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)

ASHCRAFT, David Edward, 48, St. Charles Borromeo, Milan, Jan. 12. Husband of Pamela (Fraasman) Ashcraft. Father of Nichole Phillips, Aften and David Ashcraft. Son of Bob and Marilyn Ashcraft. Brother of Lori Nickell.

BERRY, Barbara, 67, Christ the King, Indianapolis, April 15. Mother of Tammy Jarrett, Bobby and Tiffany Berry. Sister of Marcia Hale and Beatrice Montgomery. Grandmother of seven. Great-grandmother of two.

CERULLI, Savina B., 92, St. Pius X, Indianapolis, April 14. Mother of Loreta Riffle, Alfred and John Ceruli. Grandmother of five. Great-grandmother of three.

CHANCE, Patricia A., 80, St. Charles Borromeo, Bloomington, April 24. Wife of Russell Chance. Mother of John, Harry, Thad and Todd Chance. Grandmother of three. Great-grandmother of one.

COLLINS, Rosemary T., 81, St. Roch, Indianapolis, April 14. Wife of Walton Collins. Mother of Eileen McCormick, Ed, Joe, Mike, Pat and Terry Collins. Sister of Al Long. Grandmother of six. Step-grandmother of three.

DAKIN, Mary Rita (Schafer), 83, St. Lawrence, Indianapolis, April 4. Wife of Richard Dakin. Mother of Alan, Brian, Joseph, Kevin, Leo and Neil Schaefer. Stepmother of Michele Rhodes, Maureen Walton and Matthew Dakin. Grandmother of 16. Great-grandmother of seven. (correction)

DIMMITT, Frederick E., 87, St. Gabriel the Archangel, Indianapolis, April 23. Husband of Annis Dimmitt. Father of Elizabeth Geuss, Annis Hapkiewicz, Frederick, Patrick and Richard Dimmitt. Grandfather of 13. Great-grandfather of three.

FOERDERER, Helen M., 91, St. Pius X, Indianapolis, April 16. Mother of Patricia Brooks and Jane Waldon. Grandmother of four. Great-grandmother of two.

GRITT, Joseph, 81, Holy Name of Jesus, Beech Grove, March 26. Husband of Betty (Brothers) Gritt. Father of Debbie Adams, Jan Trimble and Jack Gritt. Brother of Mary Lashbrook, Regina O’Hara, Joan, David, George, Robert, Tom and William Gritt. Grandfather of nine. Great-grandfather of 14. Great-great-grandfather of one.

HAMMERSMITH, Elinor (Schmidt), 90, St. Mary-of-the-Knobs, Floyds Knobs, April 19. Mother of Loretta Bartley, Ed, Kenneth, Leo and Ronald Schmidt. Sister of Bill Smith. Grandmother of 10. Step-grandmother of three. Great-grandmother of nine. Step-great-grandmother of five.

HEIM, George A., 74, St. Christopher, Indianapolis, April 19. Husband of Katherine Heim. Father of Laurie Eller, Patty Maves, Donna Sperring, Chrissie Wolfe, Dale, Mark and Michael Heim. Brother of Barbara Bachaus and Robert Heim. Grandfather of 19. Great-grandfather of one.

HOWLEY, Mary, 67, Prince of Peace, Madison, April 11. Sister of Charles and Thomas Howley. Aunt of several.

HUME, Edna Barbara, 89, St. Charles Borromeo, Milan, Feb. 24. Mother of Karen Hyser and Robert Knop. Sister of Thomas Underwood. Grandmother of one.

JACOB, Leo, 72, St. Joseph, St. Leon, April 16. Husband of Bertie Jacob. Father of Theresa and Gary Jacob. Grandfather of seven.

KIRCH, Irvin J., 85, St. Roch, Indianapolis, April 10. Husband of Mildred Kirch. Father of Sandy McAllister, Cindy Winters, Julie, James, Robert and Timothy Kirch. Brother of Jeanette Brooks and Mary Gallagher. Grandfather of five.

KOLLROS, Bernice E. (Tellman), 88, St. Mary-of-the-Knobs, Floyds Knobs, April 18. Mother of June Poliseno and Mary Ann Kollros. Grandmother of two.

LaDUKE, Patricia R., 80, Our Lady of Perpetual Help, New Albany, April 12. Mother of Brenda Hostetler and Phyllis McClanahan. Sister of Mary Jane Atkins, Don and James Wiseman. Grandmother of four. Great-grandmother of nine.

McGLOTHLIN, Edward, 86, St. Joseph, St. Leon, April 18. Husband of Jean McGlothlin. Father of James McGlothlin.

OLLIER, Bernetta M., 94, St. Louis, Batesville, April 27. Mother of Audrey Blandford, Donna Delfendahl, Marilyn Distler, Rita Glassley, Ann Klein, Beth Meyer, Sheila Roell, David, Gerald and Kenneth Ollier. Sister of Emanuel Dierckman. Grandmother of 38. Great-grandmother of 40.

PUNTARELLI, Salvatore J., Sr., 81, Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary, Indianapolis, April 22. Husband of Joan (Pierle) Puntarelli. Father of Tracy Ardizzone, Salvatore and Timothy Puntarelli. Brother of JoAnn Guerrini and Tony Puntarelli. Grandfather of nine.

SELLE, Mary Florence, 82, Christ the King, Indianapolis, April 17. Mother of Andrea Cline, Annette Green and Scott Selle. Grandmother of five. Great-grandmother of three.

Providence Sister Donna O’Neill was a teacher and principal

Providence Sister Donna O’Neill, the former Sister Laurence Therese, died on April 22 at Mother Theodore Hall at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods. She was 78.

The Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated on April 27 at the Church of the Immaculate Conception at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods. Burial followed at the sisters’ cemetery.

Donna Joan O’Neill was born on May 11, 1930, in Chicago.

She entered the congregation of the Sisters of Providence on July 22, 1948, and professed first vows on Jan. 23, 1951, and final vows on Jan. 23, 1956.

Sister Donna earned a bachelor’s degree in education at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College and a master’s degree in education at Marygrove College in Detroit.

During 60 years as a Sister of Providence, she ministered in education for 43 years at Catholic schools in Indiana, Illinois, North Carolina and Texas. For 11 years, she served as a principal.

In the archdiocese, Sister Donna taught at the former St. Joseph School in Indianapolis from 1953-54 and St. Joan of Arc School in Indianapolis from 1954-55.

She served as director of Providence Hall at the motherhouse from 1994 until 2001. She also served the congregation in other ways before beginning her full-time ministry of prayer with the senior sisters in 2004.

Surviving are several nephews and cousins.

Memorial gifts may be sent to the Sisters of Providence, 1 Sisters of Providence, Saint Mary-of-the-Woods, St. Mary-of-the-Woods, IN 47876. †