Search Archived Marriage Records
Date of these obituaries: 02-17-2000
Harry Morgan Stratton, decorated Army veteran
Harry Morgan Stratton, an Army veteran who escaped from a German prisoner of war camp in World War II and earned a Purple Heart, died Tuesday at St. Elizabeth Medical Center South in Edgewood. He was 77.
Mr. Stratton was a young infantryman from Bloomfield when he was captured by German troops in northern France during the war. He and five other soldiers being held at the camp in southern Germany spelled out an escape plan on a roll of toilet paper. Aided by farmers, they hid from German troops in a cellar and hayloft and eventually regained their freedom.
After the war Mr. Stratton studied education at the University of Kentucky. He graduated and taught school for a few years before going to work for Kraft Foods. He was the manager of Kraft's processing plant in Carrollton for 27 years, until it shut down and the company moved out of Kentucky. Mr. Stratton then went to work for the Farmer's Home Administration.
Mr. Stratton's family sat and talked about their father, husband and brother Wednesday night.
"I guess that's how you grieve," his son Mike Stratton, of Lexington, said.
His father was a good man who knew just about everybody and always made people feel welcome, Stratton said.
"He never met a stranger," Stratton said. "I never went to a place where people didn't know him or he didn't know somebody."
He was a deacon of First Baptist Church of Carrollton and a past president of the Carrollton Rotary Club and the Optimist Club. He was also a past master of Anderson Lodge No. 90 F&AM in Carrollton.
The FHA named a golf tournament for him: the Harry Morgan Stratton Invitational in Owen County. "What he loved the best was playing golf," Stratton said. "And his family."
Other survivors include his wife, Chris Sea Stratton; a daughter, Christy Anne Stratton Skoog of Florence; a brother, Maurice Stratton of Alton; and two grandchildren.
Services will be at 11 a.m. Friday at First Baptist Church of Carrollton. Visitation will be from 5 to 8 tonight at the church. Burial will be at 2 p.m. Friday at Lawrenceburg Cemetery. Tandy-Eckler-Riley Funeral Home, Carrollton, is handling arrangements.
Betty Jean Brann, 70, of Fort Thomas, died at 9:58 a.m. Wednesday at St. Luke Hospital East in Fort Thomas.
Arrangements are pending at Alexandria Funeral Home.
Patricia Lenore Brenner, 65, of Covington, died at 10:43 p.m. Monday at St. Elizabeth Hospice Unit in Covington. She was a waitress with the Town and Country Restaurant, Park Hills, and a member of the St. Ann Ladies Society. A brother, Jack Brenner, died in 1990.
Survivors include sisters, Coletta Sias of Norton, Mass., Dolores Brenner of Fort Mitchell, Stella Geiger of Las Vegas, Joan Miller of Crescent Springs and Mary Carol Storer of Covington.
Memorial Mass of Christian burial will be at 11 a.m. Saturday at St. Ann Church, Covington. Memorials are suggested to St. Elizabeth Hospice Unit, 401 E. 20th St., Covington, Ky. 41014. Catchen Funeral Home, Covington, is handling arrangements.
John William Clayton, 70, of Alexandria, died at 11:57 p.m. Wednesday at his residence.
Arrangements are pending at Alexandria Funeral Home.
Margaret L. Davis, 64, of Warsaw, died Tuesday at Gallatin County Health Care Center in Warsaw. She was a homemaker and a member of Sparta Baptist Church. Her husband, Lawrence Davis, and a son, Jesse Davis, both preceded her in death.
Survivors include sisters, Geneva Bishop of Owenton, Eunice Jackson of Walton and Frances Baldwin of Lexington; and brothers, Carvin Baker of Warsaw and Des Baker Jr. of Carrollton.
Services will be at 2 p.m. Friday at Carlton-Lowder Funeral Home, Warsaw. Visitation will be from 5 to 9 tonight at the funeral home. Burial will be in Warsaw Cemetery. Memorials are suggested to American Cancer Society Gallatin County Chapter, in care of the funeral home, Main Street, Warsaw, Ky. 41095.
Voncella Gribble, 62, of Port Orange, Fla., formerly of Covington, died Sunday at Halifax Medical Center, Daytona Beach, Fla. She was a cafeteria worker with Latonia Elementary School.
Survivors include her husband, Russell Gribble; sons, Robert Hughes of Latonia, Thomas Hughes of Florence, Kenneth Hughes of Covington and Mark Hughes of Chesapeake, Va.; stepsons, Ray Gribble of Killen, Texas, Richard Gribble of Lakeland, Fla., Robert Gribble of Dry Ridge, Rodney Gribble and Russell Gribble, both of Covington; daughters, Roxanne Oldiges and Pamela Hughes, both of Covington, and Lisa Conley of Latonia; a stepdaughter, Melody Brumfield of Texas; brothers, Ed Carroll and Wayne Carroll, both of Florence; sisters, Doris Caddell of Covington, Geraldine Hibbard of Latonia, Jeanie Cox of Port Orange, Fla., and Alma McDowell of Latonia; 30 grandchildren; and 15 great-grandchildren.
Services will be at 10 a.m. Friday at Ronald B. Jones Funeral Home, Ludlow. Visitation will be from 5 to 8 tonight at the funeral home. Burial will be in Floral Hills Cemetery, Taylor Mill.
Lillian K. Fausz Hardin, 84, of Bellevue, died Wednesday at St. Luke Hospital East, Fort Thomas. She was a retired seamstress with Hyde Park Clothing, and a former employee of the Baptist Convalescent Center, Newport. Her husband, Harry Hardin, preceded her in death.
Survivors include daughters, Wilma Busby of Bellevue and Donna Trimbur of Cold Spring; five grandchildren; and seven great-grandchildren.
Services will be at 10 a.m. Saturday at Radel Funeral Home, Newport. Visitation will be from 5 to 8 p.m. Friday at the funeral home. Burial will be in Evergreen Cemetery, Southgate.
Mary Jane Borden Ozinga, 82, of Florence, died Wednesday at St. Luke Hospital West in Florence. She was a homemaker and a member of St. Stephen Episcopal Church, Latonia.
Survivors include her husband, Robert Ozinga of Florence; a son, Bob Ozinga of Centreville, Md.; daughters, Jane Ozinga of Chicago, Cathy Pfeiffer of Cary, N.C., and Marcy Ozinga of Cold Spring; and nine grandchildren.
Services will be at 11 a.m. Saturday at St. Stephen Episcopal Church. Visitation will be from 3 to 7 p.m. Friday at Stith Funeral Home, Florence. Memorials are suggested to Cincinnati Association for the Blind, 2045 Gilbert Ave., Cincinnati, Ohio 45202.
Helen Carr Ramey, 79, of Williamstown, died Tuesday at St. Elizabeth Medical Center Grant County in Williamstown. She was a former cook with Halfway House Restaurant, Williamstown. Her husband, Emmette "Enoch" Ramey, died in 1980.
Survivors include a son, Hugh M. Ramey of Williamstown; and four grandchildren.
Services will be at 2 p.m. Saturday at Elliston-Stanley Funeral Home, Williamstown. Visitation will be from 4 to 8 p.m. Friday at the funeral home. Burial will be in Mount Carmel Cemetery, Williamstown. Memorials are suggested to the Mount Carmel cemetery Fund, in care of Mount Carmel Baptist Church, Williamstown, Ky. 41097.
Eric Jordon Roberts, son of Erica Roberts of Newport, was stillborn Saturday at St. Luke Hospital East, Fort Thomas.
Other survivors include a brother, Joshua Roberts of Newport; sisters, Tiffany Mingua and Kayla Roberts, both of Newport; and grandparents, Eric and Eva Roberts of Newport.
Graveside services will be at 12:30 p.m. today at Evergreen Cemetery, Southgate.
Radel Funeral Home, Newport, is handling arrangements.
James R. "Buster" Smith, 74, of Newport, died Tuesday at Veterans Administration Nursing Home, Fort Thomas. He was a loader with Newport Steel in Wilder and a member of Disabled American Veterans.
He was an Army veteran of World War II.
Survivors include his wife, Janet Smith; sons, James R. Smith of Bull Head City, Ariz., Gerald D. Smith of Cincinnati, Gary W. Smith of Ludlow and Ralph E. Smith of Newport; a stepson, Robert Anderson of Eureka, Calif.; daughters, Pamela M. Faires of Portola, Calif., Deborah J. Kenton of Erlanger, Theresa J. Emery of Dayton and Billie S. Thomas of Newport; stepdaughters, Doris Kilman of Columbia City, Ind., and Ruth Thomblin of Phoenix; a brother, Cecil Smith; a sister, Marie Hodge of Covington; 18 grandchildren; and 14 great-grandchildren.
Services will be at 2:30 p.m. Saturday at Ronald B. Jones Funeral Home, Ludlow. Visitation will begin there at 12:30 p.m. Saturday. Cremation will be at Baxter Cremation Co., Cincinnati.
Betty Jane Stitt, 74, of Dayton, died Tuesday at St. Luke Hospital East, Fort Thomas. She was a homemaker and a member of the Newport Schools PTA. Her husband, Thornton Stitt, preceded her in death.
Survivors include daughters, Karen Allgeyer and Judy Collins, both of Cincinnati, Mary Schmidt of Florence, Lisa Sullender of Erlanger and Sue Sizemore of Dayton; sons, Lawrence Stitt of Newport and Mark Stitt of Morning View; a brother, Marvin Morgan of Mount Vernon, Mo.; five grandchildren; and four great-grandchildren.
Services will be at 10 a.m. Saturday at Dobbling Funeral Home, Bellevue. Visitation will be from 4 to 8 p.m. Friday at the funeral home. Burial will be in Evergreen Cemetery, Southgate. Memorials are suggested to American Heart Association, 2936 Vernon Place, Cincinnati, Ohio 45219.
Harold A. Weber, 75, of Independence, died Monday at St. Elizabeth Medical Center South, Edgewood. He was a retired maintenance worker with the Norwood school system in Cincinnati, and a Navy veteran of World War II.
Survivors include his wife, Carol Miller Weber; a daughter, Aimee Weber of Independence; a son, Kirk A. Weber of Independence; four grandchildren; and one great-grandchild.
No services are planned. Cremation will be at Hillside Chapel, Cincinnati. Memorials are suggested to American Lung Association, 11113 Kenwood Road, Cincinnati, Ohio 45242. Chambers and Grubbs Funeral Home, Florence, is handling arrangements.
Ocie Runion Wolfinbarger, 90, of Independence, died Wednesday at her home. She was a homemaker and a member of Community Pentecostal Church, Independence. Her husband, Virgle Wolfinbarger, died preceded her in death.
Survivors include daughters, Jean Stepp and Alene Gabbard, both of Independence; sons, Virgil Wolfinbarger Jr. and Bill Wolfinbarger, both of Independence, and Lewis Wolfinbarger of Covington; a brother, Jack Runion of Las Vegas; sisters, Dona Rupard of Fort Thomas, Georgia Woods of Cincinnati, Alice Trent of Barbourville, Eula Powell and Novella Hatfield, both of Taylor Mill, Wilma Land of Denver and Helen Hatfield of Johnson City, Tenn.; 10 grandchildren, 37 great-grandchildren; and nine great-great-grandchildren.
Services will be at 10 a.m. Saturday at Community Pentecostal Church, Independence. Visitation will be from 5 to 7 p.m. Friday at the church, with a memorial service to follow. Burial will be in Floral Hills Cemetery, Taylor Mill. Memorials are suggested to Community Pentecostal Church Building Fund, 11875 Taylor Mill Road, Independence, Ky. 41051; or Charity Tabernacle Church, 1058 Grand Ave., Newport, Ky. 41071. Chambers and Grubbs Funeral Home, Independence, is handling arrangements.
Violet B. Barton Albert Woolridge, 81, of Covington, died at 5:37 p.m. Monday at St. Elizabeth Hospice Unit in Covington. She was a clerk with the U.S. Postal Service and a volunteer with Senior Services of Northern Kentucky. Her husband, Carl Woolridge Sr., died in 1996. Sons, Bill Barton and Carl Woolridge Jr., died in 1994 and in January 2000, respectively.
Survivors include seven grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren.
Mass of Christian burial will be at 10 a.m. Saturday at St. John Church, Covington. Visitation will begin there at 9 a.m. Saturday. Burial will be in St. Stephen Cemetery, Fort Thomas. Memorials are suggested to Senior Services of Northern Kentucky, 1032 Madison Ave., Covington, Ky. 41011. Catchen Funeral Home, Covington, is handling arrangements.
