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Date of these obituaries: 02-07-2002
Sister Philomene Claessens, teacher and mother superior
In her long life, Sister M. Philo mene Claessens made a lasting impression on hundreds of young girls.
As a teacher at Our Lady of the Highlands School in Fort Thomas, she shared her wisdom and offered a guiding hand to her students.
She was so influential that many of her former students sent her letters when they became adults, telling her of their families, troubles and their faith.
Each night before turning in, Sister Philomene made time to read each letter.
"She made a big difference in many, many lives, " said Sister Mary Komar, who knew Sister Philomene for more than 40 years. "She had a joyful outlook and a wonderful sense of humor."
Sister Philomene, R.G.S., 101, of Fort Thomas, died at 10:02 p.m. Monday at Sisters of the Good Shepherd Home, Fort Thomas. She was a former mother superior at Our Lady of the Highlands Con vent. She also worked at Religious of the Good Shepherd congrega tion schools in Cleveland and Grand Rapids, Mich.
Sister Philomene, who earned a doctorate from John Carroll University in Cleveland, came to the area in 1959. Although she enjoyed and excelled in many disciplines, her favorite subject was biology.
That prompted her to spend considerable time in the garden with her students. Friends say Sister Philomene could name any plant or tree in the yard on sight.
The garden did, however, match Sister Philomene with the only en emy she ever made in her long, fulfilling life.
"She didn't like gophers, " Sister Mary said. "They gave her a lot of problems."
Survivors include nieces and nephews.
Mass of Christian burial will be at 11 a.m. Friday at Sisters of the Good Shepherd Convent, Pelletier Hall, Fort Thomas. Visitation will be from 4 to 8 tonight at the con vent. Burial will be in St. Stephen Cemetery, Fort Thomas. Muehlenkamp-Erschell Funeral Home, Fort Thomas, is handling arrangements.
Doris J. Bird, 67, of Erlanger, died Wednesday at Dearborn County Hospital in Lawrenceburg, Ind. She was a homemaker and a hairstylist with Super Cuts, Florence, and a member of Erlanger Baptist Church.
Survivors include her husband, Gilbert Bird; a son, Gilbert "Rusty" Bird of Villa Hills; daughters, Becky Van Damme of Erlanger and Debra Speier of Corinth; a son, James J. Bird of Independence; a sister, Mary McLemore of Harlingen, Texas; brothers, Elvin Perry O'Bryan of Houston, Charles O'Bryan of Fairfax, Ohio, and Donald Argentiero of Austin, Texas; and 9 grandchildren.
Services: 10 a.m. Saturday at Erlanger Baptist Church. Visitation: 6 to 9 p.m. Friday at Linnemann Funeral Home, Erlanger. Burial will be in Forest Lawn Cemetery, Erlanger. Memorials are suggested to American Heart Association, 2936 Vernon Place, Cincinnati, Ohio 45219; or American Diabetes Association, 8899 Brookside Ave., Suite 102, West Chester, Ohio 45069.
Evelyn Mary Luther, 94, of Fort Thomas, died Tuesday at Three Rivers Nursing Home, Hamilton, Ohio. She was a homemaker and a member of St. Therese Church, Southgate, and the church altar society. Her husband, Carl Luther, died in 1972.
Survivors include a sister, Mabel C. Higgins of Southgate.
Mass of Christian burial will be at 11 a.m. Friday at St. Therese Church. Burial will be in Alexandria Cemetery. Fares J. Radel Funeral Home, Newport, is handling arrangements.
Melva Davis Markberry, 41, of Sanders, died Tuesday at St. Luke Hospital West, Florence. She was a homemaker.
Survivors include her husband, Garnett Markberry; daughters, Melissa Courtney and Jessica Martin, both of Worthville, and April Davis of Clearwater, Fla.; a son, Charles Besselman of Dry Ridge; his father, Melvin Martin of Sanders; sisters, Deloris Howell of French Lick, Ind., Margie Martin, Debbie Crawford and Sheila Martin, all of Sanders; and two grandchildren.
Services: 1 p.m. Friday at Graham-Dunn Funeral Home, Carrollton. Visitation: 5 to 8 tonight at the funeral home. Burial: Ghent Masonic Cemetery.
Georgia White Marshall, 85, of Florence, died at 2:50 a.m. Wednesday at Woodspoint Nursing Home, Florence.
She was a retired assembler with Equitable Bag Co., Florence.
Survivors include a daughter, Bonnie Starks of Covington; 13 grandchildren and 11 great-grandchildren.
Services will be at noon Friday at Allison and Rose Funeral Home, Covington. Visitation will begin there at 11 a.m. Friday. Burial will be in Floral Hills Cemetery, Taylor Mill.
Dorothy Massing, 91, of Fort Thomas, died Wednesday at Highlands of Fort Thomas nursing home in Fort Thomas. She was a homemaker and a member of First Presbyterian Church of Fort Thomas, where she was a former Sunday school teacher and decorator. She was a volunteer with St. Luke Hospitals, a past president of Moyer School PTA and vice president of the Highlands High School PTA in Fort Thomas.
Survivors include her husband, Edwin Massing; daughters, Charlene Massing of Lawrenceburg and Lee C. McCoullough of Jackson, Tenn.; a brother, Charles Wiler of Erie, Pa.; three grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
Services will be at the convenience of the family. Memorials: First Presbyterian Church, 220 S. Fort Thomas Ave., Fort Thomas, Ky. 41075; or the charity of the donor's choice. Dobbling Funeral Home, Fort Thomas, is handling arrangements.
Paul Beckett Shannon, 59, of Rosslyn, Va., died Jan. 28 in Rosslyn.
There are no immediate survivors.
Memorial Mass will be at 3:40 p.m. Sunday at St. Elizabeth Medical Center North Chapel, Covington. Cremation was in Rosslyn. Memorials: National Kidney Foundation, 250 E. Liberty St., Suite 710, Louisville, Ky. 40202. Arrangements: Linnemann Funeral Home, Burlington.
Arkella Bernice Kelly Simpson, 81, of Ashland, formerly of Owenton, died Tuesday at Woodland Oaks Health Care Center, Ashland. She was a former employee of New Herald Paper, Owenton. Her husband, Malone Simpson, preceded her in death.
Survivors include a daughter, Deborah Ann Simpson Slone of Hager Hill; brothers, Ben Kelly of Louisville and C. E. "Ed" Kelly Jr. of Owenton; and two grandchildren.
Services will be at 1 p.m. Friday at McDonald Funeral Home, Main Street, Owenton. Burial will be in IOOF Cemetery, Owenton.
Donald K. Smith, 71, of Villa Hills, died Wednesday at Jewish Hospital, Cincinnati.
He was a packaging engineer with Burd and Fletcher Co., Kansas City, a former employee of Hillshire Farms & Kahn's Inc., Cincinnati, and a member of the Antique Auto Restorers Club in Kalamazoo, Mich.
Survivors include his wife, Ruth I. Smith of Villa Hills; a son, Bernard Lynn Smith of Cincinnati; a stepson, Jack Rice of Winston-Salem, N.C.; his mother, Wilma Smith of Marquette, Mich.; a brother, Daniel C. Smith of Marquette; a sister, Marie Smith of Marquette; four grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
Services will be at 10 a.m. Monday at Stith Funeral Home, Florence. Visitation will be from 2 to 5 p.m. Sunday at the funeral home. Burial will be in Highland Cemetery, Fort Mitchell.
Florence Stamper, 75, of Latonia, died 1:45 a.m. today at St. Elizabeth Medical Center North, Covington.
Arrangements pending at Connley Brothers Funeral Home, Latonia.
Johnny Ray White, 60, of Williamstown, died Tuesday at St. Joseph Hospital, Lexington. He was a farmer and a maintenance worker with Lexmark Corp., Lexington, and a member of White Branch Pentecostal Church, Clay County.
Survivors include his wife, Marie Moore White; a son, Dewayne White of Corinth; a daughter, Betty Wright of Corinth; brothers, Edsel White of Lonewolf, Okla., and Wayne White of Dry Ridge; sisters, Louellen Vaughn and Faye White, both of Manchester, and Carol Scall of Covington; and six grandchildren.
Services will be at 1 p.m. Friday at New Home Baptist Church, Manchester. Visitation will be from 6 to 9 tonight at Rogers Funeral Home, Corinth. Burial will be in Cottongim Cemetery, Manchester.
Robert William Yung, 67, of Melbourne, died Wednesday at Lakeside Place Health Care Center, Highland Heights. He was a retired cabinet maker with Kabtec Inc., Bellevue, a member of St. John Lutheran Church in Melbourne and an Army veteran.
Survivors include a daughter, Robin Long of Burlington; a son, William Robert Yung of Silver Grove; sisters, Edna Barbian of Cold Spring and Mildred Kremer of Melbourne; and a grandchild.
Services: 10 a.m. Monday at St. John Lutheran Church, Melbourne. Visitation: 3 to 6 p.m. Sunday at Dobbling Funeral Home, Fort Thomas. Burial: Alexandria Cemetery.
Ashley Jan Zumwalde, 5, of Hebron, died Tuesday at St. Luke Hospital West, Florence. She was a kindergartner at North Pointe Elementary School.
Survivors include her mother and stepfather, Amanda and Jeremy Bourne of Hebron; her father and stepmother, Richard and Julie Zumwalde of Moores Hill, Ind.; a sister, Amelia Zumwalde; and grandparents, Mary Daw son and David Terry, both of Lexington, and Juanita and Richard Zumwalde Jr. of Cincinnati.
Services: 1 p.m. Saturday at Burlington Baptist Church. Visitation: 4 to 8 p.m. Friday at Linnemann Funeral Home, Burlington. Burial: Burlington Cemetery. Memorials: North Pointe Elementary School, 875 North Bend Road, Hebron, Ky. 41048.
