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Date of these obituaries: 02-10-2000
Falmouth's Randall Wright, WWII hero
Randall Wright, of Falmouth, among Pendleton County's most highly decorated military veterans, died Tuesday at his home. He was 74.
Mr. Wright, an Army infantryman in the European theater during World War II, earned the Silver Star for bravery and valor. He also earned the Combat Infantryman Badge, the Bronze Star, the European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal with three bronze campaign stars and a Purple Heart.
"He was proud of his medals, proud of the military and proud of the men he served with," said his son, Jack Wright.
Mr. Wright earned the Silver Star for his actions on a cold, wet day in February 1945. His platoon had fought since just after midnight Feb. 6 to overtake enemy trenches and neutralize three German machine-gun emplacements there. Mr. Wright, under enemy fire, helped wounded soldiers to the aid station before heading back to combat.
Later that afternoon, a patrol just setting out came under enemy fire and Mr. Wright fired his own gun, drawing the full attention of the German troops and giving the patrol enough cover to get to safety.
"He was John Wayne material," said his friend Elmer Ray, who attended an Army reunion with Mr. Wright and spoke to his fellow soldiers first-hand. "He was the catalyst of the unit."
After the war, Mr. Wright returned to Falmouth and farmed for a few years before becoming a long-distance truck driver. He drove a truck for about 25 years, visiting just about every state in America, his son said.
"He was a truck-driving son-of-a-gun," Wright said, laughing.
Mr. Wright was also a retired highway worker and bulldozer operator with the state of Kentucky.
And a pretty lucky man, his son said.
A man who spent much of his life in a vehicle - Mr. Wright had an affinity for racing cars on a dirt track that used to be in Falmouth - he must have wrecked about 85 times, Wright said. He was once hit by a train while driving a truck and walked away virtually unscratched.
Another time, a gas leak in his apartment caused the roof to blow off, Wright said, but his father just walked away.
"He was just quite a man," he said.
Other survivors include a daughter, Sandy Morton of Falmouth; brothers, Harold Wright, Leonard Wright, Ralph Wright, Alva Lee Wright, Melvin "Bert" Wright, Larry Wright and J.W. Wright, all of Falmouth; sisters, June Kwaitkowski of Tucson, Ariz., Thelma Agopian of Martha's Vineyard, Mass., Betty Ammerman of Falmouth and Josie Stair of Sandusky; 11 grandchildren and six great-grandchildren. A son, Randy Wright, died in 1989.
Services will be at 2 p.m. Friday at Peoples Funeral Home, Falmouth. Visitation will be from 4 to 8 tonight at the funeral home. Burial will be in Riverside Cemetery, Falmouth. Memorials are suggested to American Legion Post No. 109, Falmouth.
Jeanette Banker, 68, of Dayton, died Wednesday at St. Luke Hospital East, Fort Thomas. She was a homemaker and a member of the Rose Room Social Club.
Survivors include sons, Edward V. Smith of Florence, John Banker and Robin Banker, both of Bellevue, and Rodney Banker of Dayton; five grandchildren, four step-grandchildren and 13 great-grandchildren; and her fiancee, Michael Lawson of Dayton.
Services will be at noon Friday at Dobbling Funeral Home, Bellevue. Visitation will begin there at 10 a.m. Friday. Burial will be in Floral Hills Cemetery, Taylor Mill. Memorials are suggested to American Heart Association, 2936 Vernon Place, Cincinnati, Ohio 45219.
Bertie Lee Cochran, 97, of Covington, died at 5:55 p.m. Tuesday at Rosedale Manor, Latonia. She was a homemaker and a member of Rosedale Baptist Church, Latonia. Her husband, Joseph H. Cochran, died in 1980.
Survivors include sons, Lee Cochran of Kenton County, Gene Cochran of Villa Hills, Joe Cochran of Covington and Kenneth Cochran of San Marcos, Calif.; 15 grandchildren, 17 great-grandchildren and one great-great-grandson.
Services will be at 2 p.m. Friday at Allison and Rose Funeral Home, Taylor Mill. Visitation will begin there at noon Friday. Burial will be in Floral Hills Cemetery, Taylor Mill. Memorials are suggested to Rosedale Baptist Church, 45th and Glenn Ave., Covington, Ky. 41015.
Irene Mae Donley, 95, of Latonia, died at 8:30 a.m. Wednesday at Florence Park Care Center. She was a homemaker and a member of Trinity United Methodist Church, Latonia, and the Order of the Eastern Star Daylight Chapter No. 375. She was a former baker with McAplin's Tea Shop, Cincinnati. Her husband, Oscar H. Donley, died in 1974. A son, Delphin W. Donley, died in 1998.
Survivors include sons, James R. Donley and Robert G. Donley, both of Erlanger; a daughter, Gerri Lipscomb of Taylor Mill; eight grandchildren, 10 great-grandchildren and two great-great-grandchildren.
Services will be at 2 p.m. Friday at Connley Brothers Funeral Home, Latonia. Visitation will begin there at 1 p.m. Friday. Burial will be in Floral Hills Cemetery, Taylor Mill. Memorials are suggested to the charity of the donor's choice.
Charles L. Gravens, 92, of Villa Hills, died at 11:15 a.m. Tuesday at St. Elizabeth Medical Center South, Edgewood. He was a retired maintenance worker with St. Luke Hospital East, Fort Thomas, and a member and elder of Crescent Springs Presbyterian Church. He was a former member of the Ludlow Rotary Club.
Survivors include his wife, Georgia Eubanks Gravens; a son, Dan Gravens of St. Louis; a daughter, Wanda Baddley of Oakton, Va.; a sister, Jean Denham of Lexington; five grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.
Services will be at 10 a.m. Friday at Crescent Springs Presbyterian Church. Visitation will be from 5 to 8 tonight at Ronald B. Jones Funeral Home, Ludlow. Burial will be in Hebron Lutheran Cemetery. Memorials are suggested to Crescent Springs Presbyterian Church Building Fund, 710 Western Reserve Road, Crescent Springs, Ky. 41017.
Mary B. Helker, 83, of Villa Hills, died at 12:15 a.m. Wednesday at her home. She was a retired sales clerk with Hess' Department Store, Florence, and a member of Latonia Baptist Church. Her husband, Paul L. Helker, died in 1983. A sister, Grace L. Schulze, died in 1993.
Survivors include a sister, Ruth O'Brien of Villa Hills.
Services will be at 10 a.m. Saturday at Connley Brothers Funeral Home, Latonia. Burial will be in Mother of God Cemetery, Fort Wright. Memorials are suggested to St. Elizabeth Hospice Unit, 401 E. 20th St., Covington, Ky. 41014.
Marian Louise Landrum, 76, of Daytona Beach, Fla., died Sunday at Atlantic Medical Center, Daytona Beach. She was a homemaker and a member of Daytona Christian Church.
Survivors include her husband, Kenneth Charles Landrum; sons, Kenneth Landrum, Jimmy Landrum and Larry Landrum, all of Daytona Beach; a sister, Ethel Ishmael of Covington; six grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.
Graveside services will be at 11 a.m. Friday at Floral Hills Cemetery, Taylor Mill. Memorials are suggested to Daytona Christian Church, 1135 Sixth St., Daytona Beach, Fla. 32174. Chambers and Grubbs Funeral Home, Florence, is handling local arrangements.
Charles Taylor Lawson, 64, of Independence, died Tuesday at St. Luke Hospital West, Florence. He was an independent contractor and carpenter. He was a member of Sherman Full Gospel Assembly. His wife, Juanita Brewer Lawson, died in 1988.
Survivors include sons, Steven Charles Lawson of Crittenden, Kevin Arnold Lawson and Todd Oscar Lawson, both of Independence; daughters, Gale Thompson of Independence and Patricia Jill Yeary of Warsaw; brothers, Walter Lawson of Verona, R. C. Lawson and Willard Lawson, both of Verona; sisters, Betty Smith of Crittenden, Eunice Brewer of Campton and Virgie Story of Lexington; six grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
Services will be at 11 a.m. Saturday at at Sherman Full Gospel Assembly. Visitation will be from 5 to 8 p.m. Friday at the church. Burial will be in Napoleon Cemetery. Hamilton-Stanley Funeral Home, Verona, is handling arrangements.
Georgia Loraine Merritt, 71, of California, died Wednesday at Lakeside Place Nursing Home, Highland Heights. She was a grocery store worker with Kroger's and a member of the Order of the Eastern Star.
Survivors include a daughter, Charlotte Dozier of California; a son, Ben Miller of Norwood, Ohio; four grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.
Services will be at 10 a.m. Friday at Cooper Funeral Home, Grants Lick. Visitation is from 6 to 8 p.m. today at the funeral home. Burial will be in Elizabethtown Cemetery.
Catherine M. "Kay" Hess Northcutt, 82, of Covington, died at 2:55 p.m. Tuesday at Highlands of Fort Thomas Nursing Home. She was a homemaker. Her husband, Gilbert Northcutt, and a son, Gilbert Northcutt, both preceded her in death.
Survivors include sons, Earl "Buddy" Northcutt of Erlanger, Robert Northcutt of Clarksburg, Mass., Michael Northcutt of Park Hills and Peter Northcutt of Florence; a daughter, Catherine Holiday of Crestview Hills; 11 grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren.
Services will be at the convenience of the family. Burial will be in Floral Hills Cemetery, Taylor Mill. Memorials are suggested to the Ronald McDonald House of Greater Cincinnati, 229 Erkenbrecker Ave., Cincinnati, Ohio 45229; or St. Elizabeth Home-Health Hospice, 401 E. 20th St., Covington, Ky. 41014. Middendorf-Bullock Funeral Home, Covington, is handling arrangements.
Jane O'Brien, 79, of Wilmington, Del., formerly of Bellevue, died Sunday at Ingleside Care Center in Wilmington. She was a homemaker.
Survivors include her husband, Frank O'Brien; a daughter, Carole L. Halverson of Parker, Colo.; a son, Roger F. O'Brien of Carmel, Ind.; a sister, Virginia Halbauer of Bellevue; and three grandchildren.
Services will be at 10 a.m. Saturday at Dobbling Funeral Home, Bellevue. Visitation will be from 7 to 8 p.m. Friday at the funeral home. Burial will be in Evergreen Cemetery, Southgate.
James Michael Radford Jr., 34, of Bellevue, died Tuesday at his home. He was a roofer with Holland Roofing Co., Florence.
Survivors include his mother, Shirley Ann Radford of Bellevue; a brother, John E. Radford of Newport; and a sister, Sherry Radford of Newport.
Services will be at 1 p.m. Friday at Muehlenkamp-Erschell Funeral Home, Newport. Visitation will begin there at 11 a.m. Friday. Burial will be in Evergreen Cemetery, Southgate.
Vera May Spicer Rath, 70, of Alexandria, died Tuesday at Baptist Convalescent Center, Newport. She was a retired tax examiner with the Internal Revenue Service in Covington, and a member of the Ladies Auxiliary of Campbell County VFW Post No. 3205 in Alexandria. Her husband, Harold Rath, died in 1965.
Survivors include sons, Greg Rath and David Rath, both of Alexandria, Paul Rath of California and Curtis Rath of Union; a daughter, Laura Metzger of Knoxville, Tenn.; and eight grandchildren.
Services will be at 10 a.m. Saturday at Alexandria Funeral Home. Visitation will be from 4 to 8 p.m. Friday at the funeral home. Burial will be in Peach Grove Cemetery. Memorials are suggested to St. Elizabeth Hospice Unit, 401 E. 20th St., Covington, Ky. 41014; or Brighton Center, 706 Park Ave., Newport, Ky. 41071.
Lillian B. Beach Reed, 90, of Bloomington, Ind., formerly of Owen County, died Tuesday at Bloomington Convalescent Center. She was a member of First Baptist Church of Owenton. Her husband, William G. Reed, preceded her in death.
Survivors include daughters, Donna Beeker of Bloomington, Billie Johnson of Atlanta and Barbara Majors of Roswell, Ga.; nine grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren.
Graveside services will be at 2 p.m. Saturday at Crittenden Christian Church Cemetery. Memorials are suggested to the charity of the donor's choice. Eckler-Hudson Funeral Home, Dry Ridge, is handling arrangements.
Fred Reffitt, 61, of Verona, died Tuesday at St. Elizabeth Medical Center South, Edgewood. He was a disabled truck driver with Commercial Lovelace Co., Cincinnati, and a former member of Teamsters Union Local No. 100 in Cincinnati. He was a member of Erlanger Lloyds.
Survivors include his wife, Jenny Ogden Reffitt; sons, Michael Reffitt of Dayton, Dan Reffitt of Verona and Scott Reffitt of Florence; his mother, Virginia L. Reffitt of Verona; and three grandchildren.
Services will be at 3 p.m. Saturday at Hamilton-Stanley Funeral Home, Verona. Visitation will begin there at 1 p.m. Saturday. Burial will be in Memorials are suggested to American Cancer Society, 6612 Dixie Highway, Suite 2, Florence, Ky. 41042; or Kidney Foundation, 2330 Victory Parkway East, Cincinnati, Ohio 45206.
Pauline Noel Scroggins, 74, of Dry Ridge, died Tuesday at her home. She was a homemaker and a member of Macedonia Baptist Church, Jonesville. Her husband, Guy Scroggins, died in 1994. A son, Durwood Scroggins, died in 1976.
Survivors include sons, Jerry Wayne Scroggins of Dry Ridge, William Bradford Scroggins of Jonesville and John Stanley Scroggins of Crittenden; daughters, Donna Jean True of Corinth, Regena Mae Jameison of Jonesville and Connie Rae Hearn of Dry Ridge; brothers, Thurman Lewis Noel of Dry Ridge and Denton Clayton Noel of Crittenden; a sister, Alma Blanche Barnes of Dry Ridge; 13 grandchildren and five great- grandchildren.
Services will be at 2 p.m. Friday at Macedonia Baptist Church. Visitation will be from 4 to 9 tonight at Eckler-Hudson Funeral Home, Dry Ridge, and from noon Friday until the time of services at the church. Burial will be in Jonesville Cemetery. Memorials are suggested to Macedonia Baptist Church, 14460 Jonesville Road, Jonesville, Ky. 41052.
Robert H. Venard, 70, of Fort Thomas, died at 9:25 a.m. Tuesday at his home. He was a retired strategic long-range planner with Dubois Chemical Co., and a member of the St. Catherine of Siena Church, Fort Thomas. He was a member of the church Holy Name Society and was president of Siena Seniors. He was a member of the Board of Birthrite, and was a member of the Knights of Columbus Council No. 1301. His wife, Dorothy Fuller Venard, died in 1997.
Survivors include a daughter, Diane Russell of Villa Hills; sons, Stephen M. Venard of Villa Hills and Daniel J. Venard of Highland Heights; and three grandchildren.
Mass of Christian burial will be at 10 a.m. Saturday at St. Catherine of Siena Church, Fort Thomas. Visitation will be from 5 to 8 p.m. Friday at Muehlenkamp-Erschell Funeral Home, Fort Thomas. Burial will be in St. Stephen Cemetery, Fort Thomas. Memorials are suggested to Hospice of Northern Kentucky, 1403 Alexandria Pike, Fort Thomas, Ky. 41075; or St. Catherine of Siena Church, 1803 N. Fort Thomas, Fort Thomas, Ky. 41075.
Harold A. Weber, 75, of Independence, died Monday at St. Elizabeth Medical Center South, Edgewood.
Arrangements are pending at Chambers and Grubbs Funeral Home, Independence.
Rita Wells, 70, of Taylor Mill, died at 9:23 p.m. Wednesday at St. Elizabeth Medical Center South in Edgewood.
Arrangements are pending at Connley Brothers Funeral Home, Latonia.
Ruth Cassidy Wiglesworth, 79, of Cynthiana, died Tuesday at Grand Haven Nursing Home in Cynthiana. She was a retired bookkeeper with Harrison County Lumber Co. Her husband, Charles J. Wiglesworth, preceded her in death.
Survivors include brothers, James Cassidy of Louisville and Jonathan Cassidy of Oceanside, Calif.; a sister, Mary Cassidy Arnold of Cynthiana.
Services will be at 1 p.m. Friday at Ware Funeral Home, Cynthiana. Visitation will begin there at noon Friday. Burial will be in Battle Grove Cemetery, Cynthiana.
Kathryn Augusta Zuflucht, 100, of Bellevue, died Tuesday at Highlands of Fort Thomas Nursing Home. She was a telegraph operator with Western Union and a member of White Shrine of the Newport Women's Club. She was a member of Order of the Eastern Star Chapter No. 19. Her husband, Walter G. Zuflucht, died in 1975.
Survivors include several nieces and nephews.
Services will be at 10 a.m. Friday at Evergreen Cemetery, Southgate. Burial will be in Evergreen Cemetery. Memorials are suggested to Senior Services of Northern Kentucky, 1032 Madison Ave., Covington, Ky. 41011. Stith Funeral Home, Florence, is handling arrangements.
