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)
ARVIN, Mary Helen, 90, St. Therese of the Infant Jesus (Little Flower), Indianapolis, Dec. 17. Wife of Norbert Arvin. Mother of Susan Williams, Christopher, Edward, Stephen and Timothy Arvin. Sister of Eileen Arvin. Grandmother of 16. Great-grandmother of 15.
BALSLY, Bettejane, 91, St. Lawrence, Lawrenceburg, Dec. 14. Mother of Susan Fleckenstein, Linda Gredy, Christopher and Lee Strassell. Grandmother of 13. Great-grandmother of 12.
CHAMBERS, Sebrena Gayle, 45, Holy Spirit, Indianapolis, Dec. 9. Wife of Brian Chambers. Mother of Alex and Riley Chambers. Daughter of Danny and Ruth McClure. Sister of Dannette Chavez and Bryan McClure.
COGHILL, Helen D., 98, St. Mark the Evangelist, Indianapolis, Dec. 16. Mother of Timothy Kinnamon. Grandmother of three. Great-grandmother of four.
CUMMINS, Lori L., 38, Prince of Peace, Madison, Dec. 13. Daughter of Larry and Brenda (McCormick) Cummins. Sister of Lana deLong, Lisa Langsford and Brent Cummins.
DOMINIK, Joseph F., 92, St. Ambrose, Seymour, Dec. 13. Husband of Mary Pasyk. Father of Mary Ellen Emch, Claudia, Lygia, Joseph, Martin and Thomas Dominik. Brother of Irene Matz, Ann Radde, John and Father Stanley Dominik. Grandfather of nine. Great-grandfather of seven.
FLUEGEMAN, Janine F., 48, St. Charles Borromeo, Milan, Dec. 12. Daughter of Gilbert Fluegeman. Sister of Chris Denton, Therese Graves, Sharon Mahoney, Doug and Ken Fluegeman.
HAYDEN, James T., 54, St. Matthew the Apostle, Indianapolis, Dec. 8. Husband of Jamie Hayden. Father of Jessica Cook, Julie and Jack Hayden. Son of Gerard Hayden. Brother of Joe and Mark Hayden.
HOEFER, Richard Edmond, 83, St. Vincent de Paul, Bedford, Nov. 13. Husband of Vera Lea Hoefer. Father of Veronica Conte-Clark, Liza Najem and Carla Santos. Grandfather of eight. Great-grandfather of three.
HOLLAND, Mary Ruby, 90, St. Christopher, Indianapolis, Dec. 15. Mother of Joyce Bartley, Harry, Mark and William Holland. Sister of Ida Mae Johnson. Grandmother of eight.
HRVAT, Petar, 51, St. Rose of Lima, Franklin, Dec. 11. Husband of Snjezana Hrvat. Father of Danijel and Denis Hrvat. Brother of Ivanka, Dragomir, Ivo, Juro and Miro Hrvat.
HUTCHINSON, Richard, 84, St. Therese of the Infant Jesus (Little Flower), Indianapolis, Dec. 19. Father of Teresa, Bernard, Charles, David, Dennis, Michael and Patrick Hutchinson. Brother of Alan Green. Grandfather of seven. Great-grandfather of three.
KENTER, Ralph R., 69, SS. Francis and Clare of Assisi, Greenwood, Dec. 2. Husband of Jane Kenter. Father of Amy Shidler. Brother of David and Thomas Kenter. Grandfather of four.
LINDENSCHMIDT, Mary Lou, 82, St. Agnes, Nashville, Dec. 11. Wife of Robert Lindenschmidt. Mother of Ann Littenbach, Bob and John Lindenschmidt. Sister of Richard Keil. Grandmother of five.
LOMBARDO, Theresa Esther, 92, Our Lady of the Greenwood, Greenwood, Dec. 18. Mother of Kathleen Rusler and Michael Lombardo. Sister of Mary Whinery and James McGinnis. Grandmother of five. Step-grandmother of two. Great-grandmother of 11. Step-great-grandmother of five. Great-great-grandmother of three.
MANNING, Jack E., 75, Our Lady of Lourdes, Indianapolis, Dec. 5. Husband of Betty Manning. Father of Kimberly Petry, Laurel Pritt and Craig Manning. Son of Thelma Hardwick. Grandfather of four.
McDERMOTT, Mary Lou, 85, St. Jude, Indianapolis, Dec. 10. Sister of James McDermott.
PEREDO, Dee Ann, 68, Holy Spirit, Indianapolis, Dec. 4. Sister of Ruth Miller, Sharon Rainey, Mary and John Jones.
RAINBOLT, Barbara Carol (Pfeffer), 72, Holy Family, New Albany, Dec. 20. Wife of Paul Rainbolt. Mother of Susan Jeffries, Beth Roberts, Chris and Mark Rainbolt. Grandmother of six. Great-grandmother of four.
RATHKE, Paul A., 79, St. Elizabeth of Hungary, Cambridge City, Dec. 20. Husband of Genevieve Rathke. Father of Kathleen Rogers and Michael Rathke. Grandfather of three. Great-grandfather of one.
RHOADES, Paul E., 76, St. Elizabeth of Hungary, Cambridge City, Dec. 17. Father of Kim Rhoades-Martinez, Cindy, David and Richard Rhoades. Grandfather of eight. Great-grandfather of eight.
RYLE, Shirley Ann, 79, St. Mary, Greensburg, Dec. 11. Mother of Angela Hersley, Cindy Stuhrenburg, Nancy Tower, Bill and John Ryle. Sister of Wilma Hurst. Grandmother of 11. Great-grandmother of six.
SAMALA, Dr. Salvador L., 69, St. Lawrence, Indianapolis, Oct. 23. Husband of Pilar Jose-Samala. Father of Shelia Castillo, Stephanie Ola and Seifred Samala. Brother of Evelyn Canlas. Grandfather of six.
SCHMITT, Edward Lee, 60, St. Lawrence, Indianapolis, Nov. 4. Husband of Therese Schmitt.
SCHMITT, John Robert, 82, St. Mary, New Albany, Dec. 18. Husband of Joyce Schmitt. Father of Anne Alstott, Amy, Karen, Laura, John and Louis Schmitt. Brother of Mary Jeanne Huber and Betty Anne Lenfert. Grandfather of five.
SELL, Marjorie, 81, St. Andrew, Richmond, Dec. 12. Mother of Ann Brooks, Faye Peters, Carol Stemmler, James, John, Mark and Michael Sell. Sister of Lois Berry and Julia Whitesell. Grandmother of 15. Great-grandmother of four.
SHELLEY, Mary, 64, St. Rose of Lima, Franklin, Dec. 14. Mother of Katy Ferguson, Brian, David and Rob Garrigus and Precious Blood Father Jeff Kirch. Sister of Vivian Leach, Dennis and Paul Allen, Theresa and Jamie Ridener. Grandmother of seven.
SIEFKE, Thomas, 79, St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross, Bright, Dec. 8. Husband of Jeanne (Elfers) Siefke. Father of Karen Couch, Michelle McNally, Terri Osborn, Mark and Michael Siefke. Grandfather of 12. Great-grandfather of one.
STILLER, Chester, 87, St. Mary, New Albany, Dec. 15. Husband of Bettie Stiller. Father of Paula Barlow. Brother of Vonda Morgan and Kenneth Stiller. Grandfather of one.
STRUBE, William G., 51, St. Lawrence, Indianapolis, Nov. 3. Brother of Patty Strube-Lyons.
VOGEL, Lisa Margaret, 60, St. Martin of Tours, Martinsville, Dec. 12. Wife of Jerry Vogel. Mother of Catherine Gadberry and Tom Vogel. Sister of Robert Whitcomb. Grandmother of eight.
WICKENS, Virginia, 94, St. Mary, North Vernon, Dec. 13. Sister of Theresa Bruns and Mable Byers.
WILLIAMS, Patricia J., 78, St. Lawrence, Indianapolis, Nov. 16. Mother of Kathyrn Aebly, Karen Black, Keith and Kenneth Williams. Grandmother of 19. Great-grandmother of four.
WINNINGHAM, Sandra Lee, 71, Holy Spirit, Indianapolis, Nov. 25. Wife of John Winningham. Mother of Debbie Zapp, Alan and Steven Winningham.
YEARY, J. Jake, 16, St. Lawrence, Indianapolis, Oct. 26. Son of Laurie Yeary. Brother of Alicia Yeary.
Holy Cross Father James F. Blaes was a native of Indianapolis, a World War II veteran and a priest for 59 years
Holy Cross Father James F. Blaes, a member of the United States Province of Priests and Brothers of the Congregation of Holy Cross, died on Dec. 14, 2014, at Holy Cross House in Notre Dame, Ind. He was 88.
The Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated on Dec. 22 at Sacred Heart Basilica on the campus of the University of Notre Dame. Burial followed at the Holy Cross Community Cemetery.
Father Blaes, a jubilarian of profession of vows and ordination, was born on Sept. 16, 1926, in Indianapolis. He attended St. Joan of Arc School and Cathedral High School, both in Indianapolis, before briefly studying at the University of Notre Dame and then serving in the U.S. Army in World War II.
He entered the Holy Cross order on Aug. 15, 1947, professed first vows on Aug. 16, 1948, and professed final vows on Aug. 16, 1951.
Father Blaes earned a bachelor’s degree at the University of Notre Dame, and received his priestly formation at Holy Cross College in Washington, D.C. He was ordained a priest on June 8, 1955.
In his 59 years of priestly life and ministry, Father Blaes served at the University of Notre Dame and in various schools and parishes in California, Illinois, Indiana and Texas.
In the Archdiocese of Indianapolis, he assisted in the early 1980s at St. Matthew the Apostle and St. John the Evangelist parishes, both in Indianapolis. He also ministered as a chaplain during this period at the former St. Francis Hospital in Beech Grove.
Father Blaes is survived by a sister, Joan B. Clark of The Woodlands, Texas.
Memorial gifts may be sent to the Congregation of Holy Cross, Office of Development, P.O. Box 765, Notre Dame, IN 46556-0765 or at donate.holycrossusa.org. †