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These notices are dated: 09-04-2004
Howard Rhein, WWII hero, loved to garden
Howard Rhein was a World War II hero who came home wounded in ways that weren't immediately apparent.
"He was wounded mentally, " said one of his daughters, Pat Walls of Melbourne.
"He fought depression most of his life. He took the blame for the soldiers who died. He was a sergeant in the infantry who turned down opportunities for promotion because he wanted to stay with his men.
"He would tell these stories. 'I told them to be careful crossing that river.' Or, 'I warned them to watch for trip wires.' It hurt him so much to have seen so many young soldiers die. He had survivor's guilt."
He was 28 when he enlisted. He fought with the U.S. Army's 117th infantry division in Normandy, Northern France, Central Europe, the Rhineland and Ardennes.
"He would get letters from some of the mothers who would write asking about the circumstances surrounding their sons' deaths, and he would write back, " Mrs. Walls said.
"He remembered finding out about the death of his own mother, whom he adored. It was toward the end of the war. He was lying in a blown-out house, looking up at the sky because the roof was gone. His CO came in and said he had some bad news, that his mother had died.
"The CO said she'd died three weeks earlier, but they couldn't find my father because of the fighting. Had they known where he was, the Red Cross would have flown him home."
He received the EAME (European, African and Mediterranean) Theaters Ribbon with five bronze stars, one for each of the major struggles in which he participated, starting with Normandy.
He also received the bronze star medal, awarded for heroic actions in combat.
Years later, he would tell his children that Jesus Christ got him through the war.
Despite the impact the war had on him, Ms. Walls said he was an excellent father and grandfather, a loving husband and a generous and gentle man who loved to farm and to garden.
Mr. Rhein died Monday at Carmel Manor Nursing Home. He was 90.
He was a resident of Ft. Thomas and a retired marble cutter for Meese Distributing.
Other survivors include his wife, Betty Jane Rhein of Ft. Thomas; daughter Suzanne Specht of Ft. Thomas; four sons, Thomas of Tulsa, Christopher of Ft. Meyers, Mark of Ft. Thomas and Todd of Cincinnati, and nine grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren.
Visitation: 4-8 p.m. Tuesday, Dobbling Funeral Home, Ft. Thomas. Services: 11 a.m. Wednesday, at the funeral home. Burial: Evergreen Cemetery.
Memorials to Hospice of Northern Kentucky, 1403 Alexandria Pike, Ft. Thomas, 41075 or to Carmel Manor, 100 Carmel Manor Rd., Ft. Thomas, 41075.
Mark Edward Wayne Arthur, 33, of Maysville, died Thursday at his residence.
He was a brick mason.
Survivors include his wife, Sarah Arthur; a son, MacKenzie Douglas Arthur of Maysville; brothers, Billy Arthur of Flemingsburg, David Arthur and Scott Arthur, both of Dover; and sisters, Sue Wallingford of Lewis County and Debbie Cracraft of Orangeburg.
Services will be at 1 p.m. Monday at Palmer Funeral Home, Germantown. Visitation will begin there at 11 a.m. Monday. Mr. Arthur will be cremated.
Jana Bragg, 43, of Park Hills, died Wednesday at St. Elizabeth North Medical Center, Covington.
She was a line worker with Allen K. Packing Co.
Survivors include her husband, Michael Bragg; and daughters, Maria Ewing of Hebron and Jessie Ewing of Covington.
Services will be held at the convenience of the family. Burial will be in Hillside Chapel, Cincinnati.
C&C; Mortuary Services, Covington, is handling the arrangements.
James Cason, 75, of Covington, died Thursday at Villaspring of Erlanger.
He was a retired superintendent of United Insurance Co. and a Marine veteran of the Korean War. He was a member of Banklick Christian Church, Erlanger.
Survivors include his wife, AnnaLene Ellison Cason Vargas; sons, James Cason of Monticello, Utah, Joel Cason of Independence, Jack Cason of Morning View, John Cason of Covington, and Cody Cason of Liberty; a daughter, Cindy Cason Cahill of Morning View; a brother, Robert Cason of Florence; 11 grandchildren and 2 great-grandchildren.
Services will be at 7 p.m. Tuesday at Banklick Christian Church, Erlanger.
Chambers & Grubbs Funeral Home, Florence, is handling the arrangements.
Michael Edward Connor, 54, of Sarasota, Fla., formerly of Latonia, died Thursday at his residence.
Arrangements are pending at Connley Brothers Funeral Home, Latonia.
William A. Forbes, 77, of Port Richey, Fla., formerly of Dunedin, Fla. and a native of Covington, died Tuesday at his residence.
He was a retired systems analyst with General Electric and an Army veteran of World War II.
He was a member of St. Mark's Presbyterian Church, Port Richey, Fla.; Lions Club, DAV 103, Dunedin; and a youth counselor at United Methodist Church.
Survivors include his wife, Jacqualyne Forbes; sons, William Jeffrey Forbes of Tampa, Fla., and David Scott of Sparta, N.J.; brothers, Tom Forbes of Fort Mitchell, Dan Forbes of California, and Ken Forbes of Cincinnati; and four grandchildren.
Services will be at 10:30 a.m. today at St. Mark's Presbyterian Church, Port Richey, Fla. No visitation is scheduled.
Mr. Forbes will be cremated. Prevatt Funeral Home, Hudson, Fla., is handling the arrangements.
Fred C. Hand, 77, of Covington, died Monday at his residence.
He was a volunteer with the Covington Senior Services and the Cincinnati Art Museum, and a World War II veteran.
Survivors include a son, Zachary S. Taylor of Indianapolis; daughters, Tonya Ballew and Trina Brown, both of Indianapolis; and four grandchildren.
Services will be at noon Wednesday at Don Catchen & Son Funeral Home, Covington. No visitation is scheduled. Burial will be in Hillside Chapel, Cincinnati.
Don Catchen & Son Funeral Home, Covington, is handling the arrangements.
Josephine F. Haynes, 85, of Florence, died Thursday at Woodcrest Manor, Elsmere.
She was a retired teacher's aide from Boone County Schools.
She was a member and Sunday school teacher at the Gathering Place, Florence. Her husband, Charles E. Haynes, preceded her in death.
Survivors include sons, Charles Haynes and John Haynes, both of Union, and Edward Haynes and David A. Haynes, both of Florence; daughters, Joyce Cornelius of Union and Carole Shirley of Florence; 14 grandchildren and 21 great-grandchildren.
Services will be at noon Tuesday at the Gathering Place, Florence. Visitation will begin there at 10 a.m. Tuesday. Burial will be in Forest Lawn Cemetery, Erlanger.
Memorials are suggested to the Gathering Place, 10310 Dixie Highway, Florence, Ky. 41042. Chambers & Grubbs Funeral Home, Florence, is handling the arrangements.
Gerri Kilmer, 56, of Silver Grove, died Friday at St. Luke Hospital East, Fort Thomas.
She was a retired nurse from Drake Hospital.
Survivors include her husband, Edward Kilmer; a son, Doug Kilmer of Independence; a daughter, Denise Dennis of Silver Grove; brothers, Kenneth Klug of Cincinnati, Kevin Klug of Mount Washington, and James Klug of Loveland, Ohio; sisters, Georgiann Adams of Westwood, Ohio, Kristine McNutt of Milford, Ohio, and Mary Beth Klug of Silver Grove; and seven grandchildren.
Mass of Christian burial will be at 9:30 a.m. Wednesday at Divine Mercy Parish, Bellevue. Visitation will be from 5 to 8 p.m. at Dobbling Funeral Home, Bellevue. Burial will be in St. Stephen Cemetery, Fort Thomas.
Memorials are suggested to the American Heart Association, 2936 Vernon Place, Cincinnati, Ohio 45219.
Paul Lawson, 65, of Visalia, died Friday at his residence.
Arrangements are pending at Allison & Rose Funeral Home, Taylor Mill.
Margaret Louise Taulbee, 71, of Alexandria, died Thursday at St. Elizabeth Medical Center, Edgewood.
She was a homemaker and a member of Flagg Springs Baptist Church, California. Her husband, Reed Taulbee, and a son, Ronnie Taulbee, preceded her in death.
Survivors include sons, Earnie Taulbee and Lonnie Taulbee, both of Alexandria, and Johnny Taulbee of Grant's Lick; a brother, Howard Spicer of Florence; sisters, Texas Collins, Geraldine Griffith, and Betty Hill, all of Alexandria, Eva Hall of Newport, and Imogene Howard of Jackson; four grandchildren and one great-grandchild.
Services will be at 11 a.m. today at Alexandria Funeral Home, Alexandria. Visitation will begin there at 9 a.m. today. Burial will be in Alexandria Cemetery.
Memorials are suggested to Flagg Springs Baptist Church, Highway 10, California, Ky. 41007.
Ann Louise Henry Pence Tiemeier, 90, of Silver Grove, died Thursday at St. Luke Hospital West, Florence. She was a retired salesperson from Sears and Revlon. She was a member of St. Phillip Church, Melbourne, and Holy Cross Church, Latonia. Her husband, Harry W. Tiemeier, and sons, Gary Pence and Robert Tiemeier, preceded her in death.
Survivors include a son, Gerald L. Tiemeier of Melbourne; a daughter, JoAnn Eaton of Burlington; a brother, George Henry of Madisonville, Ohio; 10 grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren.
Mass of Christian burial will be at 10 a.m. Tuesday at St. Phillip Church, Melbourne. Visitation will be from 5 to 8 p.m. Monday at Swindler & Currin Funeral Home, Latonia. Burial will be in St. Joseph Cemetery, Cold Spring.
Memorials are suggested to St. Phillip Church, 1404 Mary Ingles Highway, Melbourne, Ky. 41059 or Hospice of Northern Kentucky, 1403 Alexandria Pike, Fort Thomas, Ky. 41075.
Andy Whalen, 21, of Walton, died Wednesday in an automobile accident on Dixie Highway in Dry Ridge.
He was a carpenter.
Survivors include fianc�e, Amy Crabtree of Walton; daughters, Sierra Nicole Whalen and Emilee Paige Whalen, both of Walton; his parents, Timothy Whalen of Dry Ridge and Kathy Goecke of Walton; his stepfather, Steve Meadows of Walton; a sister, Carrie Meadows of Walton; and grandparents, Gilbert and Georgia Whalen of Dry Ridge, and Mary Goecke of Walton.
Services will be at 11 a.m. today at Ellison-Stanley Funeral Home, Williamstown. Visitation will begin there at 9 a.m. today. Burial will be in Hill Crest Cemetery, Dry Ridge.
Memorials are suggested to the family, in care of Eagle Bank, 203 S. Main St., Williamstown, Ky. 41097.
Michael F. Zechella, 59, of Dayton, died Friday at St. Luke Hospital East, Fort Thomas.
He was a route salesman with Heidelberg Distributing and a Navy veteran of the Vietnam War. He was a member of Teamsters Local No. 114 and the Newport Catholic Alumni Association.
Survivors include his wife, Rhonda Wallace Zechella; a son, Anthony Zechella of Alexandria; stepsons, Jeff Thiery of Park Hills, Steven Witterstaetter of Dayton, and James Witterstaetter of Cincinnati; stepdaughters, Kathy Hauen of Edgewood and Susan Kuerze of Cincinnati; a brother, Thomas Zechella of Fort Thomas; a sister, Antoinette Pitts of Rochester; and nine grandchildren.
Services will be at 11 a.m. Thursday at St. Catherine of Siena, Fort Thomas. Visitation will be from 5 to 8 p.m. Wednesday at Dobbling Funeral Home, Fort Thomas. Burial will be in St. Stephen Cemetery, Fort Thomas.
Memorials are suggested to the charity of the donor's choice.
