The Press-Dispatch
Issue link: http://www.ifoldsflip.com/i/1304002
The Press-Dispatch Wednesday, October 28, 2020 D-3 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 Every Monday at 5 p.m. EVELYN P. MONTGOMERY Evelyn P. Montgomery, 86, of Oakland City, entered rest on Wednesday Oct. 21, 2020, at Good Samaritan Nursing Home in Oakland City. She was born on Nov. 20, 1933, in Richland County, Ill., to William and Lydia (Fildes) Bowen. She graduated from Mt. Car- mel High School in Illinois, and retired from Whirlpool Corpo- ration after 26 years of service. She was a very loving, com- passionate and spiritual wom- an. She was a faithful member of the Oakland City Church of the Nazarene, where she served as president of the La- dies' Fellowship Organiza- tion, coordinating several fu- neral dinners and bake sales, taught Sunday School for ma- ny years and was a member of Ladies' Quilting Group. She en- joyed spending time with fam- ily, reading, working jigsaw and crossword puzzles, sew- ing, and watching Wheel of For- tune and Jeopardy. She is survived by a son, Raymond (Theresa) Mont- gomery, of Washington; daugh- ters, Marilyn Schisel of Peters- burg, and Joyce ( Jack) Weber, of Oakland City; five grandchil- dren, 13 great-grandchildren; and four great-great-grandchil- dren. Graveside services were at 3:30 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 24, 2020, at the Montgomery Cem- etery, with Rev. Darin D. Nos- sett officiating. Visitation will be from 1-3 p.m. Saturday at Lamb-Bash- am Memorial Chapel. Fami- ly and friends may send mes- sages of comfort to www.lamb- basham.com. JUANITA FR ANCES FR ANKLIN Juanita Frances Franklin, 97, of Winslow, passed away October 21, 2020, in Peters- burg. She was born December 18, 1922, to J.B. and Frances Hayden in Winslow. She was born and raised in Winslow and after graduating from business school in the late 40s, she moved to Mary- land. There, she worked as a secretary at the Pentagon and played piano for her church. While attending church, she met her husband, James E. Franklin. A fter retiring in 1975, she and James moved back to Winslow. She is survived by her friends and caregivers, Kar- en and Larry Seymour, of Pe- tersburg. She was preceded in death by her husband; and parents. Graveside services were at 10 a.m. on Monday, October 26, 2020, at Pleasant Ridge Cemetery, with Pastor Ter- ry Beadles officiating. Harris Funeral Home was entrusted with her care. MARILYN JANE KELLEY Marilyn Jane Kelley, 70, of Crawfordsville, lost her cou- rageous, 26 -year battle with Parkinson's Disease when she passed away on October 19, 2020. We imagine she was greeted in Heaven with a cho- rus of "Well done, good and faithful servant! " You have nev- er met a more selfless, loving and kind person; hers was a life well-lived. She was born June 27, 1950, in Washington, to the late Clar- ence Eugene White and Doro- thy Mae (Houtsch) White. She graduated from Peters- burg High School in 1968, and was the first in her fam- ily to earn a four-year college degree when she graduated from Indiana State Universi- ty in 1972. She was the proud mother of two grown children, Jason Shawn Jones and Heath- er Marie ( Jones) Thrush. She was a devoted mother. A sin- gle mother most of her life, she worked a full-time job, but also managed to cook dinner, help with school work, support her children's interests, and—most important—teach her children resilience by the steadfast way she lived her life, a life full of many challenges and personal losses. She made many sacri- fices so that her children could have a better life, and for this, we are forever grateful. She was also blessed with two grandchildren, Landon Ty- ler and Delaney Rose Jones, both of whom she loved dearly and was very proud. It gave her great joy to watch Landon act in plays, and Delaney play basket- ball and run cross country; she loved watching her grandchil- dren participate in things that they loved. Later in life, she was also blessed with a step-grand- daughter, Allee Thrush, whom she enjoyed spending time with and getting to know over the years. She was a loyal employee of 23 years at D.A. Lubricant in In- dianapolis, where she held ma- ny positions and made life-long friends. She was an avid crafter NORMA JEAN HAWKINS Norma Jean Hawkins, 92, crossed Jordan on October 20, 2020, at Amber Manor in Petersburg. She was born to John and Amy Doris Hawkins Knight on July 14, 1928, in Glezen. She married the late Ever- ett R. Willis on April 9, 1945. Two children were born to this union, Eddie Ray and Mildred Elaine. Norma was a member of the Glezen Revival Center Church, as well as the old log Pentecost Church, a member of its founding congregation. She worked many jobs in her life, from factories to a waitress, and many years as a nurse's aid at Good Samaritan, Golden Living (Petersburg Healthcare) and finally Am- ber Manor, where she had re- sided since November of 2016. She was dedicated to the Lord Jesus her entire adult life. She was preceded in death by her first husband, Ever- ett Willis; a second husband, Kenneth Powell; and a third, Jerry Hawkins; as well as her parents; and brothers, Jesse and John Knight. She is survived by a sister, Marcella Willis; son, Eddie (Marjean) Willis, of Peters- burg; daughter, Elaine ( Jeff ) Young, of Oakland City; five granddaughters; three grand- sons; 14 great-grandchildren; and four great-great-grand- children. A graveside service was at 2 p.m. EDT on Monday, Octo- ber 26, 2020, at Knights Chap- el in Petersburg, with Pastor Joe Henson officiating. Harris Funeral Home was entrusted with her care. JOANNE MAE FISCUS Joanne Mae Fiscus, 88, of Oakland City, entered eternal rest October 20, 2020, at Am- ber Manor Care Center in Pe- tersburg, following a lengthy battle with Alzheimer's. She was born in Gibson County on November 16, 1931, to Gilbert C. and Donna H. (Morton) Falls. She and her husband, Bob, had enjoyed a long retirement, spending all of their time to- gether, sitting on the back porch swing or taking long rides in the country. In Janu- ary of 2020, they entered Am- ber Manor Care Center in Pe- tersburg together, known as the sweethearts, they shared a room and were always hold- ing hands. They were life- time members of the Church of Christ. She was a Girl Scout leader in the early 70s and former scouts often recount sweet memories of camping trips to Lincoln State Park. In her earlier years, she was known as a wonderful seam- stress and a great cook. Holi- days, birthdays or any reason would have the family gath- ered at their house to enjoy a meal, wonderful conversa- tion, silly jokes and reminisc- ing. The wonderful conversa- tion, silly jokes and reminisc- ing continued at Amber Man- or. She is survived by her lov- ing family: children, Robin and Robert Davis, David and Debbie Fiscus, Brian Fiscus, Kimberly Cates and Bradley Fiscus; brother-in-law, George Fiscus; and sister-in-law, Nina Griffin; 13 grandchildren, who thought she hung the moon; 14 great-grandchildren; four great-great-grandchildren; and a wealth of precious niec- es and nephews. She was preceded in death by her parents; her beloved and devoted husband, Robert D. Fiscus, in March of 2020, whom she married April 30, 1949; and her siblings and their spouses, Jeanne and Louis Martelli, Prentice (Bud) and Wanda Falls, Larry and Connie Falls, and Phillip Falls. Private graveside ser- vices will take place at Mont- gomery Cemetery, with Bro. Steve Wright officiat- ing. Lamb-Basham Memori- al Chapel is honored to assist Joanne's family. Family and friends may send messages of comfort to www.lambbash- am.com. and a talented seamstress. She loved quilting, sewing, crafting, reading and cats. A fter she re- tired in 1997, she spent many hours volunteering at various community organizations in Washington. She was a giver. She loved to help people and to share her many talents. She al- so worked part-time as a secre- tary at Bethel United Methodist Church in Washington, where she was a member. Left behind to mourn her passing and to celebrate her life are her children, Jason (Debra) Jones, of Morris, Ill., and Heather (Cory) Thrush, of Crawfordsville; her grand- children, Landon Jones and Delaney Jones, of Morris, Ill.; step-granddaughter, Al- lee Thrush, of Crawfords- ville; her siblings, Alan (Tere- sa) Houtsch, Gloria (Pat) Rob- erts, Bill (Susie) White, Dar- lene (Bobby) Hartley and Jeff (Amy) White; mother-in-law, Betty Kelley; as well as many cousins, nieces, nephews and loving friends. She was preceded in death by her parents and infant brother, Richard. The family would like to thank the caring staff of nurses and CNAs that took great care of our beloved Marilyn over the last six years. Nurses: Angela, Cassie, Judy, Lynette, Rhonda, Melissa, Michelle, Tina and Tracy; CNAs: Amber, Brittany, Carri, Cheyanne, Elizabeth, Gail, Kasey, Kandace, Kay, Karley, Karly, Kim M., Kim E., Lynn, Linda, Missie and Nicole; Activity Staff: Ember, Kaysha and Sherry. You not only made nursing home life bearable, you made it fun. We will be forever grateful for the love, care and compassion you showed her and us in her final years. A Celebration of Life is planned for 3 p.m. on Novem- ber 14, 2020, at Bethel United Methodist Church in Washing- ton. Burial will follow at Walnut Hills Cemetery in Petersburg. Visitation will be from 1 p.m. until service time at the church. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Marilyn's name to the Michael J. Fox Founda- tion for Parkinson's Research https://www.michaeljfox.org/ donate. Masks and social dis- tancing will be required at the church and cemetery. patience and compassionate care during this very stressful time; and for the staff at Pike Publishing, as they went the extra mile to cover for us during our absence. We are also very grateful to Rev. Watson and for his touching eulogy, and to the staff at Harris Funeral Home for all their help in planning and conducting the graveside services. John & Angela, Andy & Phyllis, Alden, Jill and family Thank You e family of Rachael Heuring is very grateful to everyone for all their acts of kindness at the time of her passing. anks to everyone who took time to pay their respects and offer their condolences and assistance to us. Special thanks to the staff of Amber Manor for their CHERYL HILL Cheryl Hill, 64, of Peters- burg, passed away peacefully on Tuesday morning, October 27, 2020. She was born August 28, 1956, to James and Lois Hill in Washington. She was a beloved daugh- ter, mother, grandmother and a friend to many. She was a lifelong member of St. Peter and Paul Catholic Church in Petersburg. She was an insur- ance agent in the community for many years and finished her career in auto and mort- gage lending. Her fun-loving spirit will be missed my many. She is survived by her fa- ther, James R. Hill, of Union; son, Chris (Melissa) John- son, of Ellisville, Mo.; daugh- ter, Amber (Curt Cannon) Johnson, of Petersburg; sis- ters, Debbie Hill and Lisa (Kent) Evans, both of Peters- burg; and grandchildren, Av- ery, Addie, Wyatt, Landen and Camren. She was preceded in death by her mother, Lois Hill, in 2018. The family will have a grave- side service at 2 p.m. on Mon- day, Nov. 2, 2020, with burial at Union Community Ceme- tery in Union. Due to current restric- tions, there will be no visita- tion. In lieu of flowers, me- morial contributions can be made in Cheryl's memory to the Alzheimer's Association, 701 Weinbach Ave, Evansville, IN 47711. Harris Funeral Home is en- trusted with her care. C. JOANN LEWIS WITHERSPOON Joann Lewis Witherspoon joined heaven's choir on Oc- tober 26, 2020. She was born in 1937. She had many talents. She was a hairdresser and a sales- person for most of her life, but her passion was music. She graduated from Winslow High School in 1955, but lived most of her life in Portland, Ind., where she was very ac- tive in her church and commu- nity. She performed with Tri Kappa Sorority's "Red Stock- ing Revue." She was a soloist with the Don Smith Orches- tra. Later, she was the lead- er of two bands: "The Gospel Melodies" and "The Harmony String Band." She worked with the Ameri- can Cancer Society by provid- ing custom fit wigs and pros- thesis for cancer patients. She was also a mentor in the Jay County school system for "Kids' Hope USA," a non-profit mentoring organization. She was a member of the Asbury United Methodist Church choir and directed the Christmas Eve service for sev- eral years until her retirement to Pensacola, Fla., in 2012. She is survived by her son, Thomas ( Vicki) With- erspoon; her granddaugh- ters, Stephanie (Travis Dim- mig) Witherspoon and Sar- ah Witherspoon; her nieces, LaRae (Ralph) Sorrell and Ali- cia (Ron) McMunn; her neph- ews, Mr. and Mrs. John Lew- is and David Lewis; great-niec- es, Rhonda (Mark) Curtis, Al- lison (Bill Grubb) McMunn, Kara Moyer, and Jennifer (Ste- ven) York; her great-nephews, R.W. (Heather) Sorrell, Mi- chael (Shannon) McMunn, and Bryan ( Jill) Bell. She was preceded in death by her parents, John and Mar- guerite Lewis; her brothers, James ( Joan) Lewis and Bill (Helen) Lewis; her niece, Kar- en Lewis Bell; and her neph- ew, Jerry Lewis. Her final resting place will be at Pleasant Ridge Ceme- tery. A graveside service will at 1 p.m. EDT on Saturday, October 31 at Pleasant Ridge Cemetery in Winslow, with O.D. Harris Funeral home pro- viding the arrangements. In lieu of flowers, memori- als may be sent to: Kids Hope USA at kidshopeusa.org. DAVID LUCAN HUNT David Lucan Hunt, 65, of Washington, formerly of Shoals, passed away on Oc- tober 18, 2020, in Evansville. He also formerly lived in Vin- cennes, Spurgeon and Peters- burg. He was born on October 11, 1955, in Shoals, to Arthur L. Hunt and Erma Ruth Wilcoxen Hunt, and they both preceded him in death. He worked for many years at the Knox County ARC and ARC of Pike/Gibson County. He enjoyed playing Soli- taire on his computer, work- ing word search books, eating homemade food, going out to eat, going to the movies and reading his Bible. He also re- ally enjoyed having a Coke and sweet tea. He is survived by sisters, Shirley Marie Belcher, of French Lick, and Patricia Jan Adams, of Ohio. Besides his parents, he was preceded in death by his sib- lings, Delbert Leroy Hunt, Frank Bradley Hunt, Gregory Paul Hunt, Billy Dean Hunt, Kent Douglas Hunt, Robert Hunt and Wanita Ruthann Hunt. A memorial service will be scheduled at a later date. In lieu of flowers, contribu- tions can be made to Micah 6:8, PO Box 882, Shoals, IN 47581, or on their website at www.michah68project.com.