1987-2019.
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.
Batesville native Franciscan Father Jack Wintz served in Catholic media for decades
Franciscan Father Jack Wintz, a member of the Cincinnati-based Franciscan Province of St. John the Baptist, died on Jan. 11. He was 84.
The Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated on Jan. 18. Burial followed at St. Mary Cemetery in St. Bernard, Ohio.
Father Jack was born on Feb. 22, 1936, in Batesville and grew up as a member of
St. Louis Parish. He became a Franciscan novice in 1954, professed temporary vows in 1955 and final vows in 1958. Father Jack was ordained a priest in 1963.
Known for his decades of service in the Catholic media, Father Jack received in 2006 the St. Francis de Sales Award, the highest honor of the Catholic Press Association of the United States and Canada.
He served for decades on his province’s St. Anthony Messenger magazine, founded
St. Anthony Messenger Media’s Catholic Update religious education newsletter in 1973, and traveled the world while reporting on articles and books that he wrote.
In addition to his ministry in Catholic media, Father Jack did parish ministry and taught in high schools in St. Bernard, Ohio, and Fort Wayne, Ind. He also served as a missionary in the Philippines.
Father Jack is survived by a sister, Tese Neighbor of Seattle, and a brother, Gary Wintz of Marina del Rey, Calif. †