The Press-Dispatch
Issue link: https://www.ifoldsflip.com/i/1365997
The Press-Dispatch Wednesday, April 28, 2021 A-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 HOURS Mon-Fri 7AM–6PM Saturday 7AM–5PM Sunday 10AM–4PM Hwy. 41 N., Princeton at Lyles Station Rd. 812-385-2641 • Up to 1 Acre • 21.5 HP & 23 HP Kawasaki engine • 42" & 54" Decks • 3-year/300 Hour Limited Warranty • Up to 1 Acre • 18 HP & 21.5 HP Kawasaki engine • 42" & 54" Decks • 3-year/300 Hour Limited Warranty Premium upgrades and added comfort with a more premium seat and Flex Forks ™ for a smoother ride. All the performance and reliability Hustler is know for in a simple and durable design. Memmer's Hardware & Outdoor Power 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 The year 2021 brings changes to the cemetery. Danny and Debbie Leslie have assumed the duties of trustees, and we need your help to continue the excellent standard of upkeep our cemetery has enjoyed through the years. Your support is critical in maintaining the quality care of the grounds. Thank You. Annual Plea for Mowing Support Danny and Debbie Leslie 4105 North Co. Rd. 375 West, Petersburg 812-582-8896 ank you for all your past support. Please continue this year. Williams Cemetery West Highway 56, Bowman, IN GUY ERVIN COCKERHAM Guy Ervin Cockerham, 80, of Fort Branch, formerly of Petersburg, passed away on Sunday, April 25, 2021, at Deaconess Gateway Hospital in Evansville, with his family by his side. He was born on June 27, 1940, to Louie Ervin and Ella Mae (Leffler) Cockerham in a log cabin in the Knox Coun- ty Bottoms, near the White River. He always called it the "old homeplace" and shared great stories of growing up there. He always said "we didn't have much in this world, but we had love and we had each other." He attended school at Mon- roe City and Petersburg High School with the Class of 1958. He worked at several jobs at an early age and started work- ing at Potter and Brumfield in Princeton on October 25, 1961, and retired from Pot- ter and Brumfield/Siemens in 1998. He loved playing cards, hunting arrowheads and mushrooms, collecting an- tiques and playing the gui- tar, making up songs for the kids. Most importantly, he loved spending time with his family and all the grandkids. He never met a stranger, and family and friends called him "Guybo." He is survived by his wife, Bonnie (Lange) Cockerham, of Fort Branch, whom he mar- ried on July 30, 1993; his chil- dren, Rick (Melody) Cock- erham, of Washington, Suz- ie (David) Sorgius, of Otwell, Teresa ( John) Walters and Sheli (Everett) Dillon, both of Petersburg, and Greg (Le- ah) Davis and Stacy Davis, both of Haubstadt; 14 grand- kids; numerous great-grand- kids; brother, Ray Dell Cock- erham, of Dublin, Ohio; aunt, Betty Barnett, of Petersburg; and several nieces, nephews and cousins. He was preceded in death by his parents, Louie and El- la Mae Cockerham; sister and brother-in-law, Geral- dine (Deanie) and Harry Lee; brother, Bobby Dale Cocker- ham; Ronnie Drew; and an in- fant sister at birth. Funeral services will be at 2 p.m. EDT on Friday, April 30, 2021, at O.D. Harris Funer- al Home in Petersburg, with Pastor Lowell Thomas offici- ating. Burial will follow at Wal- nut Hills Cemetery. Visitation will be from 10 a.m. until service time on Fri- day at the funeral home. Memorial contributions may be made to Shriners Hos- pital for Children. O.D. Harris Funeral Home is entrusted with his care. On- line condolences may be made at odharrisfuneralhome.com. LUCINDA ANN JOHNSON Lucinda Ann Johnson, 78, of Oakland City, passed away on April 24, 2021, at home, after a long battle with health issues. She was born February 8, 1943, to Frank and Juanita Smith. She married her high school sweetheart, Jerry, on June 2, 1961, in Oakland City. She was blessed with a large and loving family, and enjoyed her children and grandchil- dren immensely. She raised four beautiful children with patience, discipline and humil- ity. She enjoyed reading and spending time at her camper at Patoka Lake, loved coach- ing softball, watching her chil- dren and grandchildren play sports, was an avid puzzler, looked forward to every trip to Hawaii to visit her sister, Beti, and, of course, loved watching her Dodgers play. She retired from the U.S. Postal Service in 2003, after 24 years of service. She is survived by her hus- band of 60 years, Jerry; chil- dren, Tricia, Brant ( Wendy), Tara (Tucker) and Tamala (Steve) McCullough; grand- children, Caden, Presley, Cameron, Kaleigh, Austin, Kennedy, Jax and Rylee; and siblings, Elmer Smith, Pete (Lana) Smith, Beti Suetsugu, Bill (Terri) Smith and Pat(- Carol) Smith. She was preceded in death by her parents; brother, Gil- bert Smith; sister-in-law, Nancy Smith; brother-in-law, Ralph Suetsugu; and grand- son, Connor McCullough. Services will be at 10 a.m. on Thursday, April 29, 2021, at Lamb-Basham Memorial Chapel, with Dr. Douglas Low officiating. Burial will follow in New Liberty Cemetery. Visitation will be from 4- 8 p.m. on Wednesday at the chapel. Limited seating will be available for the service. Social distancing is required and masks are recommended. Memorial contributions can be made to Good Shepherd United Methodist Church in Oakland City. Family and friends may send messages of comfort to www.lambbash- am.com. The family would like to es- pecially thank the caring staff at Deaconess Gibson Gener- al Rehab for their exception- al care of Cindy and Deacon- ess Heart Group rehab that worked with Cindy for years. MARY L. ARMSTRONG Mary L. Armstrong, 85 of Jasper, passed away at 4:03 p.m. on Wednesday, April 21, 2021, at Memorial Hospi- tal and Health Care Center in Jasper. She was born in Velpen on February 10, 1936, to Andrew and Josephine ( Wright) Ross. She married Howard E. Arm- strong on January 9, 1956. He preceded her in death on Sep- tember 6, 2000. She began her career in production at local factories in Jasper. She later got her as- sociate degree as a CMA (Cer- tified Medical Assistant) and worked for several doctors' offices in Dubois County. She was extremely active as a vol- unteer at the Crisis Connec- tion in Jasper. She was known for her cookies at their bake sales. She was well-liked by customers and employees at Wal-Mart, where she spent her later years as a greet- er. When her parents passed away, she assumed guard- ianship over her siblings, en- suring all three had a fulfill- ing life. She enjoyed staying busy. She was a very active lady, who was also involved in her grand- children's lives. She enjoyed fishing trips with her grand- children, baking and garden- ing. No matter how tired she was, she always had time for her grandchildren. She was an active mem- ber of the Indiana State A A- MA (American Association of Medical Assistants). She be- came president of the organi- zation and traveled all over the United States for their conven- tions. She was a Jehovah's Wit- ness at Kingdom Hall in Jas- per. Surviving is one daugh- ter, Ann Armstrong, of Jas- per; one sister, Sylvia Ross, of Jasper; one daughter-in- law, Naydine Armstrong, of Loogootee; five grandchil- dren; five great-grandchil- dren; three step-great-grand- children; nieces and nephews; and three sisters-in-laws, Ju- dy Crane, Esther Grundhoefer and Linda Beard. Preceding her death was one son, Bill Armstrong; one daughter, Wanda Ross, who died in infancy; two brothers, Gary and Raymond Ross; one sister, Agnes Ross; and three brothers and two sisters, who died in infancy. Funeral services were at 1 p.m. on Tuesday, April 27, 2021, at the Becher Kluesner Funeral Home North Chapel in Jasper, with Pastor David Chinn officiating. Burial fol- lowed at Mount Zion Ceme- tery in Ireland. A visitation was from 11 a.m. until service time at the chapel. In lieu of flowers, memori- al contributions may be made to the Mount Zion's Cemetery Fund, 995 Carroll Street, Jas- per, IN 47546 or to the wishes of the family. Online condolences may be made at www.becherkluesner. com. WANDA LEE HOUCHINS Wanda Lee Houchins, 92, of Washington, formerly of Petersburg, entered rest on Wednesday, April 21, 2021, at The Legends Village in Wash- ington. She was born on Jan. 15, 1929, in Petersburg, to Wil- lard and Merl (Hunt) English. She was a member of Littles General Baptist Church and a Sunday school teacher. She is survived by a son, Terrell D. (Shelley) Houch- ins, of Washington; daugh- ter, Thessa Wichael, of Fire- stone, Colo.; grandchildren, Andrea (Barry) Clegg, of Vin- cennes, Robin (Matt) Tricker, of Danville, Jason and Stepha- nie Houchins, of Petersburg, Natalie and Jamie Young, and Lindsay (Orlando) Do- thard, of Longmont, Colo.; 12 great-grandchildren; and a sister, Kathleen Barrett, of Petersburg. She was preceded in death by her parents; husband, For- rest Houchins; son, Mitch Houchins; and brothers, Dil- lard and Ishamel English. Services were at noon on Monday, April 26, 2021, at Lamb-Basham Memorial Chapel, with Rev. Keith Jen- kins officiating. Burial fol- lowed in Walnut Hills Ceme- tery in Petersburg. Visitation was from 10 a.m. EDT until service time on Monday at the chapel. Family and friends may send messages of comfort to www.lambbasham.com. BRIAN K. DAVIS Brian K. Davis, 57, of Vin- cennes, passed away on Satur- day, April 24, 2021, at his res- idence. He was born August 12, 1963, in Georgia, to Dean and Kay (Hendershot) Smith. He was a mechanic working for Southern Indiana Tire and DJ Auto. He enjoyed camping and fishing, and loved being around his grandchildren. He is survived by his chil- dren, Eric Davis, of Vincennes, Tyler (Courtney) Davis, of Pe- tersburg, Taylor (Ethan) Har- vey, of Monroe City, and Bri- ana Davis, of Vincennes; his siblings, Jeanette Johnson of Bruceville, Janie Vaughn, of Vincennes, Tammy Davis, of Vincennes, Bill Davis, of Vin- cennes, Heath Smith, of Riv- erton, Wyo., Robbin Smith, of Riverton, Wyo., Lynn Men- chaco, of Riverton, Wyo., and Dean Smith, of California; and 10 grandchildren he adored. Preceding him in death were his father, Dean Smith; his mother and stepfather, Kay and Burnell Davis; a brother, Alan Davis; and a sister, Jea- nette Swope. Visitation will be from 4-7 p.m. on Thursday, April 29, 2021, at Goodwin Sievers Fu- neral Home, 524 Broadway, Vincennes. Goodwin-Sievers Funeral Home is honored to serve the family of Brian Davis. LINDA R ATCLIFF Linda Ratcliff, 78, of Mi- amisburg, Ohio, passed away March 25, 2021. She was a member of the Winslow High School Class of 1961. She was an active member of Normandy Church in Cen- terville, Ohio. She particular- ly enjoyed singing in the choir. She was also an active mem- ber in the Centerville Wom- en's Civic Club and PEO. She volunteered her time working at Hospice of Dayton. She was known as a loving, giving and kind person. She is survived by her be- loved husband, Mike Ratcliff; children, Catherine Ratcliff, David Ratcliff and Ann (Av- ery) Turner; five grandchil- dren; sisters, Diana ( John) LaViolette and Sue (Doug) Waddell; and numerous ex- tended family and dear friends. A memorial service is cur- rently pending. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to St. Vincent DePaul, House of Bread and/ or Dayton Food Bank, in Lin- da's memory. MARILYN SCHWARTZ Marilyn Schwartz, 67, passed away at 3:18 p.m. on Sunday, April 25, 2021, at Da- viess Community Hospital. She was born in Daviess County on April 31, 1953, the daughter of Woodrow Wilson and Edith Irene (Taylor) Rus- sell. She had been a registered nurse, working for Washing- ton Nursing Center and was of the Catholic Faith. She en- joyed crafts, music and mys- tery movies. Survivors include her son, Stacey Long, of Washington; sisters, Gayle Kirkpatrick and Susie Kendall, both of Wash- ington; brothers, Ronnie Rus- sell, of Petersburg, and Ter- ORVILLE JUNIOR SKINNER Orville Junior "Sonny" Skin- ner, 86, of Oakland City, en- tered rest on Thursday, April 22, 2021, at his home. He was born on July 6, 1934, west of Spurgeon, to Orville and Beatrice (Griffith) Skin- ner. He met Helen while in high school and they were married on May 22, 1954, moving to Ohio, where Sonny went to work building electric power plants for four years. He, Hel- en and two boys moved back to Oakland City, purchased 29 acres and started farming. Spending a lot of time camp- ing in the local area, he en- joyed fishing and traveling to several different camp sites. He had worked at Blackfoot and Old Ben Coal Mine 1, and retired after 35 years. He was a member of U.M.W.A., Local 5179, Oakland City Masonic Lodge # 467 and the NR A. He is survived by his wife of 67 years, Helen (Clar- idge) Skinner; son, Ronnie (April) Skinner, of Oakland City; sister, Betty Simmons, of Oakland City; grandchil- dren, Zachary Skinner, Jeff (Bridgett) Skinner, Beth (Zack) Eversole and Emi- ly (Christian) Hoskins; and great-grandchildren, Taylor Skinner, Autumn Skinner, Ka- son Skinner and Corlyn Skin- ner. He was preceded in death by his parents; and son, James Edward Skinner. Graveside services were at 11:30 a.m. (Pike Time) on Tuesday, April 27, 2021, at Blackfoot Cemetery, with Rev. Gary Pancake officiating. Lamb-Basham Memorial Chapel was honored to assist Sonny's family. Family and friends may send messages of comfort to www.lambbasham.com. KEITH A. HUNT Keith A. Hunt, 78, of Ha- zelton, entered rest on Sun- day, April 25, 2021, at Linda White Hospice in Evansville. He was born on February 23, 1943, in Oakland City, to Monroe and Helen Hunt. He served in the United States Army during the Ko- rean War. He was a mem- ber of St. Joseph Catholic Church in Princeton, N.R.A and A.Q.H.A. He was retired from Branchville Correction- al Facility. He is survived by his wife, Pat (O'Neal) Hunt; five grand- children; two great-grandchil- dren; sister, Debbie Haseman, of Jasonville; and brothers, Phil Hunt, of O'Fallon, Mo., and Roger Hunt, of Brookville, Ohio. He was preceded in death his parents; sons, Kristopher Hunt and Michael A. Hunt. Funeral services will be at 2 p.m. on Sunday May 2, 2021, at Lamb-Basham Memorial Chapel. Burial will follow in Union Community Cemetery. Visitation will be from noon until service time on Sunday at the chapel. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, social distancing is required and masks are rec- ommended. Family and friends may send messages of comfort to www.lambbasham.com. ry Russell, of Washington; two grandchildren; and four great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her parents; sisters, Bever- ly Cutshaw, Sharon Byrer and Janice Mayes; and her broth- ers, Woody, Jack, Harold and Butch Russell. Her wishes were to be cre- mated and a celebration of life service will be announced at a later date. Goodwin-Sievers Funeral Home is honored to be entrusted with the care of Marilyn. Obituary Deadline Every Monday at 5 p.m.