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)

ACHGILL, Colin J., 19, St. Matthew the Apostle, Indianapolis, March 23. Son of Dennis and Helene Achgill. Brother of Eleanor, Isabelle, Madeleine, Christian and Nathaniel Achgill. Grandson of Jim and Lucy Achgill and Carl and Betty Meyer.

BACKHERMS, Melvin Norman, 76, St. Mary of the Assumption, Mitchell, April 16. Husband of Nita Kay Backherms. Father of Cindy Farmer, Suzie Sehr and Michael Backherms. Brother of Dennis and Laurel Backherms. Grandfather of two.

BITTNER, Alvin, 79, All Saints, Dearborn County, April 10. Husband of Mary Bittner. Father of Joan and Mark Bittner. Brother of Martena Kuebel and Irvin Bittner.

BLACKWELL, Jay D., Sr., 73, St. Mary of the Assumption, Mitchell, April 11. Husband of Victoria Gale Blackwell. Father of Emmett, Jay, Paul and Randall Blackwell. Brother of Donald, Phillip and Richard Blackwell. Grandfather of eight. Great-grandfather of two.

BROWN, Catherine (White), 94, St. Meinrad, St. Meinrad, April 20. Mother of Benedictine Brother Benjamin, James and John Brown VI. Grandmother of 12. Great-grandmother of 13. Great-great-grandmother of one.

CIACCIO, Vita, 84, St. Barnabas, Indianapolis, April 20. Brother of Stephen Ciaccio.

CONNERLEY, Donald L., 76, St. Mary of the Assumption, Mitchell, March 14. Father of Maggi Snack, Bradly, Brian, Brett and Donald Connerley. Grandfather of eight.

DAVIS, Patricia, 88, Christ the King, Indianapolis, April 12. Wife of Walter Davis. Mother of Janet Espiritu, Christine Welcher and Thomas Davis. Grandmother of three. Great-grandmother of six.

DUCHENE, Norma Jean, 87, Sacred Heart, Clinton, April 21. Mother of Rose Shew and Paul Duchene. Grandmother of six. Great-grandmother of one.

GRANECKI, Stanley, 98, St. Mary of the Assumption, Mitchell, March 17. Father of Joe Granecki. Grandfather of one.

HERMAN, Allan, 81, Holy Family, New Albany, April 23. Husband of Dorothy Herman. Father of Mark and Steve Herman. Grandfather of eight. Great-grandfather of four.

HIPSKIND, Margaret, 94, Christ the King, Indianapolis, April 23. Sister of Marie Herbert.

JONES, Joseph, 95, St. Bridget, Liberty, April 12. Husband of Martha Jones. Father of Charles and James Jones. Grandfather of seven. Great-grandfather of eight.

LEUSING, Rita Josephine, 88, St. Patrick, Terre Haute, April 17. Sister of Joan Keelor, Ruth Rice and Margaret Leusing.

LINK, David M., 49, St. Pius X, Indianapolis, April 22. Husband of Elizabeth Link. Father of Alexandra, Grant, Jack and Will Link. Son of Michael and Nancy Link. Brother of Diann Smith, Doug, Michael and Tom Link. Grandson of William and Mary Alice Wayland.

LIPHARDT, Marcia May (Cooprider), 70, Mary, Queen of Peace, Danville, April 21. Wife of John Liphardt Sr. Mother of Barbara, John Jr. and Kurt Liphardt. Sister of Linda Tekulve, Carol Williams and Edmund Cooprider.

MENNEL, Joseph, 87, St. Barnabas, Indianapolis, April 24. Husband of Barbara Mennel. Father of Jane Brenton, Dawn Knapp, Tina McNulty, Susan Rolfsen, Stacia Safranek, Nancy Sauer, Christopher, Daniel, David, James, Joe Jr. and Kenneth Mennel. Brother of Mary Jane Berger and George Mennel. Grandfather of 35. Great-grandfather of 34.

MORAN, James F., 91, St. Pius X, Indianapolis, April 21. Father of Anna Moran Pfeifer, Maureen Moran Sullivan, John and Patrick Moran. Grandfather of nine. Great-grandfather of two.

NAUGHTON, John W., 48, St. Therese of the Infant Jesus (Little Flower), Indianapolis, April 18. Son of Ellen Cronin. Brother of Karen Branson, Anne Burns, Maureen Carr, Kathryn Forestal, Jean Greiner, Susan Lienhop, Joseph and Patrick Naughton.

NIESE, Carol, 69, All Saints, Dearborn County, April 5. Wife of Dennis Niese. Mother of Linda Yost, Cindy, Michael and Paul Niese. Sister of Linda Auel, Ann Reisman, Patricia Schuman, Franciscan Sister Rose Marie, Russell, Tom and Vernon McCann. Grandmother of three.

OLIVEIRA, Mary Elizabeth, 87, Annunciation, Brazil, March 21. Mother of Bob Oliveira. Sister of Thelma Shewmaker and Bill Danhour. Grandmother of three. Great-grandmother of five.

REED, Robert D., 85, St. Joseph, Shelbyville, April 23. Father of Charles and Morris Reed. Grandfather of six.

ROMERO, Trinidad M., 91, American Martyrs, Scottsburg, March 13. Mother of Soledad Barclay, Ramona Barger, Lupe Brunner, Janie Clouse, Rita Fields, Rosie, Armando, Rene, Ricardo and Rosendo Romero. Sister of Rebecca Rocha and Ramon Camarillo. Grandmother of 28. Great-grandmother of 43. Great-great-grandmother of seven.

SLOAN, Zachary W., 20, St. Mathew the Apostle, Indianapolis, April 7. Son of John and Kathy (Schalk) Sloan. Brother of Samantha Sloan.

SPALDING, Carl Thomas, 66, American Martyrs, Scottsburg, April 19. Husband of Gloria (Stroud) Spalding. Father of Frances Long and Beverly Newcomb. Son of Aliene (Akers) Spalding. Brother of Betty Atcher, Marilyn Currier, Shirley Richmere, Bob, George and Pat Spalding. Grandfather of five.

TENNYSON, Raymond J., 59, St. Joseph, Shelbyville, April 22. Brother of Ann Maria Seldomright and Robert Tennyson.

VOGELGESANG, Willard, 84, All Saints, Dearborn County, April 3. Husband of Julene Vogelgesang. Father of Vicki Clark, Amanda Cox and Nick Vogelgesang. Brother of Ruth McCool and Millie Simmermeyer. Grandfather of nine. Great-grandfather of 11.

WHITE, James R., Sr., 75, Annunciation, Brazil, March 25. Husband of Susan (Lawson) White. Father of Cara Ann, Brad and James White. Brother of Barbara Philabaum and Herschel White. Grandfather of three.

Providence Sister Luke Crawford ministered in education, communications and public relations

Providence Sister Luke Crawford died on April 25, 2014, at Union Hospital in Terre Haute. She was 88.

The Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated on April 29 at the Church of the Immaculate Conception at the motherhouse. Burial followed at the sisters’ cemetery.

Kathryn Ann Crawford was born on Nov. 6, 1925, in Terre Haute.

She entered the Sisters of Providence of Saint Mary-of-the-Woods on July 22, 1948, and professed final vows on Jan. 23, 1956.

Sister Luke earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College and a master’s degree in English at the University of Notre Dame.

During 65 years as a Sister of Providence, Sister Luke ministered for 22 years in education in schools in Illinois, Indiana and Washington, D.C. In 1977, she was elected to leadership in the order, in which she served for seven years. Sister Luke then ministered in communications and public relations in Florida and Indiana, and for 14 years in various ministries at St. Michael the Archangel Parish in Sarasota, Fla. In 2008, she returned to the motherhouse where she ministered in a variety of ways. In 2012, she dedicated herself entirely to prayer.

In the archdiocese, Sister Luke ministered at St. Philip Neri School in Indianapolis in 1956 and at Our Lady of Providence Jr./Sr. High School in Clarksville from 1965-66. She also ministered in campus ministry at Indiana University in Bloomington from 1968-70, at Our Lady of Fatima Retreat House from 1975-77 and at the Indiana Catholic Conference from 1984-85.

Sister Luke is survived by nieces and nephews.

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. †