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)
ARNOLD, Edna Catherine (Daufel), 83, Holy Name, Beech Grove, May 29. Wife of Harold J. Arnold. Mother of Marcia Kirk, Cynthia Rentsch, David and Richard Arnold. Sister of Mary Louise Brown and Dr. George Daufel. Grandmother of nine. Great-grandmother of six.
BLAND, Sara, 95, Sacred Heart, Clinton, May 15. Mother of Mary Strickland and Andrew Adler. Sister of George Phillips. Grandmother of four. Great-grandmother of three.
BUSH, Scott Bradley, 29, St. Mark, Indianapolis, May 19. Son of Ralph and Penny Bush. Brother of Alican Parmley, Ben and Joshua Bush. Grandson of Boyd and Ann Middleton.
CORD, Richard A., 56, St. Joseph, Shelbyville, May 24. Father of Naomi Cord. Son of Edward Cord. Brother of Dee Stader and Robert Cord.
CORY, Loretta, 96, St. Lawrence, Indianapolis, May 20. Mother of Ellen Heath and Don Cory. Grandmother of four. Great-grandmother of five.
GARCIA, Hernando, 69, St. Matthew, Indianapolis, May 13. Husband of Alicia Garcia. Father of Susie Misa, Alicia Paul, Patti and Harold Garcia. Brother of Pacho Vega. Grandfather of 10.
GETTELFINGER, Henry Carl, 86, Our Lady of Perpetual Help, New Albany, May 22. Husband of Elizabeth Gettelfinger. Father of Karen Book and Steve Gettelfinger. Brother of Kenneth and Howard Gettelfinger. Grandfather of five.
GOSCH, Gary D., 61, St. Joseph, Shelbyville, May 22. Husband of Cheryl L. (Goble) Gosch. Father of Deborah Hurd and Melody Parsons. Brother of Joseph Gosch. Grandfather of two.
HAGAN, Don, 77, Our Lady of the Greenwood, Greenwood, May 28. Husband of Joann (Fyffe) Hagan. Father of Diane O’Connor, Dave, Kevin and Pat Hagan. Grandfather of five.
HERBST, John H., 87, St. Augustine, Jeffersonville, May 20. Husband of Jeanette (Yeager) Herbst. Father of Lin Gross, Deana Hester, Nancy Wright and Jim Yeager. Brother of Rosalie Jeffers, Helen Kraft, Josephine Schroder and William Herbst. Grandfather of five. Great-grandfather of five.
KASSE, Mary E., 85, Our Lady of Perpetual Help, New Albany, May 20. Mother of Patricia Cade, Mary Jo Schneider and Charles Kasse. Sister of Catherine Hadley and Carl Schindler. Grandmother of eight. Great-grandmother of 11.
LOPEZ, Jesse T., 85, Prince of Peace, Madison, May 17. Husband of Carolyn Lopez. Father of Suzanne Barnes, Dick, Jeff and Jerry Lopez. Stepfather of Cindy Hutcherson and Ray Schafer. Brother of Frank Lopez. Grandfather of nine. Great-grandfather of three.
MAUDLIN, Barbara S., 55, St. Mary, Greensburg, May 23. Daughter of Howard and Margaret Maudlin. Sister of Diane Jacobs.
McLAUGHLIN, Charles Allen, 78, St. Lawrence, Indianapolis, May 27. Husband of Ann McLaughlin. Father of Charles and Jeffrey McLaughlin. Brother of Robert McLaughlin. Grandfather of eight. Great-grandfather of one.
McNALLY, Jenny Lou, 61, St. Gabriel, Connersville, May 23. Mother of Christine Whipple, Darrin and Troy Wilson. Stepmother of Sandy McDonald, Mary Porter, Linda Pritchard and Howard McNally. Daughter of James Park. Sister of Sue Felts. Grandmother of six. Step-grandmother of eight.
McQUEEN, Robert D., Sr., 74, St. Roch, Indianapolis, May 26. Husband of Patricia A. (Bickers) McQueen. Father of Nancy Butler, Carolyn Sharp, Patricia, Donald, John, Larry and Robert McQueen Jr. Brother of Paul McQueen. Grandfather of 18. Great-grandfather of 10.
MUSSIO, Gary M., 49, St. Jude, Indianapolis, May 30. Son of Victor and Marian (Guerrini) Mussio. Brother of Debra Duke and Vicki Teverbaugh.
SERMON, Edgar M., Sr., 80, St. Augustine, Jeffersonville, May 22. Husband of Joyce (Osborne) Sermon. Father of Rosie Adams, Carol Cox, Beverly Ellis, Edgar Jr., James and Robert Sermon. Brother of Peggy Frazee, Martha Richardson and Marvin Sermon. Grandfather to several. Great-grandfather of several.
STANLEY, Milton, 80, St. Vincent de Paul, Bedford, May 26. Father of Gregory and Stephen Stanley. Brother of Mary Peters and Lima Spencer. Grandfather of five. Great-grandfather of two.
STRAHL-HILL, Laverne (Huffman), 82, Holy Family, New Albany, May 5. Mother of Carl and Ray Strahl. Sister of Ellen Tyler. Grandmother of three. Great-grandmother of one.
TEBBE, Melvin A., 77, Holy Guardian Angels, Cedar Grove, May 21. Husband of Beverly (Sherwood) Tebbe. Father of Debra Beck, Brian, Jeffery and Scott Tebbe. Brother of Pat Deaton, Lee Propes, Laverne Sauerland, Glenn, Keith, Merle and Virgil Tebbe. Grandfather of 11.
VERNON, Mary Ann, 71, Prince of Peace, Madison, May 23. Wife of Estel Vernon. Mother of Michael Vernon. Sister of Emmett Kelley. Grandmother of two.
WESLING, Rudolph, 76, St. Mary, Rushville, May 28. Husband of Virginia R. (Bright) Wesling. Father of Donna Miller, John, Joseph and Rudy Wesling. Brother of Catherine, Josephine and Fred Wesling. Grandfather of 10.
Providence Sister Michael Therese Elliott
served as a teacher, principal for 48 years
Providence Sister Michael Therese Elliott died on May 21 at Mother Theodore Hall at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods. She was 78.
The Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated on May 24 at the Church of the Immaculate Conception. Burial followed at the sisters’ cemetery.
The former Eileen Ruth Elliott was born on Dec. 25, 1927, in Medford, Mass.
She entered the congregation of the Sisters of Providence on Feb. 11, 1946, professed first vows on Aug. 15, 1948, and professed final vows on Aug. 15, 1953.
Sister Michael Therese taught and served as principal at schools staffed by the Sisters of Providence in Indiana, Illinois, Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Maryland.
During 60 years as a sister, she ministered as a grade school teacher or principal for 48 years.
In the archdiocese, Sister Michael Therese taught at the former St. Ann School in Terre Haute from 1952-53 and served as principal there from 1964-71. She also taught at St. Simon School in Indianapolis from 1963-64.
In 2003, Sister Michael Therese returned to the motherhouse to help with residential services. She retired in 2006 and participated in the sisters’ prayer ministry.
Surviving are two sisters, Constance Kelly of Highlands Ranch, Colo., and Doris Davis of Peabody, Mass.; and a brother, Thomas Elliott of Chesterfield, Va.
Memorial gifts may be sent to the Sisters of Providence, Saint Mary-of-the-Woods, St. Mary-of-the-Woods, IN 47876.
Benedictine Sister Mary Ethel Busam
taught grade school, religious education
Benedictine Sister Mary Ethel Busam, a native of Cannelton and member of Monastery Immaculate Conception in Ferdinand, Ind., in the Evansville Diocese, died on May 14 at the monastery. She was 83.
The Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated on May 17. Burial followed at the sisters’ cemetery.
She was born on May 26, 1922, in Cannelton, and entered the Sisters of St. Benedict from St. Michael Parish in Cannelton in 1938. She made her first profession of vows in 1940 and her final profession of vows in 1943.
Sister Mary Ethel taught at Catholic schools in Celestine, Ind.; Dubois, Ind.; Ferdinand, Ind.; and Mariah Hill, Ind., all in the Evansville Diocese.
She also served as director of initial formation, ongoing formation and liturgy at the monastery.
Sister Mary Ethel taught religious education classes at Fort Branch, Ind.; Haubstadt, Ind.; and Poseyville, Ind., all in the Evansville Diocese.
She also served as director of religious education at St. Paul Parish in Tell City, St. Pius V Parish in Troy and St. Michael Parish in Cannelton.
Sister Mary Ethel also coordinated religious education classes at St. Benedict Parish in Evansville, Ind.; St. Nicholas Parish in Santa Claus, Ind.; St. Mark Parish in Perry County and St. Augustine Parish in Leopold.
Surviving are several nieces and nephews.
Contributions in memory of Sister Mary Ethel may be made to the Sisters of St. Benedict, 802 E. 10th St., Ferdinand, IN 47532. †