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Date of these obituaries: 10-30-2001
Alfred 'Ray' Arrasmith, 71, tree farmer, motorcycle fan
After Alfred Raymond "Ray" Arrasmith of Florence retired from the Ford Motor Co., he happily turned his attention to his motorcycles and a cut-and-carry Christmas tree farm.
A life-time University of Kentucky Wildcat fan, Mr. Arrasmith also went to every home basketball game from the mid-1970s until the late 1990s, when the advance of Parkinson's Disease made it impossible.
"He was a basketball player and just a very proud Kentuckian, " said a son, Jerry Arrasmith of Atlanta, formerly of Erlanger. Ray Arrasmith died Monday morning at the St. Elizabeth Hospice Unit in Covington. He was 71.
Mr. Arrasmith was a native of Gallatin County and graduated from Gallatin County High School. There, he was a member of the basketball team and met his future wife, Ann. They were married
50 years.
Mr. Arrasmith attended the University of Kentucky, served in the Army during the Korean War and then moved his family to Northern Kentucky.
He was active in Erlanger Baptist Church and, for eight years, an Erlanger auxiliary police officer.
He worked 33 years with Ford in Fairfax and then Sharonville, Ohio, retiring in 1986.
Then he set up "Ray's Christmas Tree Farm" off Sunnybrook Drive, at the back of his 6-acre farm.
"He found out in the late '70s that the government was supplying baby Southern Pines to anybody who would plant them, just to reforest places that had been deforested, " said Jerry Arrasmith.
"He raised them all from just saplings and he loved tending them." Ray Arrasmith also loved motorcycles.
"At one point he owned one for everybody in the family, " Jerry Arrasmith said.
"But his baby was a Honda Gold Wing." Ray Arrasmith also was a past master of Good Faith Lodge No. 95 F&AM in Erlanger.
Other survivors besides his wife and son are another son, Barry Arrasmith of Florence; a daughter, Sherry Decker of Independence; sisters, Juanita Fox of Indianapolis and Dorothy Westrick of Austell, Ga.; and four grandsons.
Services will be at 2:30 p.m. Thursday at Linnemann Funeral Home in Erlanger.
Visitation will be from 5 to 8 p.m. Wednesday at the funeral home. Burial will be in Warsaw Cemetery.
Memorials are suggested to American Parkinson's Disease Association, 1250 Hylan St., 4B Staten Island, N.Y. 10305; or St. Elizabeth Hospice Unit, 401 E. 20th St., Covington, Ky. 41014.
Tony Albert Alessandro, 89, of Villa Hills, died Saturday at Veterans Administration Hospital, Cincinnati. He was a former manager for IGA Food Service and a World War II veteran. His wife, Mildred Pellillo, preceded him in death.
Survivors include a sister-in-law, Martha Pellillo of Villa Hills.
Mass of Christian burial will be at 11 a.m. Wednesday at San Antonio Church, Cincinnati. Visitation will be from 6 to 8 tonight at Radel Funeral Home, Cincinnati. Burial will be in St. Joseph New Cemetery, Cincinnati.
Jasper Baker, 76, of Latonia, died Sunday at St Luke Hospital West, Florence. His wife, Goldie Brock Baker, and son, Jack Baker, both preceded him in death.
Survivors include children, Jesse Brock, Ted Baker, Larry Baker, Dorothy Walters, Winona Harris, Sue Baker and Jenny Baker; three brothers, a sister and grandchildren.
Services will be private. Burial will be in Forest Lawn Cemetery, Erlanger. Radel Funeral Home, Cincinnati, is handling arrangements.
Gilbert Warren Damon, 75, of Morning View, died Friday at his home after a five-year battle with cancer. He operated a grocery in Whites Tower for 25 years and also at various times sold furniture, insurance and meat.
His wife, Rosemary, died 17 years ago.
Survivors include sons, Dennis Damon of Verona, Kenneth Damon of Michigan, Gary Damon of Demossville, Maury Damon of Independence and Phillip Damon and Brian Damon, both of Morning View; daughters, Karen Armstrong of Independence, Debbie Damon of Covington, Deloris Alderson of Burlington, Doris Wolfinbarger of Morning View, Tina Allen of Covington, Sherry Ledbetter of Russell Springs, Betty Abercrombie of Morning View and Melissa Wolfe of Latonia, and a brother, Lesley A. Damon of Taylor Mill; sisters, Mary Brown of Morning View and Emma Herald of Butler; 17 grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.
Mass of Christian burial was Monday at St. Cecilia Church. Burial was in St. Cecilia Cemetery, Independence. Swindler and Currin Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements. Memorials: to St. Elizabeth Hospice, 401 E. 20th St., Covington, Ky. 41014.
Bobbie Jean Mann, 60, of Dry Ridge, died Monday at St. Elizabeth Hospice, Covington. She was a homemaker and a member of Dry Ridge Baptist Church.
Survivors include a son, Randy Mann of Dry Ridge; a daughter, Diane Henage of Dry Ridge; her father, Hobert Hill of Taylor Mill; a brother, Jim Hill of Taylor Mill; a sister, Kathy Ann Giglia of Taylor Mill; and five grandchildren.
Services will be at 11 a.m. Thursday at Elliston-Stanley Funeral Home, Williamstown. Visitation will be from 4 to 8 p.m. Wednesday at the funeral home. Burial will be in Hill Crest Cemetery, Dry Ridge. Memorials are suggested to American Cancer Society, 6612 Dixie Highway, Suite 2A, Florence, Ky. 41042.
Leslie A. Moorehead, 92, of Foster, died Monday at River Valley Nursing Home, Butler.
Arrangements are pending at Peoples Funeral Home, Falmouth.
Dorothy Coleman Blick Murphy, 84, of Newport, died Monday at Baptist Convalescent Center, Newport.
She was a member of Hickory Grove Baptist Church, and the nursing home bowling team and residents council.
Survivors include daughters, Mary McKinley of Independence, Dorothy Williams of Erlanger and Rose Moore of Taylor Mill; sons, James Murphy of Toccoa, Ga., and Mike Murphy of Crescent Springs; sisters, Sally Herzog of Tampa, Fla., and Virginia Watson of Crestview Hills; a brother, Johnny Coleman of Sun City, Fla.; 11 grandchildren and 13 great-grandchildren.
Services will be at 2 p.m. Thursday at Baptist Convalescent Center, Newport. Ms. Murphy bequeathed her body to the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine. Memorials are suggested to Baptist Convalescent Center, 120 Main St., Newport, Ky. 41071; or Hickory Grove Baptist Church, 19969 Taylor Mill Road, Independence, Ky. 41051. Chambers and Grubbs Funeral Home, Independence, is handling arrangements.
Carl W. Noell Sr., 63, of Warsaw, died of cancer Monday at his home. He was a retired employee of AT&T;, a member of Paint Lick Baptist Church and an Army veteran. A son, Todd Noell, died in 1998.
Survivors include a daughter, Lisa Browning of Patriot, Ind.; sons, Carl William Noell Jr. and Jeff L. Noell, both of Warsaw; sisters, Margie Whalen of Covington, Willa Belle Rhodes and Etha Noell, both of Warsaw, and Joan Thomas of Worthville; and eight grandchildren.
Services will be at 1 p.m. Wednesday at Carlton-Lowder Funeral Home, Warsaw. Visitation will be from 5 to 9 tonight at the funeral home. Burial will be in Paint Lick Cemetery, Warsaw. Memorials are suggested to Paint Lick Baptist Church cemetery Fund, Warsaw, Ky. 41095.
Norma Mary Nolen, 85, of Fort Wright, died at 10:50 a.m. Sunday at St. Elizabeth Medical Center South, Edgewood. She was a retired seamstress with Rauh Shirt Factory, and a member of Mother of God Church, Covington, where she was in the Ladies Altar Society and Sewing Circle.
Survivors include a daughter, Mary Lou King-Davies of Fort Wright; five grandchildren and one great-granddaughter.
Mass of Christian burial will be at 12:05 p.m. Wednesday at Mother of God Church. Visitation will begin there at 11 a.m. Wednesday. Burial will be in St. John Cemetery, Fort Mitchell. Memorials are suggested to Mother of God Church, 119 W. Sixth St., Covington, Ky. 41011.
William F. Ravenscraft, 78, of Orlando, Fla., formerly of Independence, died Thursday at his home. He was a retired warehouse supplier, and a member of Bethel Baptist Church, Orlando, and Crittenden-Dry Ridge Masonic Lodge No. 694, and was an Army veteran of World War II.
Survivors include his wife, Joann Sharp Ravenscraft; daughters, Linda McGeary of Orlando and Nancy Shugg of Cocoa, Fla.; a stepson, William Jackson of Orlando; a sister, Hallie Wallace of Orlando; seven grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.
Services will be at noon Thursday at Chambers and Grubbs Funeral Home, Florence. Visitation will begin there at 10 a.m. Thursday, with Masonic services at 11:30 a.m. Burial will be in Roanoke Cemetery, Pendleton County.
Gary W. Saylor, 52, of Crescent Springs, died Sunday at University of Pittsburgh Medical Center Presbyterian Hospital.
He was an auto mechanic with Ziegler's Automotive, Cincinnati.
Survivors include his wife, Sharon Ehmet Saylor; children, Chris, Suz anne and Gina, all of Cincinnati; his father, Hiram Saylor of Cincinnati; sisters, Peggy Giffie of Cincinnati and Diane Campbell of West Chester, Ohio; and six grandchildren.
Services will be at noon Thursday at Linnemann Funeral Home, Erlanger. Visitation will begin there at 10 a.m. Thursday. Cremation will be at Southwest Ohio Crematory, Milford, Ohio. Memorials are suggested to Alpha 1 Association, 8120 Penn Ave. South, Suite 549, Minneapolis, Minn. 55431.
Joseph John Schmitz II, 37, of Elsmere, died at 5 a.m. Saturday at his home.
He was a self-employed carpenter.
Survivors include his wife, Christina Schmitz; sons, Joseph J. Schmitz and Steven M. Schmitz, both of Elsmere; his parents, Joseph J. Schmitz and Virginia Schmitz, both of Park Hills; sisters, Joanne M. Schmitz of Crescent Springs and Barbara M. Hendrickson of Midland, Mich.
Services will be at 8 p.m. Wednesday at Catchen Funeral Home, Elsmere. Visitation will begin there at 5 p.m. Wednesday. Burial will be in St. John Cemetery, Fort Mitchell.
Wanda Marilyn Sellars, 71, of West Carrollton, Ohio, died Saturday at the Hospice of Dayton, Ohio. She was an employee for Kettering Village Inn, Kettering, Ohio. Her husband, Fred Utzinger, preceded her in death.
Survivors include her daughters, Sandy Kasper of Erlanger, Kathy Supinger of West Carrollton, and Pam Kaiser and Christi Lay, both of Kettering; a son, Tim Carter of Kettering; and 10 grandchildren.
Services will be at 11:30 a.m. Wednesday at Tobias Funeral Home, Beavercreek, Ohio. Visitation will be from 6 to 8 p.m. Tuesday at the funeral home. Burial will be in Hawker Cemetery, Dayton, Ohio.
Barbara Smoot Shafer, 73, of Newport, died at 5:45 a.m. Monday at Baptist Convalescent Center, Newport. She was a homemaker and a member of South Side Baptist Church, Covington.
Survivors include a daughter, Jennie Shafer Dixon of Covington; and a granddaughter.
Services will be at noon Thursday at Allison and Rose Funeral Home, Covington. Visitation will be from 4 to 8 p.m. Wednesday at the funeral home. Burial will be in Highland Cemetery, Fort Mitchell. Memorials are suggested to Arthritis Foundation, 7811 Laurel Ave., Cincinnati, Ohio 45242; or Greater Cincinnati Epilepsy Center, 895 Central Ave., Cincinnati, Ohio 45203.
Kim Hellings Simpson, 44, of Covington, died at 3:30 a.m. Monday at St. Elizabeth Medical Center North, Covington.
She was a homemaker.
Survivors include her husband, Glen Simpson; daughters, Tonia Hellings of Cincinnati and Julie Hellings of Florence; stepdaughters, Angie Simpson and Christina Simp son, both of Florence; her father, Troy Upthegrobe of Fort Wright; her mother and stepfather, Patricia Upthegrobe and George T. Delaney, both of Alexandria; brothers, Troy Upthegrobe of Memphis, Tenn., Mark Delaney of Indianapolis and Jeff Delaney of Hamilton, Ohio; and sisters, Tina Ruffin of Erlanger, Terri Delaney of Fort Thomas, Tara Orth of Alexandria, Kathy Jones of Independence and Tammy Schweitzer of Cynthiana; and two grandchildren.
Services will be at 8 tonight at Catchen Funeral Home, Elsmere. Visitation will begin there at 6 p.m. Burial will be in St. Frances-Xavier Cemetery, Falmouth.
John J. Summe Sr., 83, of Villa Hills, died at 9:40 p.m. Sunday at St. Elizabeth Medical Center South, Edgewood.
He was co-owner of Latonia Springs Dairy and the national director of Catholics United for the Faith Inc. His wife, Jessie C. Boone Summe, died in 1985. Sons, Fred J. Summe and William R. Summe, also preceded him in death.
Survivors include sons, John J. Summe Jr. of Covington, Fred H. Summe of Fort Wright, Dr. Christopher L. Summe of Fort Thomas and Anthony T. Summe of Lakeside Park; daughters, Marguerite C. Schabell of Edgewood, Martha M. Fritsch of Crestview Hills and Eleanor L. Goering of Fort Mitchell; a brother, Charles L. Summe of Fort Mitchell; 19 grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.
Mass of Christian burial will be at 11:30 a.m. Friday at St. Agnes Church, Fort Wright. Visitation will be from 4 to 8 p.m. Thursday at Middendorf-Bullock Funeral Home, Covington. Entombment will be in St. John Mausoleum, Fort Mitchell. Memorials are suggested to Catholics United for the Faith Inc., 827 N. Fourth St., Steubenville, Ohio 43952; Passionist Nuns, 1151 Donaldson Highway, Erlanger, Ky. 41018; or Northern Kentucky Right to Life, 1822 Madison Pike, Covington, Ky. 41014.
Grace Mae Tomlinson, 68, of Newport, died Oct. 12 at St. Elizabeth Medical Center South, Edgewood. She was a retired licensed practical nurse.
Survivors include sons, James Tomlinson of Newport and David Tomlinson of Cincinnati; a daughter, Shirley Gregory of West Union, Ohio; a sister, Frances Molnar of Cincinnati; 16 grandchildren and 12 great-children.
Services were at Cooper Funeral Home, Grants Lick. Burial was in National Cemetery, Dayton, Ohio.
Thelma Jean Webb, 55, of Independence, died at 5:10 p.m. Sunday at her home.
She was a homemaker.
Survivors include a son, Gene Webb of Independence; daughters, Nicole L. Lewis of Walton and Pamela T. Cain of Independence; her mother, Dovie West of Petersburg; a brother, Ralph West of Florence; a sister, Linda Stephenson of Petersburg and three grandchildren.
Services will be at 11 a.m. Wednesday at Connley Brothers Funeral Home, Latonia. Visitation will be from 5 to 8 tonight at the funeral home. Burial will be in Floral Hills Cemetery, Taylor Mill.
Laverta Mooney Young, 77, of Erlanger, died Sunday at St. Elizabeth Medical Center South, Edgewood.
She was a homemaker and a member of Elsmere Baptist Church.
Survivors include her husband, Paul Young of Erlanger; a son, Dale Young of Union; daughters, Connie Miracle of Latonia and Paula Young of Erlanger; a brother, Elwood Mooney of Wheeler, Texas; five grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.
Services will be at 11 a.m. Wednesday at Stith Funeral Home, Florence. Visitation will be from 5 to 8 tonight at the funeral home. Burial will be in Forest Lawn Cemetery, Erlanger.
Memorials are suggested to the charity of the donor's choice.
