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Date of these obituaries: 01-30-1999
Loren Swisher believed in helping the less fortunate
Loren F. 'Pop' Swisher was a man of gentle determination who backed up his love of people with action.
In a recent newspaper interview, he said, 'I just think that helping people is one of the things God told us to do. And I don't think he was kidding.'
Mr. Swisher, 84, of Crescent Springs, one of the founders and a longtime champion of Northern Kentucky Habitat for Humanity, died at 4:12 p.m. Thursday at St. Elizabeth Medical Center South in Edgewood.
Mr. Swisher spent most of his business life working for B/G Foods. He started as a young man learning how to make sandwiches at the B/G restaurant in downtown Cincinnati and ended up managing Cincinnati restaurants and being operations manager for B/G Foods in Chicago.
'He always respected other people's feelings,' said his wife, Frances J. Swisher. 'Everybody who worked for him loved him.'
After he retired from B/G, he opened the Pick & Take Carryout on the first floor of the Chicago Tribune building and ran it for four years before retiring in 1978 and moving back to his home in Greater Cincinnati.
Mr. Swisher's brother was active in Cincinnati's Habitat for Humanity group; so, when a group of volunteers decided to establish the organization in Northern Kentucky, Mr. Swisher joined the effort.
'Starting something new is not easy,' Mrs. Swisher said. 'You have to convince people that something is worth spending their time and spending their money on. You need people who can talk.'
Mr. Swisher talked in churches, schools and business meetings, spreading Habitat's message about the importance of helping low-income families own their own homes. He organized in board meetings and then showed up at job sites, ready to pitch in where he was needed.
One of his last major projects was to spearhead the fund-raising campaign to renovate a run-down former bar into a warehouse for Habitat materials, said Vicky Nicolaci, president of Northern Kentucky Habitat for Humanity.
'He contacted all his friends, associates and acquaintances to raise funds to work on our warehouse,' she said.
Through his efforts the building has a new roof and rebuilt walls. Other work is still in progress.
Mr. Swisher served as a deacon, an elder and a Sunday school teacher at Madison Avenue Christian Church in Covington and had worked as a public relations director for the American Red Cross and United Way.
He was a past chairman of the Chicago Area Restaurant Association and a member of Cincinnati and Chicago restaurant associations.
He was an Army veteran of World War II.
In addition to his wife, other survivors include a son, David Swisher of Cincinnati; a daughter, Carol Jo Metivier of Crystal Lake, Ill.; brothers, Robert Swisher of Atlanta, Jack Swisher of Fort Thomas and Donald Swisher of Denver; a sister, Jean Reeves of Milford, Ohio; five grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.
Services will be at 2 p.m. Monday at Allison and Rose Funeral Home, Covington. Visitation will begin at 11 a.m. Monday at the funeral home. Burial will be in Evergreen Cemetery, Southgate.
Memorials are suggested to Madison Avenue Christian Church Book of Remembrance, 1530 Madison Ave., Covington, Ky. 41014, or Northern Kentucky Habitat for Humanity, P.O. Box 548, Covington, Ky., 41012-0548.
Rebecca 'Becky' Beckett, 25, of Norwood, Ohio, formerly of Covington, died at 8:29 p.m. Thursday at University Hospital in Cincinnati.
Allison and Rose Funeral Home, Taylor Mill, is handling arrangements.
Ruth 'Grandma Ruthie' Catton Bierley, 79, of Covington, died Wednesday at St. Elizabeth Medical Center South in Edgewood. She was a former telegraph operator for Western Union. Her husband, David Bierley, died in 1964.
Survivors include daughters, Ruth Lee Brockman of Latonia, Patricia G. Yelton of Franklin, Ohio, and Juanita Covington of Dry Ridge; sons, William L. Griffin of Covington, Gary D. Bierley of Verona and Gene A. Bierley of Independence; a sister, Doris Coss of Florence; 18 grandchildren and 15 great-grandchildren.
Services will be at 1 p.m. Monday at Middendorf-Bullock Funeral Home, Covington. Visitation will begin at 11 a.m. Monday at the funeral home. Burial will be in Forest Lawn Cemetery, Erlanger.
Opal Burton, 65, of Villa Hills, died at 3:30 p.m. Thursday at her residence. She was a homemaker. Her husband, Bobbie G. Burton, died in 1988.
Survivors include sons, Kimmy G. Burton and Neal D. Burton, both of Villa Hills; sisters, Priscilla Pratt and Lois Combs, both of Hazard; a brother, James Mitchell of Hazard; one grandchild and one great-grandchild.
Services will be at 11 a.m. Monday at Middendorf-Bullock Funeral Home, Ludlow. Visitation will be from 2 to 5 p.m. Sunday at the funeral home. Burial will be in Forest Lawn Cemetery, Erlanger. Memorials are suggested to the charity of the donor's choice.
Ruth Chase, 94, of Florence, died at 7:25 p.m. Thursday at Grant Manor Health Care Center in Williamstown. She was a retired nurse for the former Booth Memorial Hospital, Covington, and served as an Army nurse during World War II. She was a member of Fort Mitchell Baptist Church and was a homemaker. Her husband, Edric R. Chase, died in 1982.
Survivors include a daughter, Emma Ruth Wise of Marietta, Ga.; brothers, Carl Lanter of Dry Ridge, Ottis Lanter and Lee Lanter, both of Union, and Dr. K.E. Lanter of Union; sisters, Opal Gruen of Dry Ridge and Gene Biggs of Ohio; and one grandchild.
Services will be at 2 p.m. Monday at Stith Funeral Home, Florence. Visitation will be from 2 to 5 p.m. Sunday at the funeral home. Burial will be in Hill Crest Cemetery, Dry Ridge.
Roy W. Collins, 69, of Augusta, died Thursday at Meadow view Regional Medical Center in Maysville. He was a retired maintenance employee for Clo pay Corp., Augusta, and an Army veteran of the Korean War. He was a member of Augusta Church of the Nazarene, Augusta VFW Post 9535 and Clopay Corp. Pioneer Club. His wife, Violette Jean Collins, preceded him in death.
Survivors include daughters, Leah Kiskaden of Alexandria and Vera Holleran of Augusta; a son, Rodney Eagan of Milford; sisters, Stella Collins and Irene Mitchell, both of Cincinnati; a brother, Harold Collins of Augusta; and six grandchildren.
Services will be at 2 p.m. Monday at Metcalfe-Hennessey Fu neral Home, Augusta. Visitation will be from 6 to 8 p.m. Sunday at the funeral home. Burial will be in Mount Zion Cemetery, Bracken County. Memorials are suggested to the charity of the donor's choice.
David Earl Collum, 49, of Bedford, died at 6:15 p.m. Thurs day at Tri-County Baptist Hospital in La Grange. He was an Ar my veteran of the Vietnam War. He was a member of Milton Baptist Church, Milton; and American Legion Post No. 9, Madison, Ind.
Survivors include his wife, Loretto Welch Collum; a son, Travis Collum of Mooresville, N.C.; a daughter, Sonya Collum of Mooresville, N.C.; a stepson, Ronald Knight of Carrollton; stepdaughters, Cathy Morgan of Bedford and Wendy Knight of Sanders; brothers, Wesley Collum of Franklin, Ga., and J.T. Collum of Duluth, Ga.; sisters, Betty Lanier of Willington, N.C., and Barbara Hester of Eliza bethtown, N.C.; and five step grandchildren.
Services will be at 2 p.m. Sunday at Graham-Dunn Funeral Home, Carrollton. Visitation will be from 5 to 9 tonight at the funeral home. Burial will be in Moffett Cemetery, Milton.
Lillie Mae Cooke, 91, of Lexington, formerly of Verona, died Friday at University of Kentucky Medical Center in Lexington. She was a retired cafeteria worker for Walton-Verona Schools and a member of New Bethel Baptist Church, Verona.
Survivors include a daughter, Delores Lindsey of Richmond; a son, Leroy Cooke of Lexington; seven grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren.
Services will be at 1 p.m. Monday at Hamilton-Stanley Funeral Home, Verona. Visitation will be from 4 to 7 p.m. Sunday at the funeral home. Burial will be in Independence Cemetery.
Dolores Mae Fleissner, 71, of Bellevue, died at 8:20 a.m. Thursday at Grant Manor Nursing Home in Williamstown. She was a former waitress for Dixie Chili, Newport, and was a member of Sacred Heart Church, Bellevue.
Her husband, Carl V. Fleissner, died in 1984. A son, Roger Wayne Fleissner, died in 1986.
Survivors include a daughter, Lory Lynn Collins of Erlanger; brothers, August Hopmann Jr. of Tower, Minn., and Henry Hopmann of Lombard, Ill.; nine grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.
Graveside services will be at 10 a.m. Tuesday at Independence Cemetery. Memorials are suggested to the charity of the donor's choice. Linnemann Funeral Home, Erlanger, is handling arrangements.
Cyrilla L. Gough, 78, of Fort Mitchell, died at 4:30 p.m. Wednesday at her residence. She was a homemaker and a member of VFW Ladies Auxiliary of Deer Park, Ohio.
Survivors include her husband, Frank M. Gough; a son, Michael Gough of Taylor Mill; daughters, Sheila Whitford of Fort Mitchell, Guendolyn Krebs of Hebron and Jennifer Som mers of Taylor Mill; a brother, Robert Bergen of Rose Point, Ohio; sisters, Alma M. McMahn of Cincinnati and Elizabeth Hettel of Hampton, Fla.; nine grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
Mass of Christian burial will be at noon today at Blessed Sacrament Church, Fort Mitchell. Memorials are suggested to St. Elizabeth Hospice Unit, 401 E. 20th St., Covington, Ky. 41014; or St. Charles Care Center, 500 Farrell Drive, Fort Wright, Ky. 41011. Don Catchen and Son Funeral Home, Elsmere, is handling arrangements.
Russell P. Hodge, 59, of Hebron, died Jan. 2 at St. Elizabeth Medical Center South in Edgewood. He was a security guard for Allied Security.
Survivors include sisters, Rosa F. Whittington of Erlanger, Audrey Church of Lexington and Norma J. Cooper of Lexington, S.C.; and brothers, Larry Daily of Moorefield, W.Va., and Carey E. Daily of Gladstone, Mo.
Memorial services will be at 6 p.m. Thursday at Hebron Gospel Fellowship Church, Hebron. Middendorf-Bullock Funeral Home, Hebron, is handling arrangements.
Betty Jo Flora Lyons, 74, of Cynthiana, died Thursday at her residence. She was a retired employee for Harrison Memorial Hospital, Cynthiana. She was a member of Cynthiana Presbyterian Church, Harrison Memorial Hospital Auxiliary, VFW Auxiliary and Cynthiana Elks Lodge Auxiliary. Her husband, Austin Earl 'Freck' Lyons Sr., preceded her in death.
Survivors include sons, Austin Earl Lyons Jr. of Houston and Ernest Lee Lyons of Cynthiana; daughters, Martha Ann Sullivan of Harrison County, Connie Rae Bills of Lexington and Cathy Owen of Nicholasville; a sister, Frances Lee Schmitt of Austin, Texas; six grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.
Services will be at 11:30 a.m. Monday at Ware Funeral Home, Cynthiana. Visitation will be from 6 to 8 p.m. Sunday at the funeral home. Burial will be in Battle Grove Cemetery, Cynthiana. Memorials are suggested to Cynthiana Presbyterian Church, Main St., Cynthiana, Ky. 41031, or Hospice of the Bluegrass, 508 E. Pike St., Cynthiana, Ky. 41031.
Lowell Wayne Morrison, 57, of Harrison County, died Wednesday at his residence. He was an employee at Link-Belt Construction Equipment Co., Lexington.
Survivors include daughters, Christina L. Morrison of Palmetto, Fla., Rita C. Greeman of Bradenton, Fla., and Paula Whitaker of Cynthiana; brothers, Carl D. Morrison Jr. of Paris and Archie Morrison of Georgetown; a sister, Wyona Shanks of Paris; and three grandchildren.
Services will be at 2 p.m. Monday at Ware Funeral Home, Cynthiana. Visitation will be from 6 to 8 p.m. Sunday at the funeral home. Burial will be in Paris Cemetery.
