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)

BATTA, Arnold F., 79, St. Peter, Brookville, Nov. 8. Brother of Florence Heindrich, Dolores Hoffbauer, Annabelle Suttmiller, Leona Weiler, Viola Westrich and Ben Batta. Uncle of several.

BRUNS, Lester B., 77, St. Louis, Batesville, Nov. 7. Husband of Viola (Horstman) Bruns. Brother of Mildred Gehring and Jean Simmermeyer.

CASEY, Corinne A. (Denari), 80, St. Lawrence, Indianapolis, Nov. 7. Wife of Robert Casey. Mother of Catherine Dishroom, Diane Sare, Robert Jr. and Stephen Casey. Sister of Edward, Eugene and Robert Denari. Grandmother of nine.

CRAIG, Marjorie B., 91, Our Lady of the Greenwood, Greenwood, Oct. 21. Mother of Marjorie Bezaury, Patricia Crooks, Virginia Gholdson, Martha Lennon, David and Irvin Craig Jr. Grandmother of seven. Great-grandmother of seven.

DeJULIA, Margaret (Osborne), 72, St. Lawrence, Lawrenceburg, Nov. 3. Wife of Joseph DeJulia. Mother of Martin, Michael and Patrick DeJulia. Sister of Betty Preston, Frances Stines, Virginia and William Osborne.

DYER, John Albert, 88, St. Bartholomew, Columbus, Nov. 7. Husband of Frances (Rayman) Dyer. Brother of Michael Dyer.

FOWL, Mary, 83, Holy Family, Richmond, Nov. 6. Mother of Debbie Ferguson, Judy Toney, Eddie and Greg Fowl. Stepmother of Jan Miller and Joe Fowl. Sister of Ruth Kurtz and Mike Marsio. Grandmother of 15. Great-grandmother of eight.

HANLEY, John E., 84, Christ the King, Indianapolis, Oct. 28. Husband of Marie Hanley. Father of John II and Michael Hanley. Brother of Helen Smith. Grandfather of seven.

HAYES, Howard Paul, 62, St. Francis Xavier, Henryville, Oct. 26. Husband of Betty Hayes. Father of Tony Lewis and Connie Mull. Grandfather of six. Great-grandfather of two.

JANSEN, David Lee, 53, St. Roch, Indianapolis, Nov. 11. Husband of Ann (Stumpf) Jansen. Father of Elizabeth, Kristina, Rebecca, Bailey and David Jansen. Son of Ralph Jansen. Brother of Mary Ann Arnold, Jerry, Jim, Joe, John and Paul Jansen. Grandfather of four.

JENDREK, Estelle C., 96, St. Vincent de Paul, Bedford, Nov. 11. Mother of John Jendrek. Sister of Mildred Reinsfelder. Grandmother of one. Great-grandmother of two. Great-great-grandmother of one.

KING, Barbara, 61, St. Mary, Navilleton, Oct. 22. Wife of Jim King. Mother of Jill Esterle and Andrea Hausz. Daughter of Norma Burton. Sister of Marcia Adams, Dwayne and Tom Burton. Grandmother of five.

KLUEMPER, Mary Elizabeth, 85, Holy Family, Oldenburg, Nov. 7. Aunt of several.

LaMAR, Lanora, 84, St. Mark, Perry County, Nov. 7. Mother of Anna, Joseph, Kevin, Patrick and Stephen LaMar. Sister of Agnes Connor, Donna Parker and Anthony Bruggeman. Grandmother of seven. Great-grandmother of several.

LIONETTI, Joseph Richard, 95, Prince of Peace, Madison, Nov. 5. Father of Mary Horton, Theresa Rubeo, Joseph and Ralph Lionetti. Grandfather of 12. Great-grandfather of 21.

McDONALD, Francis X., 85, St. Michael the Archangel, Indianapolis, Nov. 2. Husband of Joan (Mannos) McDonald. Father of Blaise Giannamore, Jeanne Milan, Patricia Radick, Christopher Sells, Christine Tilly, Kathleen White, Michael and Timothy McDonald. Brother of Joan Dunlap and Beulah McDonald. Grandfather of 17. Great-grandfather of one.

SANDLER, Rose M., 83, Good Shepherd, Indianapolis, Nov. 3. Mother of Cynthia Ford, Mary Glynn, Paul, Stephen and William Sandler. Sister of Margaret Martin. Grandmother of nine. Great-grandmother of nine.

SCHLINK, John J., 48, Holy Spirit, Indianapolis, Nov. 2. Brother of Ann Schlink.

SERCER, Ivan J., 96, St. Christopher, Indianapolis, Nov. 2. Father of Mary Shepherd, Annie Urick, Yolanda Young and John Sercer. Grandfather of 14. Great-grandfather of 13.

SPALDING, Bernice A., 82, St. Mark the Evangelist, Indianapolis, Nov. 10. Mother of Jerry, Jim and Joseph Spalding. Sister of Herbert Darrah.

Providence Sister Mary Julia Cummings taught for 48 years

Providence Sister Mary Julia Cummings died on Oct. 28 at Mother Theodore Hall at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods. She was 87.

The Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated on Nov. 3 at the Church of the Immaculate Conception at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods. Burial followed at the sisters’ cemetery at the motherhouse.

The former Wilma Jane Cummings was born on Feb. 3, 1922, in New Albany.

She entered the congregation of the Sisters of Providence on Jan. 5, 1939, professed first vows on Aug. 15, 1941, and professed final vows on Aug. 15, 1947.

Sister Mary Julia earned a bachelor’s degree in education at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College, a master’s degree in education administration at Indiana State University in Terre Haute, and a master’s degree in religious education at Spalding University in Louisville.

During 70 years as a Sister of Providence, she ministered as a teacher for 48 years at Catholic schools in Indiana, Illinois and Oklahoma.

In the archdiocese, she taught at the former St. Ann School in Terre Haute from 1944-47 and served as principal at the former St. Margaret Mary School in Terre Haute from 1962-68.

Sister Mary Julia also taught at St. Paul School in Sellersburg from 1968-69, St. Charles Borromeo School in Bloomington from 1969-71 and Central Catholic School in Indianapolis from 1971-77.

She served on the pastoral team at St. Bartholomew Parish in Columbus from 1977-78 and as director of religious education at St. Mary Parish in Navilleton from 1979-80.

In 1998, Sister Mary Julia retired to the motherhouse, where she volunteered for the congregation.

In 2006, she began her prayer ministry full-time with the senior sisters.

Surviving are a sister, Providence Sister Mary Pat Cummings, and two brothers, Bill Cummings of Las Vegas and Joe Cummings of Louisville.

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