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)
BIEHLE, E. Christena, 89, St. Mary, North Vernon, June 22. Mother of Marilyn Beesley, Doris Boas, Patty Cook, Janet St. John, Joe and Mike Biehle. Stepmother of Steven and Tom Low. Grandmother of 15. Great-grandmother of 23.
BINGHAM, Barton Eugene, 51, Sacred Heart of Jesus, Terre Haute, June 4. Father of Briana Bingham. Son of Jude Ann Bingham. Brother of M. Bret Bingham.
BONHAM, Nedra Jayne, 52, St. Bartholomew, Columbus, June 23. Wife of Michael Bonham. Mother of Alison and Brandon Bonham. Sister of Margo Lewis and Tony Januseski.
DeLUCIO, John, 80, St. Mary, Richmond, June 18. Husband of Ruth DeLucio. Father of Sandra Abrams, Brenda Kurtz, Norma Maule, Debbie Petitt, Johna Silcott and Mike DeLucio. Brother of Antoinette Norman, Virginia Perri, Phyllis Shepherd, Lorene Stallings, Paul, Raymond and Robert DeLucio. Grandfather of 14. Great-grandfather of 17.
DIETZ, Agnes M., 88, St. Louis, Batesville, June 24. Mother of Mary, Dennis, Roger, Ron, Thomas and Tim Dietz. Grandmother of seven. Step-grandmother of two. Step-great-grandmother of one.
ENZINGER, Virginia M., 85, St. Louis, Batesville, June 27. Wife of Paul Enzinger Sr. Mother of Barbara Koester, Constance Munchel, Lawrence and Paul Enzinger Jr. Sister of Alberta Giltz and Dolores Spritzky. Grandmother of eight. Great-grandmother of 12.
HARPER, Corey Michael, 21, Our Lady of Perpetual Help, New Albany, June 19. Son of Michael Harper and Elizabeth Turner. Brother of April Munich, James Luttrell, Lauren and Branden Harper. Grandson of Loyd and Janet Harper and Kenneth and Janet Paris.
HENRY, Gary Lee, 68, Mary, Queen of Peace, Danville, June 15. Husband of Tricia (Rice) Henry. Father of David Downs. Brother of Cheryl Bond and Lisa Elliott. Grandfather of one.
HINER, Shirley A., 71, St. Bartholomew, Columbus, June 23. Mother of Barbara Kurtz and Lori Vogt. Sister of John Kati. Grandmother of six.
KILLIGREW, Irene G., 89, St. Michael the Archangel, Indianapolis, June 26. Mother of Kathy Hoya, Marla, Kevin and Robert Killigrew. Sister of Ethel Phillips, Elaine Ryan, Alan, Donald, Norman and Robert Govert. Grandmother of 11. Great-grandmother of eight.
MERCHANT, Jennifer L., 32, St. Malachy, Brownsburg, June 20. Wife of Jeffrey Merchant Jr. Mother of Oliver Merchant. Daughter of Linda Weldon. Sister of Gabrielle Draper.
MESSER, Martha Ellen, 79, St. Rita, Indianapolis, June 22. Mother of Kathy Chaney, Selina Thomas, Anita, Patricia, Shannon, Sydney, Christopher, Gregory, Mark and Paul Messer. Sister of Dorothy Lewis, Elinor Phillips, Mable Smith, Catherine Snow, Joseph and Lincoln Wright.
RUTHERFORD, Helen M., 81, St. Michael, Cannelton, June 28. Aunt of several.
TURNER, Fontaine S., 93, Christ the King, Indianapolis, April 27. Father of Kerrie Zoeller, Pamela and Fontaine Turner Jr. Grandfather of four.
Benedictine Sister Mary Henry Schiff served as a teacher and receptionist
Benedictine Sister Mary Henry Schiff, formerly Sister Gertrude Madeline, a founding member of Our Lady of Grace Monastery in Beech Grove, died on May 18 at St. Paul Hermitage in Beech Grove. She was 94.
The Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated on May 21 at Our Lady of Grace Monastery Chapel. Burial followed at the sisters’ cemetery.
Sister Mary Henry was born in 1915 in Johnson City, Ill. She entered the Monastery Immaculate Conception in Ferdinand, Ind., now in the Evansville Diocese, in 1930 and made her perpetual monastic profession in 1937.
Sister Mary Henry earned a bachelor’s degree in education at the former St. Benedict College in Ferdinand and a master’s degree in education at St. Francis College in Fort Wayne, Ind.
In 1934, she began teaching at Catholic schools in the Archdiocese of Indianapolis and the Diocese of Evansville.
In 1981, after 47 years of teaching, Sister Mary Henry served as the receptionist and secretary at St. Anthony of Padua Parish in Clarksville for three years.
From 1984-93, Sister Mary Henry ministered at St. Paul Hermitage in Beech Grove.
She retired to Our Lady of Grace Monastery in 1994, and also served as a receptionist for the monastery.
Surviving are two sisters, Madeline Fletchall of Poseyville, Ind., and Pauline Nelson of Muskegon, Mich., as well as several nieces and nephews.
Memorial gifts may be sent to the Sisters of St. Benedict Retirement Fund, Our Lady of Grace Monastery, 1402 Southern Ave., Beech Grove, IN 46107. †