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Date of these obituaries: 08-28-1998
Rev. Callahan was dedicated to his faith and to education
A dedication to education and devotion to his faith were closely intertwined in the life of the Rev. Leonard F. Callahan, parochial vicar of St. Thomas Church in Fort Thomas.
Ordained in 1969, Father Callahan was an associate pastor and teacher before advancing to top supervisory positions.
He served as director of religious education for the Diocese of Covington and later as vicar for total Catholic education for the Diocese of Dallas.
"He stressed education his whole life," said a brother, Lawrence M. Callahan of Fort Wright.
"He was always for the under-privileged and he stressed to them constantly the value of education.
"Sports, he said, were necessary, but secondary to education."
Father Callahan, who lived in Fort Wright, died of a heart attack Wednesday night at St. Elizabeth Medical Center South in Edgewood.
He was 58 years old.
Father Callahan was a native of Detroit.
His first assignment was as associate pastor of Christ the King Church in Lexington. While at Christ the King, he also taught at Lexington Catholic High School and served as associate director of religious education for the Bluegrass and Mountain Areas of the Diocese of Covington.
When Father Callahan became director of religious education for the Diocese of Covington in 1979, he served as chaplain for the Passionist Convent in Erlanger and the Diocesan Catholic Children's Home.
Three years later, he became vicar for total Catholic education for the Diocese of Covington.
After that, he served as vice president for religious affairs at Bellarmine College in Louisville.
In 1994, Father Callahan was named vicar for total Catholic education for the Diocese of Dallas.
He returned to Northern Kentucky earlier this year to become St. Thomas Church's parochial vicar.
Lawrence Callahan described his brother's faith as "unshakeable. He always saw a reason for things."
Other survivors include a brother, Francis P. Callahan of Crescent Springs; and sisters, Patricia A. Bingham of Detroit and Mary D. Sutton of Southgate.
Mass of Christian burial will be at 7 p.m. Monday at the Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption in Covington.
Funeral rites will be at 2 p.m. at the church, with visitation from 2:30 to 6:30 p.m. A reception will be held in Howard Hall immediately following the Mass.
Burial will be in St. Pius X cemetery in Erlanger.
Memorials are suggested to the Rev. Leonard F. Callahan Scholarship Fund, in care of First National Bank of Northern Kentucky, 350 Buttermilk Pike, Fort Mitchell, Ky. 41017.
Linnemann Funeral Home in Erlanger is handling arrangements.
Falmouth's Jeanette Pierce,
pioneering special-ed teacher
To her students, Falmouth teacher Jeanette Rigg Pierce was more than an instructor. She also was a mother, a caretaker and a compassionate leader.
Mrs. Pierce began her teaching career at Goforth and Morgan schools in Pendleton County, then took an interest in special education.
She earned certification as a special-education teacher at the University of Kentucky, then helped start Northern Kentucky's first state-supported special-education program in Pendleton County. When the time came, she was easily Superintendent Richard Gulick's first choice to serve as the program's first teacher.
The job entailed not only teaching, but also looking after her students' well-being. Mrs. Pierce made her students breakfast, and always had it ready for them by the time they arrived.
"She was very compassionate, very capable and did a wonderful job," said Mr. Gulick. "She never seemed to get aggravated and was just an exceptional person. We couldn't have gotten anyone better."
Mrs. Pierce died Thursday at her home. She was 75.
Mrs. Pierce went to Southern Elementary after the county's elementary schools were consolidated, and later taught more severely challenged children at the middle school.
She was instrumental in organizing the Pendleton County Mental Association, out of which has come the George Gedge workshop and other opportunities for Pendleton County children. She was honored as an Outstanding Elementary Teacher of America in 1972 for her work.
Survivors include a daughter, Mary Evelyn White of Cincinnati; a son, Edwin D. Pierce of Frisco, Texas; a brother, Jerry Wyatt of Morgan; sisters, Norine McNeil of Manchester, Ohio, Brenda Adams of Miamisburg, Ohio, and Glenda Higdon of Daytona, Fla.; one grandchild and two step-grandchildren. Her husband, Samuel E. Pierce, who was also a teacher, died on June 25.
Services will be at 2 p.m. Monday at Morgan Christian Church. Visitation will be from 5 to 8 p.m. Sunday at Woodhead Funeral Home, Falmouth. Burial will be in Morgan Cemetery. Memorials are suggested to Morgan Christian Church, Route 2, Falmouth, Ky. 41040.
Harold "Beck" Beckham, 73, of Williamstown, died at 5:40 a.m. Wednesday at St. Elizabeth Medical Center South, Edgewood, after an extended illness. He was a retired fuel-oil driver with Royce Adams Oil Co., Williamstown, and a member of Grant Lodge No. 82 F&AM, Williamstown, and Williamstown Christian Church. His wife, Helen Eibeck Beckham, died in 1997.
Survivors include sons, Teddy Beckham of Williamstown and Tony Beckham of Nicholasville; daughters, Tammy Beckham of Williamstown and Tina Salyers of Fort Riley, Kan.; and five grandchildren.
Services will be at 11 a.m. Saturday at Elliston-Stanley Funeral Home, Williamstown. Visitation will be from 5 to 9 p.m. today at the funeral home, with Masonic services at 7 p.m. Burial will be in Williamstown Cemetery. Memorials are suggested to St. Elizabeth Home-Health Hospice, 401 E. 20th St., Covington, Ky. 41014; or Williamstown Christian Church, 318 N. Main St., Williamstown, Ky. 41097.
Catherine Berling Bieber, 90, of Independence, died at 9:37 p.m. Wednesday at her home. She was a homemaker.
Survivors include her husband, Dr. Herbert F. Bieber of Independence; a son, Gene H. Bieber of Fort Lauderdale, Fla.; a daughter, Nancy Chadwick of Independence; sisters, Ruth Berling and Marguerite Spieker, both of Cincinnati, and Thelma Johnson and Teda Stephan, of Sun City, Fla.; four grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren.
Services will be at 10 a.m. Monday at Swindler and Currin Funeral Home, Independence. Visitation will begin there at 9 a.m. Monday. Burial will be in Floral Hills Cemetery, Taylor Mill. Memorials are suggested to St. Elizabeth Home-Health Hospice, 401 E. 20th St., Covington, Ky. 41014.
Billie Jean Moss Blackburn, 69, of Cynthiana, died Wednesday at her home. She was a homemaker, a member of Curry United Methodist Church and United Methodist Women, and was a Sunday school teacher. Her husband, Henry Paul Blackburn, preceded her in death.
Survivors include a son, Rodney Paul Blackburn; daughters, Eva Ruth Renaker and Balinda Beth Martin, both of Cynthiana; a brother, Robert L. Moss of Covington; a sister, Jerry Moss Bredenberg of Crittenden; and four grandchildren.
Services will be at 10 a.m. Saturday at Drake Funeral Home, Cynthiana. Visitation will be from 4 to 8 p.m. today at the funeral home. Burial will be in Battle Grove Cemetery, Cynthiana. Memorials are suggested to Curry United Methodist Church, Upper Curry Pike, Cynthiana, Ky. 41031.
Caroline L. Duarte, 93, of Ludlow, died Wednesday at St. Elizabeth Medical Center North, Covington. She was a retired housekeeper with St. Ann Church, West Covington.
Survivors include several nieces and nephews.
Mass of Christian burial will be at 10 a.m. Saturday at St. Ann Church. Visitation will begin there at 9 a.m. Saturday. Burial will be in St. Mary Cemetery, St. Bernard, Ohio. Memorials are suggested to St. Ann Church, 1247 Parkway Ave., Covington, Ky. 41011. Ronald B. Jones Funeral Home, Ludlow, is handling arrangements.
Ezra Wells Florence, 101, of Cynthiana, died Thursday at Grand Haven Nursing Home. He was a retired farmer and a member of Salem Church of Christ. His wife, Mary Geoghegan Florence, preceded him in death.
Survivors include a son, Harold Rees Florence; a daughter, Dorothy Slade of Harrison County; a brother, Robert E. Florence Jr. of Harrison County; four grandchildren, three great-grandchildren and four step-great-grandchildren.
Services will be at 2 p.m. Sunday at Whaley-McCarty Funeral Home, Cynthiana. Visitation will be from 5 to 8 p.m. Saturday at the funeral home. Burial will be in Salem Church Cemetery. Memorials are suggested to Salem Church cemetery Fund.
Evelyn M. Hydera, 85, of Newport, died at 9:20 a.m. Thursday at St. Luke Hospital East, Fort Thomas. She was a homemaker and a member of Ladies Auxiliary of Lawler Hanlon VFW Post No. 5662 and American Legion Post No. 327, both in Newport. She was a member of Hilltoppers and St. Francis DeSales Church, Newport.
Survivors include sons, Ron Nessler of Highland Heights and Adam W. Hydera of Newport; three grandsons and seven great-grandchildren.
Mass of Christian burial will be at 10:30 a.m. Saturday at St. Francis DeSales Church. Visitation will be from 8:30 to 10 a.m. Saturday at Muehlenkamp-Erschell Funeral Home, Newport. Burial will be in St. Stephen Cemetery, Fort Thomas. Memorials are suggested to the charity of the donor's choice.
Elizabeth K. Iler, 88, of Newport, died at 12:55 p.m. Wednesday at Baptist Convalescent Center in Newport. She was a teacher and a member of New Beginnings Presbyterian Church, Erlanger.
Survivors include nephews, Ellis Kinney of Louisville, Ken Irvin of Las Vegas, Dennis Irvin of Williamsburg, Ohio, and Van Kinney of Park Hills.
Services will be at 10 a.m. Saturday at Dobbling Funeral Home, Fort Thomas. Visitation will begin there at 9 a.m. Saturday. Burial will be in Grandview Cemetery, Mentor. Memorials are suggested to New Beginnings Presbyterian Church, 3830 Narrows Road, Erlanger, Ky. 41018.
Emma Lee Lloyd, of Warsaw, died at 2:30 p.m. Tuesday at St. Elizabeth Medical Hospice Unit, Covington. She was a homemaker.
Survivors include daughters, Debbie Foreman and Virginia Wren, both of Elsmere, and Jane Reynolds of Erlanger; a son, Jeff Reynolds of Erlanger; a brother, James Forwood of Warsaw; sisters, Judy Simmons of Ghent and Barbara Miller of Warsaw; and eight grandchildren.
Services will be at 9:30 a.m. Saturday at Linnemann Funeral Home, Erlanger. Visitation will be from 5 to 8 p.m. today at the funeral home. Burial will be in Floral Hills Cemetery, Taylor Mill. Memorials are suggested to American Cancer Society, 7730 U. S. 42, Suite C6, Florence, Ky. 41042.
Stanley Loger, 71, of Florence, died Wednesday at St. Luke Hospital West in Florence. Arrangements are pending at Chambers and Grubbs Funeral Home, Walton.
Lawrence Richard Maddin, 78, of Walton, died Wednesday at St. Luke Hospital West, Florence. He was a farmer, a member of All Saints Church in Walton, and a Navy veteran. A son, James Eugene Maddin, died in 1974.
Survivors include his wife, Jeanette Day Maddin; a son, Daniel Joseph Maddin of Royse City, Texas; a daughter, Betty Merida of Verona; sisters, Dorothy Hempstead and Della Marie Maddin, both of Fort Wright; 12 grandchildren and nine great- grandchildren.
Mass of Christian burial will be at 11 a.m. Saturday at All Saints Church. Visitation will be from 5 to 8 p.m. today at Chambers and Grubbs Funeral Home, Walton. Burial will be in St. Patrick Cemetery, Verona.
Ralph B. Pendery, 81, of Sarasota, Fla., formerly of Fort Thomas, died Tuesday in Sarasota. He was a retail merchandiser with Marshall Field & Co. department store in Chicago, and formerly with Shillito's department store in Cincinnati, Halle's department store in Cleveland and Filene's department store in Boston.
He was a trustee of the Cleveland Society of the Blind, Fairmont Presbyterian Church and St. Luke Hospital, all in Cleveland, and was a trustee of Boston University. He also was an Army veteran of World War II.
Survivors include his wife, Anne Schneider Pendery; a daughter, Nancy Pendery of Washington, D.C.; a son, R. Douglas Pendery of Cincinnati; and five grandchildren.
Services will be at 10 a.m. Saturday at Muehlenkamp-Erschell Funeral Home, Fort Thomas. Visitation will begin there at 9 a.m. Saturday. Burial will be in Evergreen Cemetery, Southgate. Memorials are suggested to Alzheimer's Disease Association, 644 Linn St., Cincinnati, Ohio 45203.
James Welburn Rardin, 62, of Covington, died at 5:52 a.m. Thursday at St. Luke Hospital East, Fort Thomas. He was a sports broadcaster and a member of Bible Methodist Church, Burlington.
Survivors include his wife, Gladys Rardin; sons, Michael Rardin of Taylor Mill and Mark Hall of Covington; a daughter, Winona Cook of Ryland Heights; a brother, Donald L. Rardin of Lexington; a sister, Judi Whitman of New Albany, Id.; and seven grandchildren.
Services will be at 10 a.m. Saturday at Bible Methodist Church. Visitation will be from 6 to 9 p.m. today at Catchen and Son Funeral Home, Elsmere. Memorials are suggested to Floral Hills Cemetery, Taylor Mill.
Randall H. "Randy" Renaker, 41, of Cleves, Ohio, formerly of Covington, died at 10:45 p.m. Tuesday at his residence. He retired from Welsh Excavation Co. in Cleves in 1997 because of colon cancer.
Survivors include his wife, Tina Marie Renaker; a daughter, Stephine Renaker of Erlanger; his mother, Harriet Henges Renaker of Covington; brothers, Paul "Skip" Renaker of Latonia, John "Mike" Renaker of Florence, Richard Renaker and James Renaker, both of Covington; and sisters, Mary Renaker and Kimberly Renaker, both of Covington.
Services will be at 7:30 p.m. today at Allison and Rose Funeral Home, Covington. Visitation will be from 4 to 7:15 p.m. today at the funeral home. Burial will be in Mother of God Cemetery, Fort Wright.
Donald M. Roberts, 36, of Covington, died Thursday at University Hospital, Cincinnati.
Arrangements are pending at Allison and Rose Funeral Home, Covington.
Jeffrey Smith, 30, of Owenton, was found dead in Arkansas in May. His body was identified Friday. He was a brick mason.
Survivors include his wife, Cindy McKenzie Smith; sons, Jeffrey Todd Smith, Mark Allen Smith and Dustin Manuel Smith, all of Owenton; his mother and stepfather, Ellen Jones and Claude Privette of Owenton; brothers, Robert Smith and Phillip Dale Smith, both of Owenton, and Gary Smith of Carlisle.
Services will be at 2 p.m. Saturday at Rogers Funeral Home, Owenton. Visitation will begin there at noon Saturday. Burial will be in New Columbus Cemetery.
Carroll Stockdale, 77, of Carrollton, died at 12:35 a.m. Thursday at Carroll County Memorial Hospital in Carrollton. He was an employee of Rich Ladder Co., Carrollton.
Survivors include his wife, Sally Stockdale; a daughter, Trena Tilley of Pompano Beach, Fla.; a brother, Everett Stockdale of Milton; a sister, Pauline Farley of Greenwood, Ind.; and one granddaughter.
Services will be at 2 p.m. Sunday at Graham-Dunn Funeral Home, Carrollton. Visitation will be from 6 to 8 p.m. Saturday at the funeral home. Burial will be in IOOF Cemetery, Owenton.
Edgar Vance Tomlinson, 85, of Depauw, Ind., formerly of Williamstown, died Thursday at Indian Creek Health and Rehabilitation Center, Corydon, Ind.
Arrangements are pending at Elliston-Stanley Funeral Home, Williamstown.
Patricia Ann Barnes Wagner, 48, of Hebron, died at 8 a.m. Thursday at St. Elizabeth Hospice Unit, Covington, of cancer. She was a cosmetics manager with the Lazarus department store in Florence, where she was head of the store's Partners in Time charitable organization.
Survivors include her husband, James E. Wagner Sr.; sons, James E. Wagner Jr. and Anthony R. Wagner, both at home; her parents, Orville Jack Barnes of Burlington and Dorothy McClanahan of Bellevue; a sister, Deborah Kay Barnes of Bellevue; and brothers, William Barnes of Highland Heights, John Barnes of Alexandria and Gerald Barnes of Burlington.
Mass of Christian burial will be at 10 a.m. Monday at Mary Queen of Heaven Church, Erlanger. Cremation will be at Hill side Chapel, Cincinnati. Memorials are suggested to American Cancer Society, 7730 U. S. 42, Suite C6, Florence, Ky. 41042. Middendorf-Bullock Funeral Home, Hebron, is handling arrangements.
Robert D. White, 79, of Canton, Pa., formerly of Dayton, died July 26 at his home. He was a retired Merchant Marine captain and a member of the Marine Engineers Benevolent Association. He was a member of Whispering Pine Black Powder Club in Cherry Flats, Pa.
Survivors include his wife, Lucile Rockwell White; a daughter, Wendy Lepper of Canton, Pa.; sons, David White of Orlando, Fla., and Rich White of Canton; and four grandchildren.
Services were July 29 at Pepper Funeral Home, Canton. Burial was in Bradford County cemetery in Canton. Memorials are suggested to Green Free Library, 14 N. Center St., Canton, Pa. 17724.
Mildred I. Young, 82, of Crescent Springs, died at 9:34 p.m. Wednesday at St. Luke Hospital West, Florence. She was a homemaker and a member of Crescent Springs Baptist Church. Her husband, Richard J. Young, died in 1979.
Survivors include a step daughter, Rosalie Fedders of Villa Hills; stepsons, Richard J. Young Jr. of Crescent Springs and Robert E. Young of Lakeside Park; and one step-granddaughter.
Services will be at 9 a.m. Monday at Middendorf-Bullock Funeral Home, Ludlow. Visitation will be from 6 to 8 p.m. Sunday at the funeral home. Burial will be in St. John Lutheran Cemetery, Sunman, Ind. Memorials are suggested to Woodspoint Nursing Home Activity Department, 7300 Woodspoint Drive, Florence, Ky. 41042; or the charity of the donor's choice.
