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Date of these obituaries: 03-19-1999
Fred Thomas, former Erlanger mayor, dies at 86
Fred H. Thomas, whose service to the city of Erlanger as a councilman and mayor spanned more than 40 years, died at 4:45 p.m. Wednesday at St. Charles Care Center in Fort Wright. He was 86.
Mr. Thomas was a councilman from 1951 to 1982, then served three terms as mayor.
'He felt like he was making a difference to the community,' said a long-time friend, Erlanger councilman and retired police chief Ken Yaden.
'He enjoyed the job, and he enjoyed working for the citizens of Erlanger. He enjoyed working with the people at the city building. It's like a family.'
An elected official 10 years before Interstate 75 came through Erlanger, Mr. Thomas was responsible for attracting many businesses, including Showcase Cinemas, to town. He also initiated many important road-improvement projects, said his son, Fred S. Thomas of Cincinnati.
'Daddy was just so civic-minded,' he said. 'He was still doing things for the city two days before he had to go into the nursing home and didn't remember anything at all.'
Over the years, Mr. Thomas served on a variety of important boards, committees and task forces, including the Northern Kentucky Area Development District's board of directors and the Kenton-Boone Cable Television Board.
In 1984, he was named the Northern Kentucky Chamber of Commerce's Outstanding Local Elected Official.
Mr. Thomas drew on his expansive knowledge of the city whenever important government decisions had to be made. He also enjoyed telling stories.
'He was around so long and worked on so many different things, he had a story about everything,' Yaden said.
After Thomas left office, the city hall and police head quarters were designated the Fred H. Thomas Municipal Center. A portrait of Thomas, painted by former Erlanger Police Officer Marvin Releford, hangs in the municipal center.
Mr. Thomas and his family lived in Covington and Latonia before moving to Erlanger in 1941. He had three sons by his wife, Rose Thomas, who died in 1988.
In 1942, at age 29, Mr. Thomas joined the Navy as World War II was raging. 'He didn't even give it a second thought,' his son, Fred Thomas, said. 'He just flat-out said, "I'm going and I'll be back,' and he did.'
Mr. Thomas worked for about 23 years with Moescle-Edwards Corp. in Covington, which manufactured rolling doors. He retired in 1972 as a supervisor.
Mr. Thomas's life revolved around the city, his family and his church, St. Henry Church in Elsmere. When his sons were in St. Henry High School, Mr. Thomas was actively involved in the athletic programs, overseeing ticketing and acting as an assistant basket ball coach for the reserve team.
Mr. Thomas also was a member of Ralph Fulton VFW Post No. 6423 in Elsmere and the Erlanger Lions Club.
Other survivors include sons, Paul E. Thomas of Columbus, Ohio, and Anthony P. Thomas of Erlanger, seven grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
Mass of Christian burial will be at 7:30 p.m. Monday at St. Henry Church. Visitation will be from 4 to 7 p.m. Monday at the church. Entombment will be in St. Mary Mausoleum, Fort Mitchell. Memorials are suggested to the Fred and Rose Thomas Scholarship Fund, in care of Heritage Bank, 456 Commonwealth Ave., Erlanger, Ky. 41018. Linnemann Funeral Home, Erlanger, is handling arrangements.
Evelyn Sue Sosbe Elam, 66, of Madisonville, died Wednesday at Senior Citizens Nursing Home in Madisonville. She was a homemaker.
Survivors include daughters, Donna Jean Arvin of Irvine and Kimberly White Adams of Madisonville; a brother, Howard P. Sosbe of Oddville; six grandchildren and one great-grandchild.
Services will be at 10 a.m. Saturday at Ware Funeral Home, Cynthiana. Visitation will be from 5 to 8 tonight at the funeral home. Burial will be in Battle Grove Cemetery, Cynthiana.
Theodore Gaeddert Sr., 89, of Bellevue, died Thursday at Baptist Convalescent Center, Newport. He was a retired receiving and shipping worker with Dover Elevator Co., Cincinnati, and a member of Bellevue Christian Church.
Mr. Gaeddert was a member of Henry Barnes Masonic Lodge No. 607, Dayton; Scottish Rite Indra Consistory, Covington; and the Syrian Shrine in Cincinnati. His wife, Mildred Peirce Gaeddert, died in 1968.
Survivors include a son, Theodore Gaeddert Jr. of Fort Thomas; a sister, Erna Zech of Readly, Calif.; brothers, Edward Naber of Spokane, Wash., and Sigmund Naber of San Diego; two grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
Services will be at 10 a.m. Monday at Radel Funeral Home, Newport. Visitation will be from 5 to 8 p.m. Sunday at the funeral home, with Masonic services at 7:30 p.m. Burial will be in Evergreen Cemetery, Southgate. Memorials are suggested to Baptist Convalescent Center, 120 Main St., Newport, Ky. 41071.
Donovan Darrough Hedger, 89, of Dry Ridge, died Thursday at St. Luke Hospital West, Florence. He was a farmer and a deacon with Dry Ridge Baptist Church. He was part-owner of Coates, Stewart and Hedger Funeral Home in Williamstown, and served for many years as a community committee member of the Federal Stabilization Association office in Williamstown. He was a Navy veteran of World War II.
Survivors include his wife, Churchill Hedger; a daughter, Donna Hassmann of Dry Ridge; four grandchildren and one great-grandchild.
Services will be at 11 a.m. Saturday at Eckler-Hudson Funeral Home, Dry Ridge. Visitation will be from 5 to 8 tonight at the funeral home. Burial will be in Hill Crest Cemetery, Dry Ridge.
Leonard D. Humphrey, 83, of Taylor Mill, died Tuesday at his home. He was a retired molder with General Electric in Cincinnati and a Navy veteran of World War II.
Survivors include his wife, Viola Mae Austin Humphrey; a son, Daniel Lee Humphrey of Sanders; daughters, Delores Webb of Taylor Mill, Barbara Ruttenencutter- Dean of Cres cent Springs and Sarah Lehnhoff of Kettering, Ohio; a brother, Arthur E. Humphrey of Dayton, Ohio; a sister, Mildred Mitchner of Blanchester, Ohio; 10 grandchildren, 11 great-grandchildren and three great-great-grandchildren.
Services will be at 2 p.m. Saturday at Allison and Rose Funeral Home, Taylor Mill. Visitation will be from noon to 1:45 p.m. Saturday at the funeral home. Burial will be in Floral Hills Cemetery, Taylor Mill.
Ginger Carter Johnson, 25, Burlington, died at 9:10 p.m. Wednesday at her home after an extended illness. She was an employee of the Gap distribution center in Boone County and a member of Florence Baptist Church.
Survivors include a son, Anthoney Shawn Johnson, at home; daughters, Tiffani Nichol Carter and Whitney Paige Carter, both at home; her parents, David Carter of Tampa, Fla., and Linda Borders Carter of Burlington; and a grandmother, Roberta Borders of Burlington.
Services will be at 11 a.m. Saturday at Steen Funeral Home, Ashland. Visitation will be from 6 to 9 tonight at the funeral home. Burial will be in Ashland Cemetery.
Roxie E. Jones, 86, of Newport, died Wednesday at Clermont Mercy Hospital, Batavia, Ohio. She was a homemaker.
Survivors include daughters, Hazel Baker of Newport and Edith Boles of Cincinnati; a sister, Lena Calvert of Cincinnati; five grandchildren, three great-grandchildren and one great-great-granddaughter.
Private services will be at the convenience of the family. Burial will be in Spring Grove Cemetery, Cincinnati. Dobbling Funeral Home, Bellevue, is handling arrangements.
Bernice Kinnaird, 84, of Fort Thomas, died Thursday at St. Elizabeth Medical Center South, Edgewood. She was a retired registered nurse and a former co-owner of Kinnaird Body Works, Bromley. She was a member of Immanuel United Church of Christ, Bromley. Her husband, Kenneth Kinnaird, died in 1964.
There are no survivors.
Services will be at 11 a.m. Saturday at Highland cemetery Chapel, Fort Mitchell. Memorials are suggested to Immanuel Church of Christ, 110 Boone St., Bromley, Ky. 40359; or to charity. Middendorf-Bullock Funeral Home, Ludlow, is handling arrangements.
Margaret Koehler, 90, of Falmouth, died Thursday at St. Luke Hospital East, Fort Thomas.
Arrangements are pending at Peoples Funeral Home, Falmouth.
Leonard H. McClanahan Sr., 78, of Cincinnati, formerly of Burlington, died Wednesday at Jewish Hospital in Cincinnati. He was a retired supervisor with R.A. Jones plants in Covington and Erlanger.
Survivors include his wife, Frances E. Hurt McClanahan; a son, Leonard H. McClanahan of North Miami Beach, Fla.; a brother, Vernon McClanahan Jr. of Bloomington, Ind.; and two grandchildren.
Services will be at 1 p.m. today at Middendorf-Bullock Funeral Home, Covington. Burial will be in Floral Hills Cemetery, Taylor Mill.
Frances H. Hunter Salgado, 79, of Florence, died Tuesday at St. Elizabeth Medical Center North Hospice in Covington. She was a homemaker. Her husband, Carlos Salgado, and a son, George Salgado, both preceded her in death.
Survivors include a daughter, Frances Cavanaugh of Edgewood; sisters, Jena Tucker of Pughkeepsie, N.Y., and Eva Padgett of Wurtsboro, N.Y.; and three grandchildren.
Memorial services will be at 3 p.m. Saturday at Fares J. Radel Funeral Home and Crematory, Cincinnati. Memorials are suggested to American Cancer Society, 7730 U. S. 42, Suite C6, Florence, Ky. 41042.
Roy D. Scothorn, 80, of Burlington, died Wednesday at Florence Park Care Center. He was a retired conveyor operator with White River Mines, a member of Disabled American Veterans and an Army veteran of World War II.
Survivors include a sister, Hazel White of Petersburg.
Services will be at 11 a.m. Monday at Middendorf-Bullock Funeral Home, Hebron. Visitation will begin there at 10 a.m. Monday. Burial will be in Pleasant Hill Cemetery, Butler. Memorials are suggested to charity.
Katie Smith, 45, of Union, died Feb. 23 at St. Luke Hospital West, Florence. She was a gourmet cook and owner of Eddie's Barbecue, Florence. She was a former employee of Scripps Howard, Minorities in Action and the U.S. Postal Service.
Survivors include her husband, Eddie Smith; a son, Edrick Smith, at home; a daughter, Mary Deshae Smith, at home; her mother, Mary Nash of Canton, Miss.; and brothers, Ade Fleming, Michael Nash and Walter Fleming, all of Jackson, Miss., and Roosevelt Fleming of Chicago.
Services were Feb. 26 at Jerriel Baptist Church, Cincinnati. Burial was Feb. 27 in Smith cemetery in Sharon, Miss. Jones & Simpson Funeral Home, Covington, and Family Memorial Funeral Home, Canton, Miss., handled arrangements.
James Richard Stanley, 35, of Covington, died March 13 at St. Elizabeth Medical Center North in Covington. He was disabled.
Survivors include his wife, Darla Stanley of Covington; daughters, Jennifer Stanley and Amanda Stanley, both at home; his parents, Rev. James and Mary Stanley of Cincinnati; a brother, Damon Stanley; sisters, Marian Copeland and Tracey Dubose; grandparents, James and Jimmie Stanley, and Lena Marks of Cincinnati; and a great- grandmother, Nellie Jones.
Services will be at 8 tonight at True Holiness Church of God, Cincinnati. Visitation will begin there at 6 p.m. Burial will be in Baltimore Pike Cemetery, Cincinnati. Thompson, Hall and Jordan Funeral Home, Cincinnati, is handling arrangements.
Shawn David Stephens, 6, of Norwood, Ohio, formerly of Newport, died Wednesday in Norwood after being hit by a car. He was a kindergarten student at Sharpsburg Primary School in Cincinnati.
Survivors include his parents, Tony and Terri Swain Stephens; a sister, Melissa Stephens of Newport; brothers, Anthony Stephens of Newport, and Tony Stephens Jr., Na than Stephens and Ricky Johnson, all of Norwood; and his grandmother, Theresa Swain of Newport.
Services will be at 10 a.m. Monday at Muehlenkamp-Erschell Funeral Home, Newport. Visitation will be from 4 to 7 p.m. Sunday at the funeral home. Burial will be in Evergreen Cemetery, Southgate.
Marie A. Stout, 92, of Fort Mitchell, died Wednesday at her home. She was a homemaker. Her husband, Frank Stout, died in 1972.
Survivors include a son, Frank Stout of Cincinnati; daughters, Frances Horwitz of Lexington, Florence Howard of Rabbit Hash and Carol Wiggins of Taylor Mill; a brother, Carl Stecher of Cincinnati; seven grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren.
Services will be at 11 a.m. Saturday at Stith Funeral Home, Florence. Visitation will begin there at 9 a.m. Saturday. Burial will be in Forest Lawn Cemetery, Erlanger.
Thelma Tabeling, 75, of Newport, died Thursday at Baptist Convalescent Center in Newport.
Arrangements are pending at Ronald B. Jones Funeral Home, Ludlow.
Donald Voiles, 69, of Dayton, died Sunday at St. Luke Hospital East, Fort Thomas. He was a housekeeper with Children's Psychiatric Hospital, Covington.
Survivors include a daughter, Linda Robinson of Dayton; and a stepson, Charles D. Hauger of Dayton.
Services will be at 2 p.m. Sunday at Dobbling Funeral Home, Bellevue. Visitation will begin there at 1 p.m. Sunday. Burial will be in Baltimore Pike Cemetery, Cincinnati. Memorials are suggested to Children's Psychiatric Hospital, P. O. Box 2680, Covington, Ky. 41012.
Laura Mae Hardin Weth ington, 75, of Walton, died Monday at her home. She was a homemaker and a member of All Saints Church, Walton. Her husband, James Murray Wethington, died in 1989.
Survivors include sons, Joseph G. Wethington of Crittenden, Michael W. Wethington of Demossville, William M. Wethington of Verona, Anthony L. Wethington of Cincinnati, M. Keith Wethington of Frankfort, and James T. Wethington and David E. Wethington, both of Walton; daughters, Barbara J. Hopperton of Verona, and Edith M. Trzop and Victoria L. Wethington, both of Walton; a sister, Hazel Redman of Erlanger; a brother, Jim Hardin of Crescent Springs; 22 grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren.
Mass of Christian burial was this morning at All Saints Church. Burial was in St. Patrick Cemetery, Verona. Memorials are suggested to St. Joseph Academy, 1 St. Joseph Lane, Walton, Ky. 41094. Chambers and Grubbs Funeral Home, Walton, is handling arrangements.
Frank S. Williams Jr., 68, of Alexandria, died at 10:20 p.m. Wednesday at his home. He was a retired chief switchman with Cincinnati Bell Telephone and a member of St. Mary Church, Alexandria. He was an usher with the church, a member of the Catholic Order of Foresters and a manager-player in the Holy Name baseball league.
Mr. Williams was a member of the Alexandria Volunteer Fire Department and the Pendleton County Country Club and coached many years in the Campbell County Knothole Baseball League. He was an Army veteran of the Korean War. His sister, Eileen F. Harthun, died Feb. 25.
Survivors include his wife, JoAnn Williams; sons, Rick Williams, Steve Williams and Dan Williams, all of Alexandria, Greg Williams of Cincinnati, and Dennis Williams; a daughter, Patty Williams of Wurtland; a brother, Robert Williams of Erlanger; and 11 grandchildren.
Mass of Christian burial will be at 10 a.m. Saturday at St. Mary Church, Alexandria. Visitation will be from 4 to 8 tonight at Alexandria Funeral Home. Burial will be in St. Mary Cemetery, Alexandria. Memorials are suggested to St. Elizabeth Cancer Center, 1 Medical Village Drive, Edgewood, Ky. 41017.
