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Date of these obituaries: 12-24-1999
Neon artist Stephen Wartman, ran Covington sign shop, aided others
Actions can speak more about a person's character than words. It was that way with Stephen Wartman.
Walking with a friend one winter day on Madison Avenue in Covington, an elderly man, a stranger, slipped on the ice and fell. In a flash, Mr. Wartman was across the street, helping the man to his feet and asking about his welfare.
"That's the way he was," said Mr. Wartman's wife, Kathleen Vietor Wartman.
Mr. Wartman, 56, of Fort Mitchell, the owner of the Strictly Neon sign company in Covington, died Thursday at his home.
Known in the trade as a tube bender, Mr. Wartman was a skilled tradesman and innovative artist when it came to working with neon for signs and objects of art.
"He was the best in the entire area," said Mrs. Wartman.
Mr. Wartman's experience working with glass and brilliant colors went back to his childhood. He learned at the side of his father, Lou Wartman, beginning at age 12.
Stephen Wartman operated his business on Main Street in Covington for a time, and moved to the 500 block of Madison Avenue about a dozen years ago. A Kentucky Post story in 1995 noted the renaissance for neon signs and art and detailed Mr. Wartman's role in the rebirth of the art form.
His handiwork could be seen not only throughout the Greater Cincinnati area, but from coast to coast and around the world.
"I like the challenge. The difficult pieces are the most fun," Mr. Wartman had told The Post.
Mr. Wartman was an outgoing person who knew many people.
Mrs. Wartman worked with her husband, and they were a fixture at the Old Town Cafe near their business. The Wartmans ate lunch there almost every day and became good friends with the owner, Frank Bonfilio and his family, Mrs. Wartman said.
A member of a large Covington family, Mr. Wartman was a veteran of the Marine Corps. He worked long hours in his shop, but enjoyed playing golf and participated in the Bosse-Moore Invitational Golf Tournament in Alabama each year, his wife said.
Other survivors include a son, Kevin Wartman of Cincinnati; stepsons, Matt Moore of Southgate, Pat Moore of Fort Mitchell, Jason Moore of Lexington, Danny Moore and Gabe Moore, both at home; daughters, Stephanie Nutley and Casey Wartman, both of Cincinnati; stepdaughters, Casey Moore of Florence and Jennifer Moore, at home; sisters, Jeanne Hager of Loveland, Ohio, Mary Lou Duncan of Villa Hills, Julie Pond and Rita Constantino, both of Cincinnati, Penny Masten of Louisville, Amy Littlewood of Chilton, England, and Christie Brock of Walton; brothers, Tony Wartman of Villa Hills, Ted Wartman of Fort Mitchell, Joe Wartman of Petersburg, Bob Wartman of Atlanta, Tom Wartman of Taylor Mill, Sam Wartman of Elsmere and Bob Windmiller of Glen Burnie, Md.; and six grandchildren.
Services will be at 10:30 a.m. Tuesday at Ronald B. Jones Funeral Home, Ludlow. Visitation will be from 4 to 8 p.m. Monday at the funeral home. Burial will be in St. Mary Cemetery, Fort Mitchell. Memorials are suggested to St. Elizabeth Hospice Unit, 401 E. 20th St., Covington, Ky. 41014.
Lorina Adams, 86, of Florence, died Thursday at St. Luke Hospital West in Florence. She was a homemaker and a member of Glencoe Baptist Church.
Survivors include her husband, James Adams; and a sister, Mattie Lynn of Union.
Services will be at 11 a.m. Monday at Carlton-Lowder Funeral Home, Warsaw. Visitation will be from 5 to 8 p.m. Sunday at the funeral home. Burial will be in Warsaw Cemetery. Memorials are suggested to Glencoe Baptist Church, in care of the funeral home, Main Street, Warsaw, Ky. 41095.
Kevin Wayne Ament, 29, of Cincinnati, formerly of Dayton, died Monday at his home. He was a mason with James Lester Masonary Co.
Survivors include his wife, Becky Sue Behymer Ament; sons, Mason Ament, Stevie Ament and Hunter Ament, at home; his parents, Stephen Ament of Fort Thomas and JoAnn Hooper of Crescent Springs; a brother, Keith Ament of Florence; and grandparents, William Ament Sr. of Fort Thomas and George E. Katting of Cincinnati.
Services will be at 10 a.m. Monday at Radel Funeral Home, Newport. Visitation will be from 2 to 5 p.m. Sunday at the funeral home. Burial will be in Walton Cemetery.
June Orme Clark, 93, of Robertson County, died Friday in Maysville. She was a cafeteria worker with the Robertson County Board of Education and a member of Mount Olivet Baptist Church. Her husband, Osmer Clark, preceded her in death.
Survivors include sons, Osmer Clark Jr. and Ronnie Clark, both of Maysville; daughters, Doris Ogden of Maysville, Lelia Ogden of Mount Olivet and Rebecca Cropper of Dayton, Ohio; a brother, J.C. Orme of West Milton, Ohio; sisters, Anna L. Clarke of Owingsville and Louise Peed of St. Cloud, Fla.; seven grandchildren, 13 great-grandchildren and one great-great-granddaughter.
Services will be at 2 p.m. Monday at Mount Olivet Baptist Church. Visitation will be from 5 to 8 p.m. Sunday at Robertson County Funeral Home, and after 1 p.m. Monday at the church. Burial will be in Mount Olivet Cemetery. Memorials are suggested to Robertson County Life Squad, Mount Olivet, Ky. 41064; or the charity of the donor's choice.
James O. Cook, 71, of Owenton, died Thursday at University Medical Center, Lexington. He was a retired employee of Bendix Inc. in Frankfort and a farmer. Survivors include his wife, Marilyn Kingcaid Cook; stepsons, Donald Ray Ellis, Calvin T. Ellis, Ronald Gene Ellis, Bruce G. Ellis and Jerry L. Ellis, all of Owenton; a daughter, Yvonne Burford of Owenton; stepdaughters, Judy Faye Beverly of Owenton and Deborah Kay Doyle of Stamping Ground; a brother, David Cook of Owenton; sisters, Mildred Acree and Isabella House, both of Owenton; two grandchildren, 17 step-grandchildren, one great-grandchild and three step-great-grandchildren.
Services will be at 2 p.m. Monday at McDonald Funeral Home, Main Street, Owenton. Visitation will be from 4 to 9 p.m. Sunday at the funeral home. Burial will be in New Columbus Cemetery. Memorials are suggested to American Heart Association, 221 Regency Road, Suite 401, Lexington, Ky. 40503.
Raymond "Buck" Fredrick, 78, of Mason in Grant County, died at 4:45 p.m. Thursday at Owen County Memorial Hospital, Owenton. He was a retired employee of the Southern Railway Co. and a member of Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employees Union.
Survivors include sisters, Cora Belle Dance of Cynthiana, Helen Kathryn Cruey and Gladys Frederick, both of Mason.
Services will be at 3 p.m. Monday at Elliston-Stanley Funeral Home, Williamstown. Visitation will begin there at noon Monday. Burial will be in Hill Crest Cemetery, Dry Ridge. Memorials are suggested to Owenton Manor Nursing Home, Owenton, Ky. 40359.
John B. Humbert, 81, of Cold Spring, died Thursday at St. Luke Hospital East, Fort Thomas. He was a manager with General Electric, Cincinnati.
Survivors include his wife, Eunice Shaw Humbert; a son, John Michael Humbert of Alexandria; a daughter, Dianne Beineke of Alexandria; sisters, Sister Agnes Margaret of Melbourne and Evelyn Struebel of Livonia, Mich.; seven grandchildren and two great-grandsons.
Mass of Christian burial will be at 11 a.m. Tuesday at St. Joseph Church, Cold Spring. Visitation will be from 10 to 11 a.m. Tuesday at Radel Funeral Home, Highland Heights. Burial will be in Grandview Cemetery, Camp Springs.
Tracey Lynn Iles, 37, of Newport, died Thursday at St. Elizabeth Medical Center North, Covington. She was a homemaker.
Survivors include her husband, Jack Iles; her mother, Mary Pratt of Newport; a stepmother, Charlotte McIntosh of Middletown, Ohio; sisters, Phyllis Banks and Thricia McIntosh, both of Middletown; brothers, Thom Pratt of Cincinnati and Greg Pratt of Fort Thomas; and stepbrothers, William McIntosh Jr. and Terry McIntosh, both of Mason.
Services will be at 11 a.m. Tuesday at Radel Funeral Home, Newport. Visitation will be from 5 to 8 p.m. Monday at the funeral home. Burial will be in Johns Hill Cemetery, Cold Spring.
Howard "Lee" Kumler, 93, of Crescent Springs, died Wednesday at St. Elizabeth Medical Center South, Edgewood. He was a painter and decorator with Griewe Decorating in Cincinnati and a member of International Brotherhood of Painters and Decorators union.
Survivors include his wife, Dorothy J. Kumler; sons, Joseph Kumler of Dry Ridge, Robert Kumler of Crescent Springs, Bruce Kumler of Plattsmouth, Neb., and Mark Kumler of San Francisco; and five grandchildren.
Memorial services will be at 2 p.m. Monday at Erlanger Baptist Church. Fares J. Radel Funeral Home, Cincinnati, is handling arrangements.
Marian Marsh, 79, of Fort Thomas, died Wednesday at her home. She was a property evaluator at the Campbell County courthouse and a member of St. Mark Lutheran Church in Newport. Her husband, Charles Marsh, preceded her in death.
Survivors include nieces and nephews.
Services will be at 10 a.m. Wednesday at Dobbling Funeral Home, Fort Thomas. Visitation will be from 4 to 7 p.m. Tuesday at the funeral home. Burial will be in Evergreen Cemetery, Southgate.
Wanda Mae Conner Marshall, 58, of Covington, died at 3:35 a.m. Friday at St. Elizabeth Medical Center North in Covington. She was a homemaker.
Survivors include her husband, Raymond Marshall; sons, James R. Marshall of Chesterfield, Mo., Robert J. Marshall of Missoula, Mont., and Gregory A. Marshall of Jacksonville, Fla.; daughters, Margaret H. Marshall of Dayton, Ohio, Susen R. Olvera Vanzzini of Indianapolis and Patricia G. Niceley of Covington; brothers, James Conner of Latonia, Roy Conner of Taylor Mill, Don Conner of Sparta and Randy Blaine Conner of Warsaw; seven grandchildren and one great-grandchild.
Services will be at 10 a.m. Tuesday at Middendorf-Bullock Funeral Home, Covington. Visitation will be from 5 to 8 p.m. Monday at the funeral home. Burial will be in Floral Hills Cemetery, Taylor Mill. Memorials are suggested to Kidney Foundation, 2330 Victory Parkway East, Cincinnati, Ohio 45206.
Lucy Jane Martin, 91, of Florence, died at 3:59 a.m. Friday at St. Elizabeth Medical Center South, Edgewood. She was a retired security supervisor with Mabley & Carew in Cincinnati. Her husband, Lovell Martin, died in 1971. Survivors include a nephew and a niece.
Services will be at 10 a.m. Monday at Connley Brothers Funeral Home, Latonia. Visitation will begin there at 9 a.m. Monday. Burial will be in Forest Lawn Cemetery, Erlanger. Memorials are suggested to the charity of the donor's choice.
Helen Reisenbeck, 77, of Florence, died Wednesday at St. Elizabeth Medial Center South, Edgewood. She was a retired waitress with Dixie Chili in Erlanger.
Survivors include daughters, Carol Karew of Berkley, Mich., and Debbie Reisenbeck of Vevay, Ind.; a son, Jim Reisenbeck of Florence; sisters, Marie Chain, Edith Disken and Ann Sanzere, all of Cincinnati; and four grandchildren.
Services will be at 12:30 p.m. Monday at Forest Lawn cemetery Chapel, Erlanger. Visitation will be from 10 to noon Monday Linnemann Funeral Home, Erlanger. Burial will be in Forest Lawn Cemetery.
Cedric D. Singleton, 93, of Bellevue, died Wednesday at St. Elizabeth Medical Center South, Edgewood. He was a retired steel worker with Interlake Steel and Newport Steel. His wife, Rose Ann Owens Singleton, and daughter, Marcella Blades, both preceded him in death.
Survivors include sons, Marvin Singleton of Beattyville, Clifford Singleton of Cold Spring, Glenn Singleton of Somerset, Troy Singleton of Erlanger and Robert Singleton of Taylor Mill; a brother, Furl Singleton of Michigan; a sister, Isolene Smallwood of Cincinnati; 21 grandchildren, 35 great-grandchildren and two great-great-grandchildren.
Services will be at 1 p.m. Monday at Radel Funeral Home, Newport. Visitation will be from 5 to 8 p.m. Sunday at the funeral home. Burial will be in Floral Hills Cemetery, Taylor Mill.
