The Press-Dispatch
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The Press-Dispatch Wednesday, March 10, 2021 A-5 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 Karan Thacker, AFSP Owner 704 E. Haub Street Haubstadt, IN 47639 THACKER TAX SERVICE 906 Blackfoot Drive Fort Branch, IN 47648 812-615-0071 (offi ce) 812-789-3852 (cell) kthacker01@gmail.com SUBSCRIBE TODAY! We're not afraid to shed some light on the truth. 812-354-8500 BROOKS BOGER Brooks Boger, 81, of Pe- tersburg, entered rest on Sat- urday, March 6, 2021, at the Golden Living Woodlands in Newburgh. He was born on December 8, 1939, in Petersburg, to Gam- mie and Juvernia (Bell) Boger. He had worked at Whirlpool Corporation in Evansville and retired from Amax Coal Mine in Keensburg, Ill. He was a member of U.M.W.A., Oak- land City Golf Club, Oakland City American Legion Post 256; Loyal Order of Moose Petersburg Lodge 1617. He loved NASCAR, Cubs, Bears and traveling out west. He is survived by his wife, Loretta (Clark) Boger, whom he married on April 1, 1988; daughter, Melissa (Phillip) Hancock, of Slaughters, Ky.; sons, Ross Allen (Karen) Bo- ger, of Drakesboro, Ky., Ste- ven Fish and his fianceé, Crystal Pucket, of Oakland City, Randy Fish, of Oakland City, and his fianceé, Aman- da Meyer, of Evansville; eight grandchildren; and several great-grandchildren. Services will be at 3 p.m. EST on Friday, March 12, 2021, at Lamb-Basham Me- morial Chapel, with Bro. Bob Shepherd officiating. Burial will follow in Pleasant Ridge Cemetery. Visitation will be from 1 p.m. until service time on Fri- day at the chapel. Family and friends may send messages of comfort to www.lambbasham. com. Due to COVID-19 man- dates, social distancing is still in force, with limited seating for attendance to all visitation and services. Face masks are required by state mandate up- on entering the chapel. KENNETH WAYNE STONE Kenneth "Kenny" Wayne Stone, 82, of Winslow, passed away March 3, 2021, at Amber Manor Care Center in Peters- burg. He was born October 2, 1938, to Carl and Pauline Stone. He graduated from Peters- burg High School in 1957 and then started his career with Midwestern Gas before go- ing into the mining industry, where he dedicated 30 plus years and retired from Old Ben Coal. He married his wife of 62 years, Henrietta Noland, on August 1, 1958, and they raised three children. He was an avid St. Louis Cardinals fan, loved NASCAR and dirt track racing, where he spent many years at Tri-State Speed- way. He is survived by his wife, Henrietta "Duffy;" two daugh- ters, Kristina Stone and Kel- ly (Steve) Price, both of Pe- tersburg; a son, Brandt (Dee) Stone, of Portland, Tenn.; two granddaughters, Hila- ry (Zack) Hoover, of Peters- burg, and Allee Stone, of Port- land, Tenn.; two great-grand- children, Maxx and Addyson Hoover, of Petersburg; and four brothers, Larry (Rose- mary) Stone, Terry (Brenda) Stone, Dave ( Jodi) Stone and Ron Stone. He is preceded in death by his parents; a brother, Jesse Stone; and a sister, Charlotte Miller. A graveside service was at 2 p.m. EST on Tuesday, March 9, 2021, at Pleasant Ridge Cemetery in Campbelltown. Harris Funeral Home was en- trusted with his care. ARBUTUS "JEAN" HIGDON Arbutus "Jean" Higdon, 79, of Otwell (Iva area), gained her angel wings on Friday, February 26, 2021, at the home of her daughter. She was born October 28, 1941, to the late Lonnie and Ol- lie ( Jenne) Blackburn, in Pe- tersburg. She was one of ten children. She met her husband, James A. Higdon, while riding around with some friends in early 1959. They married lat- er that year and were together for 35 years before his death. They had five children togeth- er. She was a stay-at-home mom, working very hard with five children to care for. She loved to garden and canning fruits and vegetables. She looked forward to springtime and going mushroom hunt- ing. She always loved her flow- ers and planted many variet- ies over the years. She always had her hummingbird feeders full and loved to watch them for many hours of enjoyment. Family holidays and cookouts were something she always loved. She would get up at the crack of dawn to go down to her wild blackberry patch and, by mid-morning, have her basket full and ready to bake a cobbler for supper dessert. She could cook anything. She loved spending time with her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. She nev- er met a dog she didn't like, es- pecially her Beagle, Max, and her "grand-dog," Dandy. She is survived by four children, Brenda (Melton) Stilwell, of Petersburg, Rog- er (Kim) Higdon, of Loogoo- tee, Charles (Mary Thrasher) Higdon, of Otwell, and Jerry Higdon, of Iva; grandchildren, Amanda Woods, Clint (Devin) Lloyd, Shaun (Melanie) Beck- ett, Jessica Higdon, Doug (Harley) Williams, Dustin (Brittany) Williams, and Dal- ton Higdon; great-grandchil- dren, Chloe Kelly, Oliver and Jameson Lloyd, Kateri and Elias Beckett, Ezra Hig- don, Rhyder and Easton Wil- liams, and Sophie, Weston and Elizah Williams; sisters, Alice Prior, of Huntingburg, and Barbara Huffman, of Otwell; brother, Jerry (Fredia) Black- burn, of Ft. Mohave, Ariz.; and sister-in-law, Pauline Higdon, of Louisville, Ky. She was preceded in death by her parents and husband, James A. Higdon; an infant son, Robert Dale Higdon, in 1976; brothers, Kenneth Blackburn, twins Rentice and Prentice, and Alvin Black- burn; and her sisters, Donel- la Cummins and Shirley Mc- Clanahan. Services were at 1 p.m. EST on Saturday, March 6, 2021, at Harris Funeral Home in Pe- tersburg, with Chaplain Cin- dy Lagle officiating. She was laid to rest at Iva Cemetery. Visitation was from 10 a.m. until service time on Satur- day at the funeral home. Har- ris Funeral Home was entrust- ed with her care. K ATIE COLLEEN RICHARDSON Katie Colleen Richardson 43, of Newburgh, entered rest on March 2, 2021, in Pigeon Forge, Tenn. She was born on June 18, 1977, in Huntingburg, to Me- lissa ( Williams) Phillips and Larry McGregor. She was a 1995 graduate of Wood Memorial High School in 1995. She had worked for Gibson County Sheriff's Dept. and Pike County Sheriff's Dept. as communications officer and at Deaconess Cross Point outpa- tient facility. She is survived by a daugh- ter, Taylor Carlisle, of Flat Rock, Ill.; her parents; Melis- sa (Gil) Phillips, of Oakland City, and Larry (Geri) Mc- Gregor, of Deltona, Fla.; broth- ers, Chad McGregor, of Terre Haute, and Andy (Lesley) Mc- Gregor, of Oakland City; and three grandchildren. A celebration of life will be at a later date. Lamb-Basham Memorial Chapel is honored to assist Katie's family. Family and friends may send messages of comfort to www.lambbasham.com. CALEB NATHANIEL ELBER Caleb Nathaniel Elber, 26, of Evansville, passed away February 26, 2021, at his res- idence. He was born September 15, 1994, in Biloxi, Miss., to David and Judy (King) Elber. He was a graduate of Pike Central High School and was employed at Toyota. He is survived by his moth- er, Judy Elber; sisters, Han- nah Elber, Jennifer Dumas and Sarah Elber; fianceé, Al- lie Gesser; grandparents, Jim and Inez King, and Edwin and Marlene Elber; uncles, Larry (Lisa) Elber and Siggy (Deb- bie) Elber; and aunts, Cindy (Scott) Poole and Terri (Don) Merle. He is preceded in death by his father, David Elber; and sister, Dana Elber. A graveside service was at 1:30 p.m. EST on Sunday, March 7, 2021, at Cup Creek Cemetery in Pikeville, with Pastor Alex Benefiel. Visitation was from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. on Sunday at Har- ris Funeral Home in Peters- burg. Harris Funeral Home was entrusted with his care. STEPHAN DALE NOWLING Stephan Dale Nowling, 70, of Bloomington, died Tuesday, March 2, 2021, in I.U. Health, Bloomington Hospital. He was born June 30, 1950, in Indianapolis, to Kenneth Dale Nowling and Marcelle Thomas Denton Nowling. He was retired as an Ad- ministrative Officer of the Research Department at the Omaha Veterans A ffairs Med- ical Center. Memberships include First United Methodist Church, Bloomington and the I.U. Alumni Association. He was a 1968 graduate of Petersburg High School and then Indi- ana University, obtaining both a bachelor's and master's de- gree. He was the former pres- ident of the Nebraska I.U. Alumni Association and was an I.U. student recruiter in Nebraska. He enjoyed spend- ing time with his family, spoil- ing his granddaughter, listen- ing to music, bird watching, traveling and watching I.U. Sports. Survivors include his wife of 46 years, Jan Pfrang Nowl- ing, of Bloomington; two sons, Seth Michael Nowling, of Charlotte, N.C., and Col- in Denton (Lisa) Nowling, of Bloomington; a beautiful granddaughter, Rachel Nowl- ing, at home; a brother, Gary (Rhea) Nowling, of Lafayette; a sister, Kimberly ( Jim) Wil- lis, of North Port, Fla.; and aunts, uncles and cousins. He was preceded in death by his parents. No services are planned at this time, a memorial service will be at a later date, when COVID restrictions are lift- ed. Arrangements are under the direction of Day and Dere- miah-Frye Funeral Home. If friends so desire, me- morial contributions may be made to First United Method- ist Church, Bloomington or to the Indiana University Foun- dation. Online condolences may be left for the family at www.Day- DeremiahFrye.com. SONDR A "SONNIE" HARRIS Sondra Harris, 85, passed away peacefully at her home on Saturday, March 6, 2021. She was born in Odon on December 20, 1935, to Ralph Waldo and Alma (Cavness) Seneff. She graduated from Odon Madison High School in 1953, where she was a drum major in the high school band. She then attended Indiana Teach- ers College in Terre Haute, (which is now known as Indi- ana State University). She was a member of the Gamma Phi Beta sorority. It was there that she met Robert "Bob" Harris. He had just completed two terms in the U.S. Navy during the Korean War and was at- tending college on a GI Bill. Bob and Sonnie married in Odon on November 30, 1956. They went on to have four daughters, Lisa Jayne, Clara Sue, Nicki Ann and Gretch- en Ann. They were blessed to share 61 anniversaries to- gether. Sonnie helped start the kin- dergarten program at Peters- burg Elementary School in 1958, due to the influx of fam- ilies moving to Pike County because of Indianapolis Pow- er and Light being built. In the early years, she would have fif- ty students in the morning and fifty students in the afternoon, all while wearing a dress suit and heels. One of her great- est joys was seeing her for- mer students, and visiting with them and their families. Her face would light up when- ever she heard, "Mrs. Harris, do you remember me from kin- dergarten? " She was a member of Psi Iota Xi, Pike Civic Theatre, Pike County Economic Devel- opment, past president of the Pike County Chamber of Com- merce, Pike County CASA, In- diana State University Foun- dation Board, Indiana State University Finance Board, and was appointed to the In- diana State Development and Finance Commission by then Governor Evan Bayh. She served on that commission for many years. She is survived by her daughters, Lisa Harris, Clara (David) Henson and Gretch- en (Bobby Walters) Har- ris; grandchildren, Nick (Sa- mantha) Henson, Ali Har- ris Henson, Gabriel Harris Walters and Michael Wal- ters; great-grandchildren, Evie Sweet, Odin Henson and Creed Wendholt; sister, Betty Wesner; nephew, John Wesner; nieces, Connie La- Voe and Judge Melinda Kirk- patrick; and great-nieces and nephews. She was proceeded in death by her parents, Ralph and Al- ma Seneff; husband, Robert "Bob" Harris; and daughter, Nicki Ann Harris. Graveside services will be at noon on Saturday, March 13, 2021, at Walnut Hills Cem- etery, with Gary Arnold offi- ciating. Memorial contributions may be made to Walnut Hills Cemetery Fund, P.A.W.S., Pike County Community Foundation, or your favorite lo- cal charity. The family would like to extend great apprecia- tion to Good Samaritan Home Health Care, Heart to Heart Hospice, our local CVS, and most importantly, Dr. Gary Keepes and his entire staff. DONNA J. McFARLAND Donna J. McFarland, 71, of Petersburg, went to be with the Lord on Saturday, March 6, 2021. She was a loving wife, mother, grandmother and great-grandmother. She loved the outdoors and crafts of all kinds. She will be missed by many. She will forever be in our hearts. She is survived by her daughters, Pamela Hunt Chapman and Sheila McFar- land Hill; seven grandchil- dren; 14 great-grandchildren; her extended family; and ma- ny friends. She was preceded in death by her parents; her brother; a great-granddaughter; and her husband, David J. McFarland. Services will be at 1 p.m. EDT on Tuesday, March 16, 2021, at Harris Funeral Home in Petersburg. Burial will fol- low at Walnut Hills Cemetery. Visitation will be from 10 a.m. until service time on Tuesday at the funeral home. Harris Funeral Home is en- trusted with her care. 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 Valerie, You passed away 4 years ago on March 11. Still miss you everyday. Love, Mom & Dan STOP it takes 3 MINUTES to subscribe to 812-354-8500 MARY E. JAMES Mary E. James, 73, of Wash- ington, passed away on Tues- day, March 2, 2021, at St. Vin- cent Hospital in Evansville. She was born September 30, 1947, in Washington, to Clara Evelyn (Burkhardt) and Rob- ert Rudolph Fredrick. She was a member of Maysville United Methodist Church. She loved red roses, crocheting and being with her family. She is survived by her hus- band, Daniel James, who she married November 17, 1985; son, Robert Joseph (Bren- da) Wadsworth, of Evans- ville; five daughters, Rhon- da Renee (Kevin) Heisdorf, of Washington, Tammy An- nette O'Dell, of Patoka, Melis- sa Dawn (Matthew) Rhodes, of Chiefland, Fla., and Tricia Gail (Donald) Kavanaugh and Laura Ann (Kim) Jones Mad- den, both of Washington; sis- ter, Anna Marie Fredrick, of Spurgeon; 25 grandchildren; and 17 great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her parents; and grandson, Cervando Eduardo Santos. Funeral services were at 1 p.m. on Saturday, March 6, 2021, at Ed Lee Mortuary North Chapel, with Pastor Ja- son Johnston officiating. En- tombment followed at Sugar- land Memory Gardens. Visitation was from 4-8 p.m. on Friday at the chapel. Condolences can be sent to the family online at www.edl- eemortuary.com. All arrange- ments were entrusted to Ed Lee Mortuary. and Carla (Russell) Allen, of Oakland City; seven grand- children; 11 great-grandchil- dren; and one great-great- grandchild. He was preceded in death by his father, Arvel Buck; mother, Rosetta (Redmond) Buck; son, Victor A. Buck, in 2000 ; and sister, Eileen Buck. Funeral services will be at 10 a.m. on Thursday, March, 11 2021, at Corn-Colvin Funer- al Home in Oakland City, with Rev. Don Blackard officiating. Burial will follow at Montgom- ery Cemetery in Oakland City. Visitation will be from 4-8 p.m. on Wednesday and again from 9 a.m. until service time on Thursday at the funeral home. Due to COVID-19 state mandates, capacity inside the funeral home is limited to al- low for social distancing and masks are required. Memorial contributions may be given to Montgomery Cemetery, P.O. Box 42, Oak- land City, IN 47660 or the Sal- vation Army, P.O. Box 1258, Princeton, IN 47670. R ALPH A. BUCK Ralph A. Buck, 83, of Chan- dler, passed away Monday, March 8, 2021, at home. He was born December 14, 1937, in Gibson County. He had lived in Chandler for nine years, moving from rural Oakland City. He was a graduate of Oakland City High School. He had worked at Alcoa in maintenance for 20 years and previously at Whirlpool, and enjoyed being a farmer as well. He enjoyed collecting and restoring an- tique tractors and antique horse equipment. He is survived by his wife of 63 years, Annabelle (Egan) Buck; children, Daniel R. (Cathy) Buck of Lynnville,