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Date of these obituaries: 07-08-1998
Bellevue's Norma Balzhiser, loving mother
Norma M. Schwerman Balzhiser was blessed with a talent for music.
She played piano and ukulele for friends and family - or for herself, while she was waiting for laundry or cooking dinner.
"She used to play the piano by ear," said a daughter, Joyce Von Bokern of Bellevue. "Her mother taught piano when she was a child, but my mother always said she didn't practice enough."
Mrs. Balzhiser died at 1:24 p.m. Monday at St. Luke Hospital East in Ft. Thomas.
She was 97.
She grew up in Newport and moved with her family to Bellevue when she was a young girl.
In 1926, Mrs. Balzhiser married
her husband, Harold Balzhiser, who died in 1986.
They had two children.
Mrs. Balzhiser lived in the Bellevue home with her son until last year, when she moved to Lakeside Place Nursing Home in Highland Heights.
She was a homemaker and was active in social organizations, including the Daughters of Isabella Circle No. 1 in Newport, a Catholic women's organization to which she belonged for about 57 years.
During World War II, Mrs. Balzhiser also helped the Bellevue Women's Club get involved in the war effort by rolling bandages that were sent overseas, chaperoning dances for the soldiers and giving blood.
Mrs. Balzhiser was a member of St. Anthony Church in Bellevue and its Altar Society.
"She just was a very easy-to-get-along-with person, just sweet and loving," Ms. Von Bokern said. "I think she always looked to the good side and always gave someone the benefit of the doubt. She was never one to jump and criticize right away."
Other survivors include a son, Jerry Balzhiser of Bellevue; five grandchildren, 11 great-grandchildren and one great-great-grandc hild.
Mass of Christian burial will be at 7:30 p.m. Thursday at St. Anthony Church.
Visitation will begin there at 6 p.m. Thursday. Burial will be in St. Stephen Cemetery, Ft. Thomas.
Memorials are suggested to the church, 320 Poplar St., Bellevue, Ky. 41073.
Dobbling Funeral Home, Bellevue, is handling arrangements.
Frank Backer, 85, of Covington, died Tuesday at his home.
Arrangements are pending at Swindler and Currin Funeral Home, Latonia.
Joseph E. Bowman, 78, of Ft. Mitchell, died Monday at Florence Park Care Center, Florence.
He was a contractor with Votel Contractors Co. and a member of Blessed Sacrament Church, Ft. Mitchell.
Survivors include a brother, John T. Bowman of Ft. Mitchell; and a sister, Mary Lou Adick of Independence.
Mass of Christian burial will be at 10 a.m. Thursday at Blessed Sacrament Church.
Burial will be in St. Mary Cemetery, Ft. Mitchell.
Middendorf-Bullock Funeral Home, Covington, is handling arrangements.
Myrtle "Peggy" Deitmaring, 77, of Gallatin County, died at 7:50 p.m. Tuesday at Gallatin Health Care Center, Warsaw.
Arrangements are pending at Hamilton-Stanley Funeral Home, Verona.
Margaret Oneida Lawson, 62, of Berry, died Tuesday at Harrison Memorial Hospital in Cynthiana.
She was a homemaker, a retired U.S. Shoe worker and a member of Union Baptist Church, Berry Lioness Club and Berry Homemakers.
Survivors include her husband, Johnny Lawson; a son, Marty Lawson of Griffin, Ga.; a daughter, Debbie Laytart of Warner Robins, Ga.; brothers, Roberts Chambers of Burlington, Don Chambers and Butler and John Allen Chambers of Cynthiana; sisters, Sue Greene of Burlington and Mary Gilmer of Ohio; and two grandchildren.
Services will be at 11 a.m. Saturday at Ware Funeral Home, Cynthiana.
Visitation will be from 6 to 9 p.m. Friday at the funeral home.
Burial will be in Pythian Grove Cemetery, Berry.
Memorials are suggested to Union Baptist Church, Highway 42 and Mt. Zion Road, Union, Ky. 41091; or Berry Lioness Club.
Geneva Meyer, 44, of Covington, died Tuesday at St. Elizabeth Medical Center South, Edgewood.
Arrangements are pending at Allison and Rose Funeral Home, Covington.
Shirley R. Vaught, 70, of Florence, died Tuesday at Florence Park Care Center in Florence.
She was a homemaker and member of First Church of Christ, Florence and the Florence Mallwalkers.
Survivors include a son, Kenneth Vaught of Florence; a daughter, Donna Edwards of Burlington; sisters, Nancy Bradshaw of Stanford and Betty Holder of Somerset; brothers, Curtis Woodall and Douglas Woodall, both of Jacksonville, Fla., and Carl Woodall of Blue Ridge, Ga.; and seven grandchildren.
Services will be at 1 p.m. Friday at Linnemann Funeral Home, Burlington. Visitation will begin there at 11 a.m. Friday.
Burial will be in Highland Cemetery, Ft. Mitchell.
Memorials are suggested to American Cancer Society, 7730 U. S. 42, Suite C6, Florence, Ky. 41042; or First Church of Christ, P. O. Box 880, Burlington, Ky. 41005.
