Search Archived Marriage Records
Date of these obituaries: 01-03-2002
Craig M. Brown, 68, writer
Craig M. Brown, 68, of Mentor, a prolific freelance writer who wrote a book about growing up in Fort Thomas, died Tuesday of lung cancer.
Published in 1996, his book is titled "Caketown, U.S.A., " a nickname for the prosperous city that stems from the phrase, "Let them eat cake."
Mr. Brown said he was inspired to write the book by humorist Garrison Keillor's tales about Lake Woebegon, Minn. While Lake Woebegon is mythical, "Caketown, U.S.A." was an "almost factual compendium of remembrances" of Fort Thomas.
Mr. Brown also wrote scripts for the cable television soap opera "The Catlins, " screenplays for industrial and corporate promotional films, and advertising copy.
The 1951 graduate of Highlands High School earned a master's degree in journalism from the highly respected Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University.
"Writing - that was what he was all about, " said his wife, Deborah.
An opinionated, conservative Republican, Mr. Brown wrote numerous guest columns for The Kentucky Post and frequently had letters to the editor published in the newspaper.
In recent years, he relentlessly crusaded against automobile tailpipe testing.
"One of the last things he said before he died was that he had failed to get tailpipe testing stopped, " said Mrs. Brown. "It really bothered him that he couldn't get it stopped."
He also was a veteran of the Korean War.
"He was very, very patriotic, " said his wife. "He was patriotic before it was cool to be patriotic."
Mr. Brown also was an ardent football fan who closely followed the Cincinnati Bengals.
Other survivors include sons Michael Brown of Dallas and Mitchell Brown of Chicago, and a grandchild.
Mr. Brown donated his body to the University of Cincinnati Medical Center. A memorial service is planned later. A.C. Dobbling & Son Funeral Home of Fort Tho-mas is serving the family.
Virginia May Becker, 86, of Cincinnati, died Tuesday at Baptist Village of Northern Kentucky, Erlanger.
She was a former computer operator for the Broward County auditor's office. Her husband, Bernard Becker Sr., preceded her in death.
Survivors include stepsons, Bernard Becker Jr. and Robert Becker, both of Cincinnati; nine grandchildren and 20 great-grandchildren.
Mass of Christian burial will be at 10:30 a.m. Saturday at St. Ann Church, 2900 Galbraith Road, Groesbeck, Cincinnati. Visitation will be from 9 to 10 a.m. Saturday at Paul R. Young Funeral Home, Mount Healthy, Ohio. Burial will be in Crown Hill Memorial Park, Pleasant Run, Cincinnati.
John W. "Jack" Behler, 74, of Independence, died at 7:38 p.m. Tuesday at St. Elizabeth Medical Center South, Edgewood.
He was a retired layout draftsman with the Kirk Blum firm in Cincinnati and a member of St. Pat rick Church, Independence, where he was in the church choir, the Irish Rovers, St. Vincent de Paul Society and on the parish council.
He was a member of St. Cecilia Church's Prime Timers and Northern Kentucky Right to Life, and was an Army veteran of World War II.
Survivors include his wife, Mildred L. Earls Behler; a son, Jonathan Behler, of Fiskburg; daughters, Jackie Wheat of Guilford, Ind., and Patti Robinson of Independence; a brother, Joseph Behler of Erlanger; 10 grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
Mass of Christian burial will be at noon Saturday at St. Patrick Church, Independence. Visitation will begin there at 10 a.m. Saturday. Burial will be in Floral Hills Cemetery, Taylor Mill.
Memorials are suggested to St. Patrick Church St. Vincent de Paul Society, 3250 Mills Road, Covington, Ky. 41015.
Allison and Rose Funeral Home, Taylor Mill, is handling arrangements.
Ralph F. Blanke, 87, of Ludlow, died Tuesday at his home.
He was a retired water works department worker with the city of Ludlow and a member of Sts. Boniface and James Church, Lud low. He was an Army veteran of World War II. His wife, Elvera Blanke, died in 1996.
Survivors include a nephew, Edward Blanke of Fort Mitchell.
Mass of Christian burial will be at 10:30 a.m. Friday at Sts. Boniface and James Church. Visitation will be from 9 to 10 a.m. Friday at Ronald B. Jones Funeral Home, Ludlow. Burial will be in St. Joseph Old Cemetery, Cincinnati.
Memorials are suggested to Garrard Street Convalescent Home, 425 Garrard St., Covington, Ky. 41011.
Geneva Mae Maddox Campbell, 73, of Woodstock, Ga., formerly of Independence, died Saturday at Tranquility Wellstar Hospice, Austell, Ga.
She was a homemaker.
Survivors include daughters, Mary K. Mandry of Orlando, Fla., and Carolyn M. Campbell of Watkinsville, Ga.; sons, Robert W. Campbell of Woodstock and Charles A. Campbell of Beaufort, S.C.; 13 grandchildren and two great- grandchildren.
Services will be at 10 a.m. Saturday at Chambers and Grubbs Funeral Home, Independence. Burial will be in Independence Cemetery.
Chester C. Cannon, 77, of Owenton, died Saturday at his home. He was a retired technical writer for General Electric, Cincinnati, and a World War II Marine Corps veteran.
Survivors include his wife, Carol Sue Doggett Cannon; a son, Darrell C. Cannon of Cincinnati; daughters, Terry Cannon of Stuart, Fla., Bernice Mowry of Cincinnati and Sandy Stude of Hamilton, Ohio; a brother, Wendell Clay Cannon of Arizona; sisters, Peggy Wilkins of Texas, Maud Ellis of Cincinnati and Berna Dean Leary of Baltimore, Md.; four grandchildren and one great-grandchild.
Services will be at 11 a.m. Saturday at McDonald Funeral Home, Main Street, Owenton. Visitation will be from 4 to 8 p.m. Friday at the funeral home. Burial will be in Shady Grove Cemetery, Science Hill.
Memorials are suggested to American Heart Association, 2936 Vernon Place, Cincinnati, Ohio 45219 or to the family.
Mildred Young Cleek, 88, of Walton, died Wednesday in Toledo, Ohio.
Arrangements are pending at Chambers and Grubbs Funeral Home, Walton.
Rev. Thomas Condron, 62, of Houston, formerly of Fort Thomas, died Dec. 12 in Houston. He was a the deacon in charge of St. Barnabas Episcopal Church, Houston.
Survivors include his wife, Susan Condron; a daughter, Staci Abdulla; a son, Bill Abrams; and two grandchildren.
Services will be at 10 a.m. Saturday at St. Andrews Episcopal Church, Fort Thomas. Visitation will begin at 9:30 a.m. Saturday at the church. Burial will be in Evergreen Cemetery, Southgate.
Muehlenkamp-Erschell Funeral Home, Fort Thomas, is handling arrangements.
Garnett Grey Conrad, 103, of Williamstown, died Tuesday at Grant Manor Nursing Home, Williamstown.
She was a homemaker and a member of Dry Ridge Christian Church and Dry Ridge Homemakers Club. Her husband, John Conrad, died in 1969. A son, Stanley Conrad, died in 2001.
Survivors include nieces and nephews.
Services will be at 2 p.m. Friday at Eckler-Hudson Funeral Home, Dry Ridge. Visitation will begin there at noon Friday. Burial will be in Hill Crest Cemetery, Dry Ridge.
Memorials are suggested to Dry Ridge Christian Church Memorial Fund, 13 School St., Dry Ridge, Ky. 41035.
Billy Dean, 56, of Latonia, died at 11:19 p.m. Wednesday at Lakeside Health Care Center, Highland Heights.
Arrangements are pending at Swindler and Currin Funeral Home, Latonia.
Robert Earl Ewing Jr., 50, of Toronto, Kan., formerly of Covington, died Friday at Veterans Administration Medical Center in Wichita, Kan.
He was an Army veteran of the Vietnam War.
Survivors include his wife, Virjeania Stull Ewing; a son, Robert Earl Ewing III of Temple, Texas; stepdaughters, Sally Stull of Newport and Jennifer Cox of Morning View; his mother, Betty Ewing of Newport; brothers, Wesley Ewing of Bellevue, Henry Ewing of Port Richey, Fla., and James Ewing of Newport; sisters, Barbara Hendricks of Alexandria, Dorothy Searp of Silver Grove, Connie Beckwith, Candy Garland and Belinda Borcher, all of Newport; a grandchild and two step-grandchildren.
Memorial services were this morning at Toronto, Kan., Cemetery. Campbell-Kelley Funeral Home, Eureka, Kan., handled arrangements.
Stanford Stanley Flora, 85, of Maysville, died at 4:35 a.m. Tuesday at Meadowview Regional Medical Center, Maysville.
He was a retired auto mechanic and a member of Purity Baptist Church, Washington. He was a founding member of the Greater Mason County Amateur Radio Club and a volunteer firefighter with the Aberdeen, Ohio, and Washington volunteer fire departments, and was a former member of both the Aberdeen and Washington city councils. His first wife, Lettisha Catherine Flora, died in 1995.
Survivors include his wife, Gerri Flora; a son, Victor Flora of Highland Heights; daughters, Lisa Thomas of Maysville and Margie McGowan of Aberdeen; stepsons, Lewis Howell of Georgetown, Ohio, and Larry Howell of Maysville; stepdaughters, Linda Sue McFarland and LaVonne Howell, both of Maysville, Lois Voice of Fernleaf and Llewellyn Hestand of Louisville; a half-sister, Mollie Campi of Ohio; 14 grandchildren and 17 great-grandchildren.
Services will be at 2 p.m. Friday at Brell Funeral Home, Maysville. Visitation is from 5 to 8 tonight at the funeral home. Burial will be in Green Acres Cemetery, Maysville.
Memorials are suggested to Hospice of Hope, 909 Kenton Station Road, Maysville 41056.
Martha F. Gripshover, 75, of Covington, died at 4:45 p.m. Tuesday at St. Elizabeth Medical Center North, Covington.
She was a homemaker.
Survivors include her husband, Fred Gripshover; a daughter, Mary Catherine Grout of Morning View; sons, Fred Gripshover of Independence and Jim Gripshover of Morning View; brothers, Donnie Lloyd of Lexington and Ronnie Lloyd of Covington; sisters, Brenda Reece of Burlington and Debbie Shackleford of Crittenden; one grandchild and one great- grandchild.
Mass of Christian burial will be at 10 a.m. Friday at St. Benedict Church, Covington. Visitation will be from 5 to 8 tonight at Catchen Funeral Home, Covington. Burial will be in Mother of God Cemetery, Fort Wright.
Ralph Wendell Harrison, 71, of Maysville, died at 8:45 p.m. Monday at Maysville Extended Care Center.
He was a retired farm worker and a member of Bethany Christian Church.
Survivors include a brother, Lloyd Harrison of Newport; and a sister, Helen, of Frankfort.
Services will be 2 p.m. Friday at Moore and Parker Funeral Home, Brooksville. Visitation will be from 6 to 9 tonight at the funeral home. Burial will be in Lenoxburg Cemetery, Foster.
Memorials are suggested to Bethany Church of Christ, 4630 Willow Lenoxburg Road, Foster, Ky. 41043.
Ronald L. Hurd, 60, of Burlington, died Monday at Good Samaritan Hospital, Cincinnati. He was a truck driver.
Survivors include his wife, Phyllis Kiernan Hurd; a son, Dean Hurd of Minnesota; a stepson, David Kiernan of Crittenden; brothers, Corbett Vegley and Robbie Vegley, both of Hamilton, Ohio, and Steve Hurd of Dayton, Ohio.
Services will be at 2 p.m. Friday at Forest Lawn Cemetery, Erlanger. Visitation will be from noon to 2 p.m. Friday at the cemetery. Burial will be in Forest Lawn Cemetery.
George G. Johnson, 71, of Indianapolis, formerly of Grant County, died at 10:50 a.m. Tuesday at North Castleton Health Care Center, Indianapolis.
He was a former owner of Keystone Door Co. and Building Units in Gas City, Ind., a former manager of General Millwork in Marion, Ind., and a former Ryland Heights mayor and city commissioner. He was a member of Union Chapel United Methodist Church, Indianapolis, and an Army veteran of the Korean War. His wife, Mary E. Pace Johnson, preceded him in death.
Survivors include a son, Gary Johnson of Indianapolis; a brother, John Johnson of Marion, Ind.; stepsons, Michael Pace of Brighton, Mich., and Jerry Pace of Columbia City, Ind.; two grandchildren, four step-grandchildren and five step-great-grandchildren.
Services will be at 2 p.m. today at Needham-Storey- Wampner Funeral Home, Gas City. Visitation begins there at noon. Burial will be in Riverside Cemetery, Gas City.
Memorials are suggested to American Heart Association, Dept. 77-3968, Chicago, Ill. 60678.
Frank Long Jr., 67, of Owenton, died Tuesday at New Horizon Medical Center, Owenton. He was a retired employee of the Owen County Highway Maintenance Department and a member of Park Ridge Baptist Church.
Survivors include his wife, Geraldine Washington Long; a son, Billy Joe Long of Owenton; daughters, Teresa Long of Owenton and Lisa Wardford of Louisville; sisters, Evelyn Sanders of Sparta, Frances Lawson and Mabel Young, both of Columbus, Ind., and Edna Booker of Seymour, Ind.; and three grandchildren.
Services will be at 2 p.m. Saturday at Owenton Second Baptist Church. Visitation will be from 4 to 9 p.m. Friday at McDonald Funeral Home, Seminary Street, Owenton. Burial will be in Greenhill Cemetery, Owenton.
Margaret P. Moul, 92, of Newport, died Sunday at Baptist Convalescent Center, Newport.
Arrangements are pending at Catchen Funeral Home, Elsmere.
Mildred Powers, 89, of Villa Hills, died at 3:20 a.m. Tuesday at Madonna Manor, Villa Hills.
She was a homemaker and a member of Blessed Sacrament Church, Fort Mitchell, and Telephone Pioneers of America. Her husband, Urban T. Powers, died in 1993.
Survivors include nieces and nephews.
Mass of Christian burial will be at 11 a.m. Friday at St. Cecilia Church, Independence. Visitation will begin there at 10 a.m. Friday. Burial will be in St. Cecilia Cemetery, Independence.
Memorials are suggested to Madonna Manor, 2344 Amsterdam Road, Villa Hills 41017.
Middendorf-Bullock Funeral Home, Covington, is handling arrangements.
Roxie Mitchell Story, 79, of Warsaw, died Monday at St. Elizabeth Medical Center North, Covington.
She was a homemaker and a member of Sulpher Baptist Church, Sulpher.
Survivors include her husband, Jack. D. Story; daughters, Martha Kieffer of Bowling Green, Madeline C. Lewis of Jersey City, N.J., Wilma Dunlap of Bonaire, Ga., Loretta Newman of Chicago, Ill., and Teresa Moffitt of Louisville; stepdaughters, JoAnn Ebert of Hebron and Connie Story Ungaro of Florence; sisters, Atha DeJohns of Vidalia, Ga., Francis Schaeffer of Louisville, Gertha Mullins of Hebron and Rayelle Webster of St. Michael, Minn.; brothers, Stevie Mitchell of Big Bone, William Mitchell of Florence and Clarence Mitchell of Chicago; six grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren.
Services will be at 2 p.m. Friday at Carlton-Lowder Funeral Home, Warsaw. Visitation is from 5:30 to 8 tonight at the funeral home. Burial will be in Warsaw Cemetery.
Memorials are suggested to Hospice of Northern Kentucky, 1403 Alexandria Pike, Fort Thomas, Ky. 41075.
Timothy J. Sweetser, 41, of Hong Kong, formerly of Covington, died Dec. 26 in Las Vegas.
He was a teacher in Vietnam and a volunteer goodwill ambassador.
Survivors include brothers, Robert Sweetser of San Diego and Patrick Sweetser of Saigon, Vietnam.
Memorial Mass will be at noon Saturday at Mother of God Church, Covington. Cremation was in Las Vegas.
Memorials may be made to the American Cancer Society.
Allison and Rose Funeral Home, Covington, is handling arrangements.
Katherine J. Wells, 84, of Rancho Mirage, Calif., formerly of Bellevue, died Dec. 22 in Rancho Mirage.
She was a homemaker. Her husband, Walter W. Wells, preceded her in death.
Survivors include a daughter, Sandra McConnell of Palm Desert, Calif.; a son, Edward Styles of Mequon, Wis.; five grandchildren and two great- grandchildren.
Services will be at 11 a.m. Saturday at T.P. White & Sons Funeral Home, Cincinnati. Visitation will begin there at 10 a.m. Saturday. Burial will be in Forest Lawn Cemetery, Erlanger.
Memorials are suggested to the charity of the donor's choice.
Robert Wenstrup, 76, of Sarasota, Fla., formerly of Fort Thomas, died Tuesday at St. Luke Hospital East, Fort Thomas.
He was a vice president of Perry and Derrick Co. and a member of the Audubon Society, Highland Country Club, Leland, Mich., Country Club, Leelanau Conservancy and the Leland Yacht Club. He also was on the board of directors of Perry and Derrick Co. and a Navy veteran of World War II.
Survivors include his wife, Mary Wenstrup; sons, James Wenstrup of Cold Spring, Larry Wenstrup, Michael Wenstrup and Mark Wenstrup, all of Fort Thomas; and nine grandchildren.
Mass of Christian burial will be at 12:30 p.m. Saturday at St. Catherine of Siena Church, Fort Thomas. Visitation will begin there at 10 a.m. Saturday. Burial will be in St. Stephen Cemetery, Fort Thomas.
Memorials are suggested to St. Mary's School Guardian Angel Society, P. O. Box 340, Lake Leelanau, Mich. 49653.
Dobbling Funeral Home, Fort Thomas, is handling arrangements.
William R. Whealdon, 71, of Highland Heights, died Monday at Lakeside Park Health Care Center, Highland Heights.
He was a cashier with Scanlon Drugs and a Marine Corps veteran.
Survivors include a daughter, Mary Reith of Newport; and brother, John Whealdon of Bakersfield, Calif., and Tom Whealdon of Louisville.
No services are planned. Dobbling Funeral Home, Bellevue, is handling arrangements.
William White, 54, of Carrollton, died Monday at Carroll County Memorial Hospital, Carrollton.
He was a member of United Pentecostal Church, Carrollton, and an Air Force veteran. A son, Micah Joe White, died in 1981.
Survivors include his wife, Brenda White; daughters, Brandi White Faulkner of San Diego, Bridgett White of Bowling Green and Terra Knox of Ghent; a son, William Desmond White of Louisville; and a grandchild.
Services will be at 11 a.m. Saturday at United Pentecostal Church, Carrollton. Visitation will be from 5 to 8 p.m. Friday at Graham-Dunn Funeral Home, Carrollton, and from 9 to 11 a.m. Saturday at the church. Burial will be in Green Meadows Cemetery, Louisville.
Mary Magoteaux Worland, 71, of Fort Thomas, died Tuesday at St. Luke Hospital East, Fort Thomas.
She was a sales clerk with H&S; Pogue, Ayres and Saks department stores.
Survivors include her husband, Wilbur Worland; daughters, Diane Holden of Fort Thomas and Jane Vauden Eynden of Fairfield, Ohio; a son, Rick Magoteaux of Hebron; a sister, Lurene Reed of Edgewood; 10 grandchildren and one great-grandchild.
Services will be at noon Saturday at St. Stephen cemetery Chapel, Fort Thomas.
Memorials are suggested to American Diabetes Association, 8899 Brookside Ave., West Chester, Ohio 45069.
Dobbling Funeral Home, Fort Thomas, is handling arrangements.
