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)
ANDRES, Irvin E., Sr., 88, St. Mary-of-the-Knobs, Floyd County, Aug. 6. Husband of Norma Andres. Father of Kathy, Irvin, Jr., Mark and William Andres. Brother of Agnes Book. Grandfather of eight. Great-grandfather of three.
ANGER, Robert W., 79, Prince of Peace, Madison, Aug. 4. Husband of Ilene Anger. Father of Linda Allanson, Sharon Atkinson and Debbie Snodgrass. Grandfather of seven. Great-grandfather of four.
BEESON, Kathleen, 70, Holy Trinity, Edinburgh, July 25. Wife of James Beeson. Mother of Bernadette Ball, Lucia Garber, Mary Catherine Schober, Rita Stuck, David, Dominic, Gregory, John-Paul, Joseph, Michael, Patrick, Phillip, Stephen and Thomas Beeson. Sister of Marjorie Bostick, Mary Lou Hinderliter, Patricia Lamperski, Joan Lutgring, Judith Parrett, Anne and Jean Schoettle, Teresa Smith, James, Larry and Robert Buckel. Grandmother of 37.
BEYER, James J., 93, St. Vincent de Paul, Shelby County, August 1. Father of Pam Hamilton, Anthony, Nicholas and Stephen Beyer. Brother of Barbara Abel, Mildred Brinson and Lillian White. Grandfather of eight. Step-grandfather of two. Great-grandfather of 12. Step‑great-grandfather of one.
BLACK, Brittany (Kelly), 30, All Saints, Dearborn County, July 28. Wife of Kyle Black. Daughter of Matt Kelly and Teresa Taylor. Sister of Ashley Kelly and Kara Tidler. Granddaughter of Otto and Paulette Kelly and William and Marietta Niederbaumer. Aunt of several.
DIAS CASTELINO, Dionysia M., 92, St. Monica, Indianapolis, Aug. 6. Mother of Dr. Philomena Dias, Nancy Dias-Vaz, Dr. Ronald and Dr. Wenceslaus Dias. Sister of William Castelino. Grandmother of eight. Great‑grandmother of two.
DESAUTELS, Joseph S., 86, St. Joan of Arc, Indianapolis, July 5. Father of Margaret Meyer, Diane, Kathleen, Mary Beth, Joseph and Michael Desautels. Brother of Marianne Mahaffey, Providence Sister Kathleen and Robert Desautels. Grandfather of six.
DIXON, James, 84, St. Therese of the Infant Jesus (Little Flower), Indianapolis, Aug. 3. Father of Elizabeth Brydon, Mary Lacy, Barbara Saunders and Mike Dixon. Brother of Ethel Turner. Grandfather of eight. Great‑grandfather of 13.
HOGAN, Robert F., 77, Sacred Heart of Jesus, Indianapolis, July 13. Uncle of several.
LAWRIE, Douglas S., 74, St. Jude, Indianapolis, Aug. 4. Husband of Karen Lawrie. Father of Jeanne Farah, Joe, Judd and Stan Lawrie. Brother of Katherine Delp, Chris, Jeff and John Lawrie II. Grandfather of 20.
MARUSAK, Bette A. (Roycroft), 88, St. Vincent de Paul, Bedford, Aug. 1. Mother of Rose Ann Brenner, Kathy McCoy, Marie Pearson, Daniel, David, James and Mark Marusak. Sister of Shirley Jankowski. Grandmother of 18. Great‑grandmother of 12.
O’CONNOR, Virginia M., 83, Nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, Indianapolis, Aug. 5. Mother of Patricia Bates, Karen Forshee, Becky Hawkins, Mary Hedrick, Nancy Ochoa, Linda Wingfield and James O’Connor IV. Sister of Franciscan Sister Marlita Lorenz. Grandmother of 18. Great-grandmother of seven.
ROBERTS, Martha, 94, Our Lady of Perpetual Help, New Albany, July 30. Mother of Missy Popp, Michelle Portwood, Byron, Jeffrey, Michael, Patrick and Stephen Roberts. Grandmother of 22. Great-grandmother of 38.
SCHEICH, Gerald J., 69, St. Therese of the Infant Jesus (Little Flower), Indianapolis, April 15. Husband of Colleen Scheich. Father of Melissa Cross, Amy Sprouse, Chris and Peter Scheich. Brother of Joseph Scheich. Grandfather of seven.
SERGI, Joseph T., 90, Nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, Indianapolis, Aug. 3. Husband of Roseanne Sergi. Father of Linda Melton, Joanne, Paul, Phil and Steve Sergi. Brother of Maria Lorenzano and Michael Sergi. Grandfather of nine. Great-grandfather of three.
WALMSLEY, Rachel J., 36, St. Louis, Batesville, July 30. Wife of Nathaniel Walmsley. Mother of Leigh, Tess, Samson and Wilson Walmsley. Daughter of Dan Little and Susan Burkhart. Sister of Gretchen and Hunter Little, Kate and Garrett Burkhart, Eddie Fabrick, Drew, Shane and Troy Padilla.
Conventual Franciscan Father Simon Sauer served as missionary in southern Africa
Conventual Franciscan Father Simon Sauer died on Aug. 7 in New Albany. He was 87.
The Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated on August 10 at the chapel of the Conventual Franciscans at Mount St. Francis. Burial followed in the friars’ cemetery.
David Anthony Sauer was born on Feb. 5, 1930, in Louisville, Ky. He entered the Conventual Franciscans’ Our Lady of Consolation Province, based at Mount St. Francis, on July 4, 1950, professed simple vows on July 6, 1951, and solemn vows on July 8, 1954.
After six years of priestly formation at the former Assumption Seminary in Chaska, Minn., Father Simon was ordained a priest on June 1, 1957, in St. Paul, Minn.
After serving for two years in parish ministry in Louisville, he was assigned in 1959 to mission work in present-day Zambia in southern Africa. This ministry included serving for a period as the custos, or leader, of the fledgling Conventual Franciscan community in Zambia.
Returning to the United States in 1982, Father Simon served for the next 25 years as chaplain at several hospitals and retirement facilities, including Walter Reed Medical Center in Washington, and the St. Joseph Home of the Little Sisters of the Poor in Louisville.
Although he retired from formal ministry in 2008, Father Simon continued to celebrate Mass at nursing homes and to serve those in need three days each week at the Franciscan Kitchen in Louisville, and as a confessor for three communities of women religious.
Memorial gifts may be sent to the Conventual Franciscan Friars at The Province of Our Lady of Consolation, Development Office, 103 St. Anthony Drive, Mount St. Francis, IN 47146. †