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Date of these obituaries: 03-10-1999
Ernest Wuchner, master art photographer
Ernest J. 'Wuch' Wuchner of Florence was a fine-arts photographer who reproduced masterpieces by the likes of Rembrandt, Van Gogh and Picasso in meticulous, life-size detail for the nation's top museums and galleries.
Mr. Wuchner died Monday at St. Luke Hospital West in Florence. He was 82.
Mr. Wuchner was skilled at collotyping, a printing process that yields almost photographic-quality pictures. Based in New York City, he traveled across the country to make the prints.
But the demand for reproductions in collotype all but disappeared with the advent in the 1970s of the more cheaply and quickly produced lithotypic posters.
'Dad used to get so frustrated. He would say that people's appreciation for art was lessened because of the cheap cost of the poster and being satisfied with a lesser quality,' said a son, Jan Wuchner of Florence, who is a Kentucky State Police trooper at the Dry Ridge Post.
Mr. Wuchner was a native of New York City who abandoned plans for higher education to support his mother and a younger brother.
He was working for Arthur Jaffe Heliochrome Co. in New York City before he was drafted in the Army Air Corps during World War II.
For three years Mr. Wuchner worked as an aerial photographer - taking photos through a specially made window in the belly of war planes on reconnaissance missions over China, Burma and India.
Mr. Wuchner returned after the war to work at Arthur Jaffe's, which had a worldwide reputation for fine-art photography.
Mr. Wuchner's work also led him to his lifetime sweetheart. Lennie Speron was a color retoucher for Arthur Jaffe. The two would have celebrated 50 years of marriage this May.
In the 1960s, he made prints of Rembrandt's 'Aristotle Contemplating the Bust of Homer' at the Metropolitan Museum of Art after the museum paid a then-unheard-of $2.3 million for the painting.
Among other places at which Mr. Wuchner made prints were the Art Institute of Chicago and Huntington Library in Pasadena, Calif.
'He was the master,' said another son, Clay Banks Wuchner, who is an actor in Hollywood, Calif. 'We always had beautiful art in the house. It was like an art gallery in the living room.'
Mr. Wuchner attended the Immaculate Heart of Mary Church in Burlington and was a member of the American Legion.
He's also survived by three grandchildren.
Mass of Christian burial will be at 3 p.m. Thursday at the Immaculate Heart of Mary Church in Burlington. Memorials are suggested to New Castle Foundation Inc., Institute for Humanity in Medicine, P. O. Box 75121, Cincinnati, Ohio 45275.
Mary E. Aulick, 86, of Covington, died Tuesday at St. Luke Hospital East, Fort Thomas.
Arrangements are pending at Allison and Rose Funeral Home, Taylor Mill.
Catherine Leichtle Belcher, 83, of Grants Lick, died Tuesday at Lakeside Place Nursing Home, Highland Heights. She was a homemaker and a member of Plum Creek Christian Church in Grants Lick. She was a Sunday school teacher at the church. Her husband, Ernie Belcher, died in 1998. A son, David Belcher, died in 1960.
Survivors include a son, Terry Wayne Belcher of Grants Lick; and two grandchildren.
Services will be at 5 p.m. Thursday at Plum Creek Christian Church. Visitation will begin there at 3 p.m. Thursday. Burial will be in Plum Creek Cemetery, Grants Lick. Memorials are suggested to Plum Creek Christian Church, Route 3, Box 292, Butler, Ky. 41006. Peoples Funeral Home, Grants Lick, is handling arrangements.
Leroy Brightwell, 62, of Louisville, formerly of Ghent, died March 4 at his home. He was a concrete-block layer and a member of Ghent Second Baptist Church.
Survivors include his wife, Elizabeth Brightwell; sons, Leroy Brightwell Jr. and Larry Brightwell, both of Warsaw, Jamie Brightwell and Leon Smith, both of Louisville; daughters, Tina O'Conner of Warsaw, Missy Brightwell, Angela Brightwell and Ebony Brightwell, all of Louisville; brothers, Phillip Brightwell of Ghent, Ellis Brightwell of Louisville and Melvin Brightwell of Columbus, Ind.; and six grandchildren.
Services will be at 2 p.m. Thursday at Ghent Second Baptist Church Cemetery. Graham-Dunn Funeral Home, Carrollton, is handling arrangements.
Julius Claypool, 93, of Williamstown, died Tuesday at his home. He was a retired construction worker, a member of Oak Ridge Baptist Church in Williamstown and an Army veteran of World War II. A son, George A. Claypool, preceded him in death.
Survivors include his wife, Maude B. Claypool; sons, Henry Claypool of St. Petersburg, Fla., Larry Claypool and Julius Claypool, both of Williamstown; daughters, Linda May of Williamstown and Connie Goins of Berry; a sister, Effie Daniel of Clearwater, Fla.; 23 grandchildren; and 32 great-grandchildren.
Services will be at 1 p.m. Friday at Eckler-Hudson Funeral Home, Dry Ridge. Visitation will be from 6 to 9 p.m. Thursday at the funeral home. Burial will be in Hill Crest Cemetery, Dry Ridge.
Irene L. Cox, 86, of Covington, died Monday at her home. She was a retired piece worker with Gibson Greeting Card Co. A brother, Glavis 'Skip' Cox, died March 4.
Survivors include a half-brother, Rev. Dale Cox of Holland, Mich.
Services will be at 11 a.m. Friday at Allison and Rose Funeral Home, Covington. Visitation will begin there at 10 a.m. Friday. Burial will be in Floral Hills Cemetery, Taylor Mill.
Rose Dubose, 55, of Covington, died Friday at St. Elizabeth Medical Center South in Edgewood after an extended illness. She was a retired employee for Transit Authority of Northern Kentucky.
Survivors include her husband, Eddie Dubose III; sons, George Florence and Eddie Dubose IV; a daughter, Robin Speed; brothers, Bishop R. Florence, Thomas Florence and Ricky Florence; sisters, Doris Johnson, Charlene Adams and Pamela Williams; and four grandchildren.
Services will be at 7 p.m. Thursday at First United Pentecostal Apostolic Church, Covington. Visitation will begin at 5 p.m. Thursday at the church. Jones and Simpson Funeral Home, Covington, and Thompson, Hall and Jordan Funeral Home, Cincinnati, are handling arrangements.
Mary Lou Greely, 69, of Highland Heights, died Tuesday at St. Elizabeth Medical Center South, Edgewood.
Arrangements are pending at Muehlenkamp-Erschell Funeral Home, Fort Thomas.
Martha Smith Hornsby, 76, of Covington, died at 12:45 p.m. Monday at St. Elizabeth Medical Center North in Covington. She was a homemaker.
Survivors include her husband, Hugh Ray Hornsby; a daughter, Pat Brown of Elsmere; sons, Charles Smith and Marion Leslie Smith, both of Williamstown; brothers, Winston Combs of Williamstown, Donald Combs of Dry Ridge and John Combs of Walton; a sister, Mary Carr of Latonia; five grandchildren; and one great-grandchild.
Services will be at 2 p.m. Friday at Elliston-Stanley Funeral Home, Williamstown. Visitation will be from 5 to 8 p.m. Thursday at the funeral home. Burial will be in Williamstown Cemetery.
Austin Cole Hummeldorf, 3 months, of Nashville, Tenn., died Wednesday at Southern Hills Hospital in Nashville.
Survivors include his parents, Eric and Judy Dong Hummeldorf of Nashville, formerly of Morning View; sisters, Ashley Hummeldorf, Chelsea Hummeldorf and Hailee Hummeldorf, all at home; a brother, Kiefer Hummeldorf, at home; and grandparents, Jack Dong of Columbus, Ohio, James L. Hummeldorf of Morning View, and Ida Margaret Wells of Union.
Services were Saturday at Woodbine Funeral Home, Nashville. Burial was in Mapleview Cemetery, Smyrna, Tenn.
Edward Louis Krebs, 58, of St. Louis, formerly of Dayton, died Saturday in an auto accident in St. Louis. He was a retired truck driver and an Army veteran of the Vietnam War.
Survivors include brothers, William A. Krebs of Silver Grove, Buddy Krebs of Claryville and David Krebs of Covington; and sisters, Nadine Davis of Covington and Dorothy Parks of Erlanger.
Services were private. Memorials are suggested to the charity of the donor's choice. St. Louis Cremation and Anatomy Transporting Co. is handling arrangements.
Paul Leland, 83, of Latonia, died at 2:50 a.m. today at his daughter's residence in Taylor Mill.
Arrangements are pending at Swindler and Currin Funeral Home, Latonia.
Edward McEndre, 68, of Carrollton, died Monday at his home. He was a member of the Carrollton Moose Lodge and American Legion Post No. 41 in Carrollton and an Air Force veteran of the Korean War.
Survivors include sons, Michael McEndre and James Mitchell McEndre, both of Car rollton; and a sister, Sharon Dews of Carrollton.
Services will be private. Graham-Dunn Funeral Home, Carrollton, is handling arrangements.
Zora Smith Stewart, 97, of Carrollton, died Tuesday at Green Valley Health and Rehabilitation Center in Carrollton. She was a retired school teacher with the Carroll County School System and a former principal of Worthville Grade School. She was a member of Worthville Christian Church and the Worthville Chapter Order of the Eastern Star.
Her husband, Robert Roy Stewart; a stepson, Robert William Stewart; and a stepdaughter, Elsie Gibson, all preceded her in death.
Survivors include a stepson, Melvin C. Stewart of Carrollton; seven grandchildren; 10 great-grandchildren; and two great-great-grandchildren.
Services will be at 11 a.m. Friday at Tandy-Eckler-Riley Funeral Home, Carrollton. Visitation will be from 5 to 8 p.m. Thursday at the funeral home. Burial will be in Dallasburg Masonic Cemetery, Wheatley.
Dorothy Sullivan, 88, of Fort Wright, died Tuesday at St. Eliz abeth Medical Center South, Edgewood.
Arrangements are pending at Ronald B. Jones Funeral Home, Ludlow.
Enid Turner, 92, of Cincinnati, formerly of Dayton, died Monday at Eastgate Nursing Home in Cincinnati. She was a retired employee of the Keebler Co., Cincinnati.
Survivors include nieces and nephews.
Services will be at 1 p.m. Thursday Witt, Good & Kelsch Funeral Home, Cincinnati. Visitation will begin there at noon Thursday. Burial will be in Vine Street Hill Cemetery, Cincinnati.
William Loraine Warren, 72, of Sanders, died Monday at his home. He was a retired employee of the Kentucky Department of Highways.
Survivors include a sister, Mary Virginia Hearn of Ghent.
Services will be at 1 p.m. Thursday at Ghent Masonic Cemetery. Graham-Dunn Funeral Home, Carrollton, is handling arrangements.
Francis H. Wood, 75, of Erlanger, died Monday at St. Elizabeth Medical Center South, Edgewood. He was the retired owner of F. H. Wood Plumbing Co., and a member of Master Plumbers of Northern Kentucky and the World War II Veterans Association.
He was a member of the Knights of Columbus, the Holy Name Society, Catholic Order of Foresters, and Prime Time Seniors. He was an Army veteran of World War II, and a member of the 871st Airborne Engineering Battalion Reunion Organization.
Survivors include his wife, Margaret Arens Wood; sons, Frank Wood Jr. of Elsmere, Gregory Wood of Wheaton, Ill., Ronald Wood of Lehigh, Fla., and Thomas Wood of Peoria, Ill.; daughters, Jean Dames of High Point, N.C., Mary Jo Stiene of Richwood and Ruth Weiss of Florence; brothers, George Wood of Indianapolis and Ray Wood of Brookfield, Ill.; and 24 grandchildren.
Mass of Christian burial will be at 10 a.m. Saturday at St. Henry Church, Elsmere. Visitation will be from 5 to 9 p.m. Friday at Linnemann Funeral Home, Erlanger. Burial will be in Mother of God Cemetery, Fort Wright. Memorials are suggested to St. Henry District High School, 3827 Dixie Highway, Elsmere, Ky. 41018.
