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Date of these obituaries: 05-07-1998
Isiah Smith, community activist
To Isiah Smith, joining a community group meant more than having his name on a membership list. It meant active involvement.
Mr. Smith, a longtime community activist and leader in Covington, died Sunday at his Covington home. He was 66.
Mr. Smith grew up in Covington and poured his life into the community, serving on boards and committees, promoting youth programs, school programs, business and social development.
He was active in the Kenton County Democratic Party and ran for several political offices, including state representative in 1986.
He headed the Kenton County branch of the 1988 Jesse Jackson presidential campaign.
He believed in getting involved in the political process and encouraged greater participation in the black community.
"We must join together to deal with unemployment, housing and poor education," Mr. Smith said during the Jackson campaign.
He was president of Concerned Citizens for Political Involvement.
He was on the board of the Covington Family Health Center, past president of the Community Action Commission, past president of the Covington chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, a member of the Northern Kentucky Chamber of Commerce, St. Vincent DePaul Society, and the board of Bishop Howard School in Covington.
He was past president and past secretary of the Kenton County Public Library Board.
But his activity went beyond the meeting room.
When Mr. Smith was involved with a program, people knew it. He threw himself into the real work as well as the planning. And he invited others to join the effort.
In a letter to The Kentucky Post in 1986, Mr. Smith wrote: "Every member of a body has a certain gift to present, a certain duty to perform."
He was an eloquent spokesman for Northern Kentucky's black community as well as for the whole community.
Mr. Smith spent his life giving his gifts and developing the gifts of others, said Sister Janet Bucher, administrator of Our Savior Church in Covington, where Mr. Smith was a longtime parish council leader.
"He was a real backbone at Our Savior parish. He went to school here in the 1940s, was married
here. He gave of his time, talent and treasure to the church," she said.
"Working with youth was a big thing for Smitty. He wanted to try to make a difference so these young people could do something with their lives."
"Smitty tried to encourage a lot of kids to go to school, go to college, get job training. He always let the young people know that somebody was out there rooting for them."
A stroke about 10 years ago slowed his activities, but didn't stop him.
He was a barber in the Walnut Hills neighborhood of Cincinnati. At his funeral Wednesday, some of his customers said his greeting was always the same.
"Every time somebody came into his barber shop, he'd say "Here comes a good man,' " Sister Bucher said. "He did everything to build up another person's self-image."
Survivors include his wife, Marilyn; sons, Gordon Smith of Chicago, Eric Smith of Las Vegas, Nev., and David Smith of Covington; a daughter, Renee Smith of Cincinnati; brothers, Willie Smith of Covington and Frank Smith of Chicago; a sister, Lillie Bias of Covington; and nine grandchildren.
He was to be buried today at St. Mary's cemetery in Ft. Mitchell.
Georgia "Billie" Ruth Barton Baker, 69, of Highland Heights, died at 4:05 p.m. Wednesday at her home. She was a retired ward secretary for St. Luke Hospital, and a member of First Baptist Church of Cold Spring. Her first husband, William C. Smith, and a son, Donald Lee Smith, both preceded her in death.
Survivors include her husband, Odell Baker; a son, Jeffrey Smith of Ft. Thomas; stepdaughters, Patricia Ann Dowd of Grand Island, N.Y., Elizabeth Jean Taylor of Louisville, Brenda Hill of Ft. Wright, Linda Traylor of Ft. Thomas and Pamela Sue Rafus of Melbourne; sisters, Mary Shuck of Nevada City, Calif., Betty Adkins of Corbin and Josie Brewer of Berkley, Mich.; and 18 grandchildren.
Services will be at 10 a.m. Saturday at Dobbling Funeral Home, Ft. Thomas. Visitation will be from 5 to 8 p.m. Friday at the funeral home. Burial will be in Evergreen Cemetery, Southgate. Memorials are suggested to First Baptist Church of Cold Spring, 4410 Alexander Pike, Cold Spring, Ky. 41076.
Jane Shelton Bristow, 98, of Florence, died Wednesday at Woodspoint Nursing Home, Florence. She was a retired agent with the New York Life Insurance Co., a former teacher with several Northern Kentucky schools and a member of the Christian Women's Club.
Survivors include several cousins.
Services will be at 10:30 a.m. Saturday at Stith Funeral Home, Florence. Visitation will begin there at 9:30 a.m. Saturday. Burial will be in Rice Cemetery, Union. Memorials are suggested to the charity of the donor's choice.
James Thomas Crowder, 69, of Dry Ridge, died Tuesday at his home. He was a member of Dry Ridge Baptist Church. His wife, Allene Crowder, died in 1990.
Survivors include a cousin, Bill Crowder of Williamstown.
Graveside services will be at 11 a.m. Friday at IOOF Cemetery, Jonesville. Eckler-Hudson Funeral Home, Dry Ridge.
Eugene Henry Deininger, 87, of Houston, formerly of Ft. Thomas, died March 27 in Houston.
Arrangements are pending at Dobbling Funeral Home, Ft. Thomas.
Beverly Grace Diamond, 81, of Ft. Pierce, Fla., died April 29 in Ft. Pierce. She was a cosmetician with Edwards Department Store in Syracuse, N.Y.
Survivors include her husband, Girard Diamond of Ft. Pierce, Fla.; a son, John Murphy of Cincinnati; and two grandchildren.
Memorial services will be at 7 p.m. today at Muehlenkamp-Erschell Funeral Home, Ft. Thomas. Visitation will begin there at 6 p.m. today. Memorials are suggested to American Heart Association, 1885 Dixie Highway, Suite 250, Ft. Wright, Ky. 41011.
Jeanne Ann Bush Grimes, 74, of Edgewood, died at 2:45 p.m. Tuesday at her daughter's home in Edgewood. She was a homemaker and a member of Blessed Sacrament Church, Ft. Mitchell. Her husband, Clifford H. Grimes, died in 1979.
Survivors include her daughter, Mary Ann Buechtel of Edgewood; sons, Daniel Grimes, Patrick J. Grimes and Michael J. Grimes, all of Florence; sisters, Alma Meyer of Highland Heights and Toddy Heidel of Florence; seven grandchildren and one great-grandchild.
Mass of Christian burial will be at 9:30 a.m. Saturday at St. Pius X. Church, Edgewood. Visitation will be from 5 to 8 p.m. Friday at Linnemann Funeral Home, Erlanger. Burial will be in St. Mary Cemetery, Ft. Mitchell. Memorials are suggested to Juvenile Diabetes Association, 10901 Reed Hartman Highway, Cincinnati, Ohio 45242.
Marguerite Lusby, 89, of Lexington, formerly of Owenton, died Wednesday at Frankfort Regional Medical Center. She was a retired telephone operator with South Central Bell and a member of Grace Baptist Church in Lexington.
Survivors include a son, Charlie Lusby of Owenton; daughters, Dorothy Cobb of Owenton and Patsy Hodge of Frankfort; a brother, William Mason of Owenton; sisters, Nellie Clifton and Lucy O'Banion, both of Owenton, and Beulah O'Nan of Frankfort; seven grandchildren, 14 great-grandchildren and two great-great-grandchildren.
Services will be at 2 p.m. Friday at McDonald Funeral Home, Seminary Street, Owenton. Visitation will be from 4 to 9 p.m. today at the funeral home. Burial will be in IOOF Cemetery, Owenton. Memorials are suggested to the charity of the donor's choice.
Harry Rosenbaum, 97, of Ft. Thomas, died Wednesday at Highlands of Ft. Thomas.
Arrangements are pending at Dobbling Funeral Home, Ft. Thomas.
James "Squeaky" Welsh, 51, of Maysville, died Tuesday at Raleigh General Hospital, Beckley, W.Va. He was a technician with the Browning division of Emerson Electric, Maysville, a former vice president of the Mason County Jaycees, and a member of St. Patrick Church, Maysville. He also was a past Noble of Grand DeKalb Lodge IOOF in Maysville, a past Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Kentucky IOOF, and was the serving Junior Warden of the Grand Encampment of Kentucky IOOF.
Survivors include his wife, Helen Bramel Welsh; his mother, Matilda Welsh of Maysville; a brother, Dickie Welsh of Maysville; and sisters, Patty Welsh of Maysville and Annette Conkle of Columbus, Ohio.
Mass of Christian burial will be at 10 a.m. Friday at St. Patrick Church. Visitation will be from 5 to 8 p.m. today at Brell and Son Funeral Home, Maysville. Burial will be in St. Patrick Cemetery, Maysville.
Rev. Paul Volk Wethington, 75, of Versailles, died at 5:50 a.m. Wednesday at Woodford County Memorial Hospital in Versailles. Father Wethington was a former teacher at Newport Central Catholic High School, the business manager of Villa Madonna Academy, Villa Hills, and chaplain of St. John Children's Home in Ft. Mitchell.
He briefly served as a co-chaplain of St. Elizabeth Medical Center North, Covington, in 1972, before becoming pastor of St. Rose of Lima Church in Maysville the following year. He also served as an assistant at St. Therese Church in Southgate.
Survivors include sisters, Mary Pauline Hayden, Anna Louise Grant and Mary "Betty" Martin, all of Owensboro, Rita Husted of Greeley, Colo., Sister Angela Wethington, S.C.N. of Lexington and Margaret Anderson of Louisville; and a brother, Joseph Anthony Wethington of Denver.
Mass of Christian burial will be at 10 a.m. Saturday at St. Peter Church, Lexington. Visitation will be from 4 to 8 p.m. Friday at the church. Burial will be in the St. Anthony Church Cemetery, Browns Valley. Memorials are suggested to St. Peter Church, 153 Barr St., Lexington, Ky. 40507. W. R. Milward Funeral Home, Lexington, and Haley-McGinnis Funeral Home, Owensboro, are handling arrangements.
