Penny Louise Bartholomew
Penny Louise Bartholomew, of Chesterton, died Thursday, May 30, 2002 at University of Chicago Hospitals. She was 45.
She was born July 17, 1956 in Chicago Heights, the daughter of Robert and Noreen Nelson of Lansing, Illinois.
On September 14, 1979 in Lansing, she married Charles Michael Bartholomew, who survives in Chesterton.
She is also survived by three children, Mary Bartholomew of Valparaiso, Charles Joseph and Robert Michael Bartholomew of Chesterton; a brother, Rick Nelson of Lansing, Ill. and Tina Haro.
She was Features Editor for United Press International since 1990. She was a member of the Wire Service Guild.
Funeral services, Rev. Brenda Ludwig officiating, are scheduled at 11 a.m., Thursday, June 6 at Bartholomew Funeral Home, Valparaiso. Interment will be at Memorial Park Cemetery in Valparaiso.
Visitation is scheduled from 4-8 p.m. Wednesday at Bartholomew Funeral Home, 102 Monroe St., Valparaiso.
Memorials may be made to Contact Cares in Valparaiso, Pine Ridge Sioux Reservation, South Dakota or any NO-KILL Cat shelter of your choice.
Penny Louise Nelson Bartholomew
CHICAGO, May 30 -- Penny Louise Nelson Bartholomew, who wrote, edited and published numerous columns and features for United Press International over a distinguished career of more than 20 years with the news agency, died Thursday at the University of Chicago Hospitals. She was 45.
Doctors said she had suffered four cardiac arrests since being transferred to Chicago May 20 from a hospital in Michigan City, Ind. An autopsy will be performed to determine the cause of death.
Bartholomew, a former broadcaster who joined UPI in 1981, produced columns that were used around the world, including "Today in Music," "Entertainment Today," "Of Human Interest," "Hot Buttons," "Jockstrip" and the Almanac.
Each day she saw that 14 columns and features moved without fail on the UPI wires. She wrote some, edited others.
"Penny was a gifted writer, a real pro, with a sharp wit and wonderful sense of humor," said Bruce Cook, UPI senior editor.
"She was a UPI treasure."
Bartholomew, of Chesterton, Ind., became ill in early May, experiencing severe breathing problems. She was taken to a local hospital but doctors sent her home, saying they could find nothing seriously wrong. Shortly afterward, on May 6, Bartholomew was admitted to St. Anthony Memorial Health Center in Michigan City, Ind. Her condition gradually worsened and she was transferred to Chicago.
She died at 12:42 p.m. CDT in the intensive care unit of the Bernard Mitchell Hospital complex at the University of Chicago Hospitals, said her husband, Mike Bartholomew, a free-lance writer.
Bartholomew, who worked at her home and called herself the "Feature Creature," loved cats. She had seven of them and "a dog who thinks he's a cat." She liked to tell stories about the pets and sometimes featured one of them in a column.
"My computer just crashed. One of the cats tipped a drink on the keyboard," she once told a fellow editor in a telephone call.
Bartholomew was a legendary figure to UPI employees past and present. Most had never met her.
"Like most of us, I never met Penny in person," said UPI National Editor Harold Martin. "I spoke with her once or twice and she was a hoot to talk to. But above all, she was a legend for her energy and drive to turn out day after day a product that every client cried for. Even if nothing else moved, they would scream for the columns she produced. And she never let them down. Even in sickness she seemed always anxious to get back to 'Of Human Interest,' 'Today in Music,' the almanacs, and other columns she so carefully crafted."
"Penny was a pro," said UPI writer Pat Nason, who worked closely with Bartholomew over the years and often pinch-hit for her when she was on vacation. "She was as productive and reliable as anyone I have ever known. She set a high standard for the rest of us."
"I'm terribly sorry to hear this news," said Elizabeth Manning, deputy international editor. "I never met Penny in my seven years or so with UPI, but the talent I saw on the wire more than confirmed her reputation as a Unipresser in our finest tradition."
Bartholomew was born July 17, 1956, and raised in Lansing, Ill., a south suburb of Chicago. She was the first in her family to attend college, first the University of Chicago and then the University of Illinois at Chicago. It was in 1975 at UIC that she began working for the college radio station and was bitten by the broadcasting bug. She changed her major from biology/pre-medicine to speech/mass communications, the closest thing to journalism the university offered. She graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in 1978.
In May 1977, Bartholomew got her first "real" radio job -- running the control board and doing some production work at WYCA-FM in Hammond, Ind., and later branching out into news and editorial writing. Other radio stations she worked for included WJOB-AM (Hammond), WWMM-FM (Arlington Heights, Ill.) and WDAI-FM (Chicago).
In February 1981, while working as the morning news writer for WCFL-AM in Chicago, Bartholomew heard about a job opening in the national broadcast department at UPI's Chicago bureau. She applied and was hired, starting work for UPI on March 2, 1981.
From December 1987 until March 1988, Bartholomew did a call-in segment every Friday morning on WMAQ-AM (Chicago), discussing the weird and wacky news of the week. She continued to write broadcast news for what was called UPR until late October 1990, when she was promoted to features editor, a position she continued to hold through the company's many changes. In 1983 she participated in the first Chicago commercial radio broadcast of a live birth, her daughter, Mary Elizabeth.
She is survived by her husband of 22 years, Michael Bartholomew, 53; her daughter, Mary Elizabeth, 19; two sons, Charles Joseph, 17, and Robert Michael, 13; parents Robert and Noreen Nelson; a brother; a sister; and her beloved cats Tansy, Willow, Pepper, Saffron, Clover, Ivy, and Jasmine.
Funeral arrangements are pending at Bartholomew Funeral Home in Valparaiso, Indiana.
Juliana Josephine Clark
Juliana Josephine Clark, of Pierceton, Ind., died May 29, 2002 at Mason’s Health Care in Warsaw, Ind. She was 92.
She was born February 7, 1910 in LaPorte, Ind. the daughter of Joseph and Kathryn (Lopatka) Blanda, who preceded her in death.
On June 8, 1938 in Valparaiso, she married A. Edmond Clark Sr., who preceded her in death June 9, 1998.
She is survived by her only child, Arthur E. Clark Jr., (Eddie) and his wife Roberta Ann, of Chesterton; two grandchildren, JoAnn Lynn (Ryan Jay) Koepke of Michigan City and Donald Racy Clark and his fiancée Heather Louise Barus of Valparaiso.; two great-granddaughters, Kaitlyn Brook and Alexandria Jean, both of Michigan City.
She was also preceded in death by three brothers, Jim, Walter and Henry, all of LaPorte; two sisters, Dr. Nell Grudowski DPM of Chicago and Rose Waugauman of LaPorte; many dear friends and her husband’s family; Nancy Stoddard and Julia Harrison.
She was a former resident of Gary, Ind. She was a housewife and member of 1st Presbyterian Church, Pierceton, Ind.
Funeral services, Jerry Hartman officiating, are scheduled at 1 p.m., Saturday, June 1 at McHatton-Sadler Funeral Chapel, Warsaw, Ind. Interment will be at Washington Union Cemetery, Pierceton, Ind.
Visitation is scheduled from 6-8 p.m. Friday at McHatton-Sadler Funeral Chapel, 2290 Provident Court, Warsaw, Ind.
Beatrice R. Castle
Beatrice R. Castle, of Burns Harbor, died Monday, June 3, 2002 at Porter Memorial Hospital, Valparaiso. She was 83.
She was born April 1, 1919 in Rock Island, Illinois, the daughter of Jay and Lura (Lounsbury) Baldwin, who preceded her in death.
On June 4, 1938 in Chicago she married William S. Castle, who preceded her in death on March 20, 1982.
She is survived by two sons, George W. (Irma) Castle and Richard C. Castle, both of Burns Harbor; a daughter, Carolyn (Jack) Deuitch of Fish Lake, Ind.; two brothers, Donald (Helen) Baldwin of Ira Hill, N.Y. and Ted Baldwin of Hannibal, N.Y., nine grandchildren and 17 great grandchildren.
She was also preceded in death by a sister, Bernice DeVito.
She was a local resident since 1946 and was a home maker. She was a member of Porter United Methodist Church and was a 4-H leader for 35 years. She was also a Founding Member of Westport Community Club.
Funeral services, Rev. Edward Mitchell officiating, are scheduled at 10 a.m., Thursday, June, 6 at Edmonds & Evans Funeral Home. Interment will be at Chapel Hills Gardens West, Elmhurst, Ill.
Visitation is scheduled from 4-8 p.m., Wednesday at Edmonds & Evans Funeral Home, 517 Broadway, Chesterton.
Memorials may be made to either the American Cancer Society or to Breast Cancer Research Fund.
David McAfee
David McAfee, of Portage, died Saturday, June 1, 2002 at Porter Memorial Hospital, Valparaiso. He was 48.
He was born in Plymouth, Indiana, the son of the late Walter Hanes McAfee and Rebecca (Roden) McAfee, who survives in Portage.
On February 23, 1985 in Newport News, Virginia, he married Mary Wallace, who survives in Portage.
He is also survived by brothers Daniel (Carol) McAfee of Belleville, Ill., Peter (Sharon) McAfee of Valparaiso, Ind., Paul McAfee of Valparaiso and Matthew (Diana) McAfee of Valparaiso.
He was employed since 1997 in the Security Department of Rural Metro. He served with both the U.S. Army and U.S. Air Force and attended Bible Baptist Church in Portage.
Funeral services, Rev. Donald Good officiating, are scheduled Wednesday, June 5 at 11 a.m. at Edmonds & Evans Funeral Home, Portage Chapel. Interment will be at McCool Cemetery, Portage.
Visitation is scheduled from 4-8 p.m. Tuesday at Edmonds & Evans Funeral Home Portage Chapel, 6941 Central Ave., Portage.
Allison Margery Thedens
Allison Margery Thedens, of Chesterton, died Thursday, August 1, 2002 at V.N.A. Horton Hospice Center, Valparaiso. She was 78.
She was born September 30, 1923 in Chicago, the daughter of John and Elsie (Denham) Clark, who preceded her in death.
On February 14, 1942 in Chicago, she married Harold Thedens, who preceded her in death August 5, 1982.
She is survived by a daughter, Virginia (Ron) Lhotak of Chesterton; a brother, Richard (Sylvia) Clark of Boston, Mass.; four sisters, Virginia Clark of Orland Park, Ill., Beverly Dahlen of Redwing, Minn.; Joanne Malxin of Phoenix, Ariz., Patricia (Robert) Bagdon of New Mexico; three grandchildren and six great grandchildren.
She was also preceded in death by a brother, Orville Clark and two sisters, Kay Seavertson and Mary Jane Sherko.
She was a resident for 19 years coming from Chicago. She was a home maker.
Funeral services, Father James Meade officiating, are scheduled at 10 a.m. Monday at Edmonds & Evans Funeral Home. Interment will be at Chapel Hill Cemetery, Oak Lawn, Ill.
Visitation is scheduled from 3-8 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 4 at Edmonds & Evans Funeral Home, 517 Broadway, Chesterton.
Memorials may be made to VNA Horton Hospice Center, 2404 Valparaiso, IN 46384.
Renate Kulczycki
Renate Kulczycki, of Chesterton, formerly of Chicago, died Tuesday, July 30, 2002 at the waters of Duneland Health Care Center, Chesterton. She was 75.
She was born December 13, 1926 in Germany.
She was married to Walter Kulcyzcki, who preceded her in death.
She is survived by a daughter, Barbara (Robert) Stevens of Chesterton and four sisters.
She was employed as a secretary at Sarnecki Brothers catering hall in Chicago. She was a member of Westchester Senior Citizens Club.
A funeral service was held at 11 a.m. Friday at Adalbert Cemetery, 6800 Milwaukee Ave., Niles, Ill. She was interred at Adalbert Cemetery.
No visitation was scheduled.
Memorials may be made to the Porter County Cancer Society or to the charity of the donor’s choice.
Arrangements were under the direction of Edmonds & Evans Funeral Home, Chesterton.
