The Press-Dispatch
Issue link: http://www.ifoldsflip.com/i/1176874
The Press-Dispatch Wednesday, October 16, 2019 C-7 OBITUARIES Submit obituaries: Call: 812-354-8500 Email: obits@pressdispatch.net or bring in a hard copy: 820 E. Poplar Street, Petersburg Deadline: 5 p.m. on Monday Obituary Deadline 5 p.m. Every Monday ALLEN W. NELSON Allen W. Nelson, 70, of Winslow, passed away Wednesday, October 9, 2019, at his home. He was born February 20, 1949, in Huntingburg, to the late Samuel J. and Le- la I. (Bottoms) Nelson. He lived in Pike County all of his life. He graduated from Winslow High School and then attended a Purdue Surveying Class. He was a surveyor for the state high- way dept. prior to going in- to the Army. He was a U.S. Army Veteran serving from 1969 to 1971 during the Vietnam Era. He retired af- ter 39 years from Old Ben Coal Company as a drilling and shooting supervisor in 2011. He was a former mem- ber of the Society of Explo- sive Engineers. He enjoyed the outdoors, deer hunting and began fishing from a young age. He was a mem- ber of the Pike County Bass- masters. He is survived by his wife, Cheryl Nelson, of Winslow; two children, Dan (Dana) Nelson, of Evansville, and Scott (Kaitlyn) Nelson, of Petersburg; three grand- sons, Xavier, Eric and Scott; one granddaughter on the way, Allyse; and a sister, Connie Gilmore, of Vin- cennes. Private graveside ser- vices were held. Military graveside services were pro- vided by the Retired Mili- tary Veterans. Visitation was from 4-8 p.m. CDT on Saturday, Oc- tober 12, 2019, at Corn-Col- vin Funeral Home in Oak- land City. Condolences may be ex- pressed or you may light a candle in memory of Allen on-line at www.corncolvin- funeralhome.com. The Corn-Colvin Funeral Home is honored to serve the Nel- son family. DOROTHY J. HOLLIS Dorothy J. Hollis, 89, of Odon, passed away peace- fully, on Sunday, October 13, 2019, at her residence. She was born on Febru- ary 14, 1930, in Petersburg, to Charles F. and Emma D. (Crow) Chamberlain. She married Roy C. Hollis on June 11, 1948. She was a member of Pe- tersburg Methodist Church and attended the Mud Pike Church of Elnora. She was a homemaker and a cosmetol- ogist. She owned the Mag- ic Comb for over 25 years, was co-owner of Hey Lady Fashions in Odon and was the former owner of The Pe- tersburg Café. Family left to cherish her memory includes: one son, Gary Kent Hollis; two daugh- ters, Linda K. Stites and Vic- ki Lynn (Robert Leon) Wise, all of Odon; 11 grandchil- dren; 22 great-grandchil- dren; six great-great-grand- children; and one brother, Herman ( Jane) Chamber- lain, of Bloomington. She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband, Roy C. Hollis; brothers, John, Dan, Wil- liam and Richard Chamber- lain; one sister, Iva Hard- wick; and son-in-law, Carl W. Stites. A funeral service honor- ing her life will be at 11 a.m. on Thursday, October 17, 2019, at Meng Family Fu- neral Home in Odon, with Bro. Richard Smith officiat- ing. She will be laid to rest in Elnora Fairview Ceme- tery in Elnora. Visitation will be from 4- 8 p.m. on Wednesday and from 9 a.m. until service time on Thursday at the fu- neral home. All arrangements have been entrusted to Meng Family Funeral Home in Odon. Condolences and memories may be shared with the family online at www.mengfuneralhome. com. JAMES ODELL ROET TGER, SR. James Odell Roettger, Sr., 86, of Huntingburg, passed away at 2:40 a.m., on Satur- day, October 12, 2019, at The Waters of Huntingburg. He was born December 14, 1932, in Stendal, to Jus- tus Henry John Roettger and Mary Bernice (Norric) Ro- ettger Eckert. He grew up in Stendal, where he attended St. Pe- ter's Lutheran Church; and was a former resident of Tell City for 27 years. He enjoyed hunting, fishing and garden- ing. He is survived by three sons, James "Jim" (Sharon) Roettger, Jr., of Stendal, Mark (Debbie) Roettger, of Huntingburg, and Scott (Fran) Roettger, of Dubois; one daughter, Kimberly ( Jeff ) Chandler, of Dubois; two half-brothers, Mike Eckert, of Ireland, and Rog- er Eckert, of Stendal; twelve grandchildren; and several great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his wife, Revil (Horslay) Roettger, who passed away January 25, 2016; his par- ents; two sons, Steven Ro- ettger and Jeffrey Roettger; one daughter, Trina Cooper; and two sisters, Carol As- trike and Lola Philpot. Funeral services were at 2 p.m. EDT on Tuesday, Octo- ber 15, 2019, at the Nass & Son Funeral Home in Hunt- ingburg, with Pastor Ed Wicks will officiating. Buri- al followed at St. Peter's Lu- theran Cemetery in Stendal. Visitation was from noon until service time on Tues- day at the funeral home. Me- morial contributions can be made to St. Peter's Luther- an Church in Stendal. Con- dolences may be shared on- line at www.nassandson. com. Additional obituaries on the next page. MARY (MURR AY) FITHIAN Mary Eleanor (Murray) Fithian, 78, passed away at 6:15 a.m. on October 11, 2019, at Amber Manor Care Center, after losing her bat- tle with cancer. She was born April 4, 1941, in Petersburg, the daughter of Raymond John and Dorothy May (Upton) Murray. She was the fifth of five children. She attended Winslow High School. She initially married Jerry Blackburn and had three sons, Jerrel, Gregory and Jeffery. Later, she married Rodney Fithian and had a daughter, Robin. She was passionate about horses and at one time owned 16. She also liked to dress for Halloween. Her fa- vorite costume was to dress as a saloon girl in the old west. She is survived by her sons, Jerrel (Robin) Black- burn, of Washington, and Gregory Blackburn, of Washington; daughter, Rob- in (Fithian) Meadors, of Mt. Olympus; and four grand- children, Madalyn Black- burn, Gavin Blackburn, Lacey Blackburn and Dako- ta Bell. She was preceded in death by her parents; four older brothers, Robert, Dale, Doyle and Randall; and a son, Jeffery. There will be a Celebra- tion of Life from noon-2 p.m. on Saturday, October 19, 2019, at Immanuel Bap- tist Church fellowship hall (next to Jay C Food Store) in Petersburg. All friends of Mary and the family are in- vited to help celebrate her life. A meal will be provided by the ladies of the church. Mary donated her body to IU Medical Center to help further education about can- cer in hope of helping to find a cure. JOYCE MARIE DROF Joyce Marie Drof, 86, of Petersburg, died Tuesday, October 8, 2019, in Peters- burg. She was born to Elvis and Lula (Hunley) Padgett in Pike County on February 3, 1933. She was a graduate of Ot- well High School and lived in the Washington, D.C. ar- ea for many years. She is survived by her daughter, Janna Drof, of Suf- folk, Va.; son, Jon (Dilek) Drof, of Mechanicsville, Md.; and two nephews, Jay and Shayne Drof, of Mary- land. She was preceded in death by her husband, John Drof; daughter, Jennifer Drof; par- ents, Elvis and Lula (Hun- ley) Padgett; brothers, Jack Padgett, Clifton Padgett and James Padgett; and sister, Norma Jean Harker. Per her wishes, she will be cremated and there will be no public services. She will be buried at Walnut Hill Cemetery in Petersburg. In lieu of flowers, donate to the charity of your choice. ROBERT LEE BREIDENBAUGH Robert Lee "Bob" Breiden- baugh, 85, an exceptionally patient man, passed away on October 9, 2019. He was born to Carl William and Voris Lee (Meadors) Breidenbaugh in Pike County, near Otwell, on July 28, 1934, the eldest of eight siblings. He graduated from Otwell High School in 1952. A fter high school, he served in the army before returning to In- diana and completing a B.S. in civil engineering at Pur- due University. He married Janet Ray Willis in May 1960 and they moved to California in 1962, where he served 35 years as a bridge engineer with the California Depart- ment of Transportation, su- pervising the construction of several prominent bridg- es in southern California. His wife, Janet, preced- ed him in death in 1991. His children, Mark and Hyla, remember him as the con- summate pillar of consis- tency, who provided a stead- fast, secure and godly home. He married Anna Lee "Tom- mie" (Binkley) Mehrtens in 1995 and enjoyed an en- viable retirement lifestyle in Escondido, Calif., where they were active in church life, family and a wide circle of cherished friends. Surviving are his wife, An- na; son, Mark Scott (Caral- isa) Breidenbaugh; daugh- ter, Hyla Janine Breiden- baugh; grandson, Toft Sage Breidenbaugh; step- sons, Gary (Annette) Meh- rtens and Kevin Mehrtens; 15 step-grandchildren; 28 step-great-grandchildren; many beloved nieces and nephews; his brothers, Ron- ald Ray (Martha) Breiden- baugh, William Earl (Mary Alice) Breidenbaugh, Carl David (Connie) Breiden- baugh and Daniel Joe (Ca- rola) Breidenbaugh; and sisters, Shirley Kay Pow- ell, Mary Kathryn ( John) Gray and Rachel Jean (Da- vis) Bowman. Funeral services will be at 10 a.m. Saturday, Octo- ber 19, 2019, at Harris Fu- neral Home, 705 Walnut St., Petersburg, with Wil- liam Breidenbaugh officiat- ing. Graveside services will follow at Martin Cemetery near Glezen. Visitation will be from 4-8 p.m. on Friday at the funeral home. In lieu of flowers, the family asks you to consider a donation to the American Cancer Society or similar. GARY LYNN MORNING Pastor Gary Lynn Morn- ing, 81, of Brownstown, passed away on Friday, Oc- tober 11, 2019, at Franciscan Health, Indianapolis. Born on December 5, 1937, in Petersburg, he was the son of Linzy Herman and Edith Cates Morning, both of whom preceded him in death. On August 28, 1958, he married Janet Lindstedt and she survives currently in Camby. He was a graduate of Ozark Christian College in Joplin, Mo. He attended Oklahoma A & M in Miami, Okla., the University of Ar- kansas in Monticello, Ark., and received his master's degree from Louisville Bi- ble College. He loved the Lord. He served churches throughout Oklahoma, Ar- kansas, Illinois and Indi- ana. He was a minister for 61 years, including 22 years of ministering at Brownstown Christian Church. He was a member of Mem- phis Community Church, Lions Club for many years, Brownstown Exchange Club and also a member of the American Legion. He served eight years active duty and reserve duty in the U.S. Army at Ft. Leon- ard Wood in Missouri. He was known for his quick wit, infectious smile, and he never met a stranger. When he walked in a room, he commanded presence. He loved spending time with his family and friends, call- ing on church members and watching all Brownstown sports. Surviving besides his wife are two sons, Jeff Morning, of Brownstown, and Doug (Sheryl) Morning, of Indi- anapolis; one brother, Lan- nie (Lou) Morning, of Mor- risville; four grandchildren; five great-grandchildren; several cousins, nieces and nephews; and a host of friends. All were loved by Gary. Besides his parents, he was also preceded in death by a brother, Jerry Morning. Funeral services will be at noon on Wednesday, Octo- ber 16, 2019, at Brownstown Christian Church, with Stan Thomas officiating. Visitation will be from 10 a.m. until service time on Wednesday at the church. In- terment will follow at Walnut Hills Cemetery, Petersburg. Memorials may be giv- en to Memphis Community Church. Online memorials and condolences may be giv- en at www.spurgeonfh.com. CAROLYN J. MOORE Carolyn J. Moore, 83, of Huntingburg, passed away Tuesday, October 8, 2019, at St. Charles Health Campus in Jasper. She was born Novem- ber 5, 1935, in Petersburg, to Frank and Alma (Carey) Shawhan. She worked as a book- keeper, was an avid I.U. bas- ketball and Cardinals base- ball fan, loved talking on the phone with friends and be- ing with her grandkids. She is survived by one daughter, Becky Moore White, of Otwell; one son and daughter-in-law, Sta- cy (Debra) Moore, of Dale; three siblings, Patty (Ron- nie) Erwin, of Evansville, Jackie (Dave) Hasenour, of Ireland, and Tony Shawhan, of Tennyson; five grandchil- dren; and seven great-grand- children. She was preceded in death by her parents; one sister, Martha Roesner; and sis- ter-in-law, Gaela Shawhan. Funeral services were at 6 p.m. Sunday, October 13, 2019, at Nass and Son Fu- neral Home in Huntingburg, with Rev. Ryan Hilderbrand officiating. Burial followed at Walnut Hills Cemetery in Petersburg. Visitation was from 2 p.m. until service time on Sunday at the funeral home. Condo- lences may be shared online at www.nassandson.com. ESTELLE MARIE (WEITK AMP) K AISER Estelle Marie ( Weit- kamp) Kaiser, 94, of Hol- land, passed away at 10 :12 p.m. on Wednesday, October 9, 2019, at Memorial Hospi- tal and Health Care Center in Jasper. She was born November 9, 1924, in Zoar, to Louis and Viola (Ingram) Weitkamp. She graduated from Sten- dal High School in 1941. She married Harold "Boom" Kai- ser on June 20, 1946. They were co-owners and found- ers of Boom's Café. They also operated The Holland Dairy Barn and Kaiser's Café. She was also previous- ly employed at The Jasper Country Club, Holland In- dustries and Katter's Gro- cery Store in Stendal. She enjoyed watching IU bas- ketball. She also liked cook- ing for her family and visit- ing with family and friends. She is survived by three children, Phyllis (Lloyd) Hunefeld, of Sellersburg, Joe (Lim) Kaiser, of San Di- ego, Calif., and Mark Kai- ser, of Holland, who was also her caregiver; three grand- daughters; six great-grand- children; and one great- great-grandchild. She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband, Harold "Boom" Kaiser, who passed away February 4, 1983; one brother, Floyd Weitkamp; and three sisters, Luana (Harold) Walker, Nor- ma (Everett) McAllister and Opal (Letcher) Leingang. Funeral services were at 10 a.m. EDT on Tuesday, October 15, 2019, at St. Paul United Church of Christ in Holland, with Pastor Deb- bie Roe officiating. Burial followed at the church cem- etery. Visitation was from 3- 7 p.m. on Monday at the Nass & Son Funeral Home in Huntingburg and from 9 a.m. until service time on Tuesday at the church. Me- morial contributions can be made to St. Paul United Church of Christ. Condo- lences may be shared online at www.nassandson.com. OPAL SULLIVAN Opal Sullivan, 94, of Washington, passed away on Sunday, October 13, 2019, at 11:57 a.m. at Daviess Com- munity Hospital. She was born on August 10, 1925, in Petersburg, to Harrison and Mattie Charles. She retired from UniRoy- al Rubber Company. She was a member of the Ladies of Moose, and she had a real passion for gardening. She is survived by four sons, Donald E. Sullivan, of Vincennes, David L. (Chris- ta), of Washington, Darrell A. Sullivan, of Evansville, and Jerry D. (Sue) Sullivan, of Washington; a daughter, Lola K. Page (Tim) Can- non; 10 grandchildren; 15 great-grandchildren and four great-great-grandchil- dren. She was preceded in death by her parents; four brothers, Ibran, Lowell, Ol- iver and Ival Charles; and two sisters, Dorothy Crane and Dessie Colgate. Funeral services will be at 1 p.m. on Thursday, October 17, 2019, at Ed Lee Mortuary North Chapel. Burial will be at Oak Grove Cemetery. Visitation will be from 11 a.m. until service time on Thursday at the chapel. Memorial donations can be made to Oak Grove Cem- etery. Condolences may be sent to the family online at www.edleemortuary.com. Arrangements were entrust- ed to Ed Lee Mortuary. In loving memory of Joseph Mosby 09/25/30 - 09/27/19 We, Joe's family, wish to express our thanks and appreciation to all our family, friends, neighbors and co- workers for all the love, prayers, keepsakes, flowers, food and cards. A special thank you to our Golden Living family, Dr. Keepes, Harris Funeral Home, Silk Designs, Dutchtown friends and neighbors, Otwell friends and neighbors, Sts. Peter & Paul Ladies Club, Dr. Fenol and all who donated to the scholarship fund. Debby Ficklin & Family Cindy & Jim Clinard & Family PEACE of MIND Let our 130 years of experience aid you in your selection of a meaningful memorial. SCHUM MONUMENTS, INC. Dale, Indiana www.SchumMonuments.com 812-937-4921 Local Representative RONALD WOODS 812-789-2009 We're not afraid to shed some light on the truth. 812-354-8500 SUBSCRIBE TODAY!