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Date of these obituaries: 03-08-2002
Ralph Robke, car dealer, civic leader
Two years ago, when illness prevented Ralph G. Robke from driving anymore, he had to turn to his daughter to help him get around.
The experience, said Elinor Anne Robke-Comer, showed her how much others loved him.
"Everywhere we went, people would come out and see him, " Ms. Robke-Comer, of Crescent Springs, said of her father, who ran local car dealerships for 60 years. "I was lucky. I had a father who was very special, and the whole town thought so."
Mr. Robke, 90, of Lakeside Park, died at 2:05 p.m. Wednesday at St. Elizabeth Medical Center South, Edgewood, in his daughter's arms.
He breathed deeply three times, she said, and with his last breath, said the word "love."
He was staring at something no one else could see, something that pleased him, his daughter said.
"It was a beautiful death, " Ms. Robke-Comer said.
Many met Mr. Robke when they bought a new car.
He was past president and co-owner of Progressive Oldsmobile, Cincinnati; past owner of Rockcastle Cadillac & Oldsmobile, Covington; and president and owner of Robke Chevrolet.
Others knew him through his memberships in civic and charitable groups.
He was a former president of the Madison Avenue Building Association; Grand Knight of the Knights of Columbus, Bishop Carroll Council, Covington; first president of Tours Inc.; board member of Peoples Liberty Bank, Covington; past regional director of Alhambra International; past Knights of Columbus chairman; owner and founder of Robke Insurance, Covington, and ReBelawn Realty.
He also was a member of Blessed Sacrament Church, Fort Mitchell, and the Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption, Covington, as well as the Covington Elks. He was an Army veteran of World War II.
Besides his daughter, survivors include his wife, Clara Catherine Robke; a son, Ralph Charles "Bud" Robke of Edgewood; a daughter, Barbara Lee Robke-Callahan of Woodburn, Ore.; two brothers, John Robke and Charles Robke, both of Fort Mitchell; seven grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren.
Mass of Christian burial will be at 10 a.m. Saturday at The Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption. Visitation will begin there at 9 a.m. Saturday. Entombment will be in St. Mary Mausoleum, Fort Mitchell.
Memorials are suggested to Diocesan Catholic Children's Home, 75 Orphanage Road, Fort Mitchell, Ky. 41017.
Nuna Mae Burton, 76, of Astatula, Fla., died Wednesday in Eustis, Fla.
She was a meat cutter with Schlacter Meats, formerly in Covington.
Survivors include daughters, Sue Ellis of Vanceburg, and Donna Herron and Debbie Davidson, both of California state; sons, Bob Hallmark of Grayson, David Brown of California and Don Chapman of Elsmere; a brother, Robert Eldridge of Fredricksburg, Va.; 18 grandchildren and 14 great-grandchildren.
Services will be at 10 a.m. Saturday at Linnemann Funeral Home, Erlanger. Visitation will be at 8 a.m. Saturday at the funeral home. Burial will be in Forest Lawn Cemetery, Erlanger.
Ronald E. Eckart, 71, of Florence, died Thursday at St. Elizabeth Medical Center South, Edgewood.
Arrangements are pending at Stith Funeral Home, Florence.
Roscoe Barger Eversole Sr., 92, formerly of Newport, died Tuesday at Northside Hospital and Heart Institute, St. Petersburg, Fla.
He was a retired machinist and an Army veteran of World War II.
Survivors include a daughter, Betty Bachman of Newport; a sister, Dora McLaughlin of Mount Dora, Ohio; 13 grandchildren, 23 great- grandchildren nine great-great-grandchildren.
Services will be at 1 p.m. Saturday at Cooper Funeral Home, Grants Lick. Visitation will be at 11 a.m. Saturday at the funeral home. Burial will be in Oakland Cemetery, Grants Lick.
Kathleen Carroll Fairbanks, 70, of Fort Mitchell, died Wednesday at her home.
She was a retired executive director of SUMA Social Services and a member of Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption. Two sons, Edward Fairbanks and Michael Fairbanks, and a daughter, Victoria Fairbanks, all preceded her in death.
Survivors include sons, Greg Fairbanks of Fort Mitchell and John Fairbanks of Colerain Township, Ohio; daughters, Margaret Zielinski of Alexandria, Va., Anne Reed of Middletown, Ohio, Elizabeth Brown of Rhinelander, Wisc., Kathleen Andres of Newport and Patricia Crouch and Jane Messmer, both of Edgewood; a sister, Jane Luerson of Louisville; 18 grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
Mass of Christian burial will be at 10 a.m. Saturday at St. Agnes Church, Fort Wright. Visitation will be from 8:30 to 9:45 a.m. Saturday at Middendorf-Bullock Funeral Home, Covington. Burial will be in St. John Cemetery, Fort Mitchell.
Memorials are suggested to The Point, ARC of Northern Kentucky, 104 Pike St., Covington, Ky. 41011.
Viola Gaskins, 84, of Southgate, died at 3:20 p.m. Wednesday at University Hospital, Cincinnati. She was a homemaker, retired salesperson and had a Cincinnati Enquirer newspaper route.
She also was a member of First Baptist Church, Newport, a former Girl Scout Leader, former member of PTA in the Newport city schools and a member of the Newport High School Alumni Association.
Survivors include her husband, Howard Gaskins; daughters, Linda LaVelle of Villa Hills and Diane Gaskins of Fort Thomas; and four grandchildren.
Services will be at 11 a.m. Saturday at Muehlenkamp-Erschell Funeral Home, Newport. Visitation will be from 5 to 8 p.m. today at the funeral home. Burial will be in Evergreen Cemetery, Southgate.
Memorials are suggested to First Baptist Churuch of Newport, E. 8th and York Streets, Newport, Ky. 41071 or to Arthritis Foundation, 7811 Laurel Ave., Madeira, Ohio 45243.
Adam Howard Hatton, 69, of Florence, died Wednesday at his home.
He was a truck driver, a member of East Bend Baptist Church, Union, and an Army veteran of the Korean War.
Survivors include his daughters, Lena Kaye Christman of Florence and Marcia Gail Webb and Cynthia Rae Anderson, both of Burlington; brothers, Sylvester Hatton of Rousseau and David Hatton of Huber Heights, Ohio, sisters, Bessie Bowling of Lynchburg, Ohio, Josephine Greer of Kettering, Ohio, and Alene Moore of Huber Heights; seven grandchildren and a great-grandchild.
Services will be at 11 a.m. Saturday at Stith Funeral Home, Florence. Visitation will be at 9 a.m. Saturday at the funeral home. Burial will be in Burlington Cemetery.
Charles Edward Hull, 66, of Maysville, died Thursday at Meadowview Regional Medical Center, Maysville.
He was a self-employed contractor, a member of the Mill Creek Christian Church and the Trinity Fish and Game Club. A grandson, Jeremy Charles Beckett, preceded him in death.
Survivors include his wife, Nancy Bramel Hull; daughters, Beth Soward and Cheryl Gallagher, both of Maysville; a sister, Vicki Day of Lexington; a brother, Donnie Hull of Mays Lick; and three grandchildren.
Services will be at 2 p.m. Saturday at Brell Funeral Home, Maysville. Visitation will be at 11 a.m. Saturday at the funeral home. Burial will be in the Hillcrest Cemetery, Maysville.
David Lowe Jr., 79, of Walton, died Wednesday at St. Elizabeth Medical Center North, Covington He was a retired painting contractor.
Survivors include his wife, Mabel Lowe; a son, David T. Lowe of Dry Ridge; a daughter, Jean Carlette Trujillo of Port Richey, Fla.; a sister, Christine Miner of Flor ence; nine grandchildren, 12 great-grandchildren and three great-great-grandchildren.
Services will be at 10 a.m. Monday at Chambers and Grubbs Funeral Home, Independence. Visitation will be from 4 to 7 p.m. Sunday at the funeral home. Burial will be in Independence Cemetery.
Herman McClanahan, 101, of Cynthiana, died Thursday at Harrison Memorial Hospital, Cynthiana.
He was a retired farmer and a member of the First United Methodist Church, Cynthiana, and Cynthiana Lions Club.
His wives, Lucy Mae Coy McClanahan and Louise Florence Lyons McClanahan; daughters, Garnetta McClanahan and Judy McClanahan; and sons, Melvin McClanahan, Donald Wayne McClanahan and Jerry McClanahan, all preceded him in death.
Survivors include several nieces and nephews.
Services will be at 1 p.m. Monday at Ware Funeral Home, Cynthiana. Visitation will be from 4 to 7 p.m. Sunday at the funeral home. Burial will be in Battle Grove Cemetery, Cynthiana.
Memorials are suggested to First United Methodist Church, 302 E. Pike St., Cynthiana, Ky. 41031.
Donald Farrell McElheney, 62, of Louisville, formerly of Somerset, died Wednesday at his home.
He was a retired section manager of the process technology department for Arch Chemicals, Louisville, a member of Memorial United Methodist Church, Louisville, and Moose Lodge on Fegenbush Lane, Louisville.
Survivors include a daughter, Donna Carol McElheney of Louisville; parents, Mildred and Wilfred McElheney of Lou isville; brothers, William McElheney of Fort Mitchell and Richard McElheney of Hebron; companion, Cary Dabney of Louisville; and former wife, Carol McElheney of Louisville.
Services will be at 12:30 p.m. Saturday at Owen Funeral Home, Louisville. Visitation will be from 3 to 9 p.m. today at the funeral home and again at 10 a.m. Saturday at the funeral home. Burial will be in Resthaven Cemetery, Louisville.
Memorials are suggested to Lustgarten Foundation for Pancreatic Cancer Research, 1111 Stewart Ave., Bethpage, N.Y. 11714.
Helen M. Murphy, 74, of Morning View, died at 3:30 p.m. Thursday at St. Luke Hospital East, Fort Thomas.
She was a dry cleaner clerk.
Survivors include her husband, Richard Murphy; and brothers, John Laile of Westwood, Ohio, and Frank Laile of Florence.
Services will be at 11 a.m. Saturday at Swindler and Currin Funeral Home, Independence. Visitation will be at 10 a.m. Saturday at the funeral home. Burial will be in Forest Lawn Cemetery, Erlanger.
Earl Douglas Rachford, 79, of Melbourne, died at 8:25 p.m. Wednesday at St. Luke Hospital East, Fort Thomas. He was a car inspector for C&0 Railroad and a member of Masonic Lodge No. 916, Silver Grove.
Survivors include a sister, Gladys McCarthy of Melbourne.
Services will be at the convenience of the family.
Memorials are suggested to Campbell County Animal Shelter, P.O. Box 97, Melbourne, Ky. 41059.
Cremation Society of Greater Cincinnati, Newport, is handling arrangements.
Virginia Sullivan, 78, of Falmouth, died today at her home. Her husband, Cecil Sullivan, preceded her in death.
Arrangements are pending at Woodhead Funeral Home in Falmouth.
Cecilia Conlon Thompson, 84, of Fort Thomas, died at 6:40 a.m. Thursday at her daughter's home in Cincinnati.
She was a retired registered nurse for Newport Steel, Newport, and the Veterans Administration in Fort Thomas, and a member of St. Thomas 55 Club, Siena Seniors and Campbell County Seniors.
Survivors include a daughter, Terry O'Brien of Cincinnati; a son, Ed Thompson of Buffalo, N.Y.; and five grandchildren.
Mass of Christian burial will be at 10:30 a.m. Monday at St. Thomas Church, Fort Thomas. Visitation will be from 9 to 10 a.m. Monday at Muehlenkamp-Erschell Funeral Home, Fort Thomas. Prayers will be at 10 a.m. Monday at the funeral home. Burial will be in St. Joseph Cemetery, Cincinnati.
Memorials are suggested to Ursuline Academy, 5535 Pfeiffer Rd., Cincinnati, Ohio 45242 or to St. Xavier High School, 600 W. North Bend Rd., Cincinnati, Ohio 45224.
